Friendship Missionary Baptist Church v. Washington-Allen CA2/8

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL HISTORY

1. Verified Complaint The Church, through its board of trustees, filed its verified complaint on January 30, 2009. The complaint alleged as follows. The Church is located in Long Beach, California and was founded in or around 1974. The Church, then called Friendship Baptist Church of Long Beach, acquired the Long Beach property by grant deed recorded on April 16, 1974. Around October 25, 1998, the Church changed its name to the current name. In 1998, the deacon board of the Church consisted of two deacons: Washington and Albert Brooks. Also at that time, the Church‟s board of trustees consisted of seven members: Washington, Brooks, Susie Kemp, Johnnie May Dyer, Jennie Williams, Rosetta Edwards, and Lue (who is Washington‟s daughter). The officers of the Church included Washington (chair), Lue (secretary), Williams (assistant secretary), and the board of trustees. Washington was the Church leader until his death. In 1998, the Church opened a checking account on which Washington, Lue, and Williams were the authorized users and a savings account on which Washington and Lue were the authorized users. Around 2005, the Church learned that Washington‟s…