Legal Definitions - mortification

Mortification, in a legal context, refers to the act of permanently transferring ownership of property—which can include money, land, or other assets—to an organization or entity that serves a religious, charitable, or public benefit purpose.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: Charitable Donation

  A wealthy entrepreneur donates a substantial sum of money to a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing scholarships for underprivileged students. This foundation then uses the funds to support educational opportunities.

  This is an act of mortification because the entrepreneur is disposing of their property (money) by contributing it to a charitable organization for a public benefit purpose (education).

• Example 2: Public Land Gift

  A family who owns a large, undeveloped tract of land on the outskirts of a city decides to gift this property to the local municipal government. The city plans to transform the land into a new public nature preserve and walking trails for residents.

  This constitutes mortification as the family is disposing of their property (land) and contributing it for a public purpose (a nature preserve for community use).

• Example 3: Religious Bequest

  In her will, an individual specifies that a significant portion of her estate, including her investment portfolio and a valuable art collection, should be left to her long-standing religious institution to fund its historical building preservation efforts and community outreach programs.

  This is an example of mortification because the individual is arranging for her property (investments, art) to be disposed of and contributed for a religious purpose (supporting her church's preservation and outreach) upon her death.