File No. 812.011/16
[Untitled]
Mexico,
January 26, 1917, 10 a.m.
655. Department’s 629, January 24, 5 p.m.
Initiative relative to Article 27 is briefly as follows:
- 1.
- No foreigner may hold real property except by renunciation of nationality as to real property rights.
- 2.
- No religious body may hold real property or administer capital thereon; churches are the property of the nation which shall determine their use.
- 3.
- Beneficent institutions may not hold more real property than that necessary for immediate use nor administer capital on real properties for periods exceeding ten years.
- 4.
- Property rights of communities cannot be alienated from the community.
- 5.
- Civil or commercial associations with titles to bearer may have only such real estate as is necessary for the establishments of service of the company.
- 6.
- Duly authorized banks may administer capital but no real estate beyond that necessary for their direct object.
- 7.
- No other corporations than those mentioned in sections three, four, five and six may hold or administer real estate except that necessary for their direct objects.
- 8.
- All contracts of purchase from communities established under the law of July 25, 1856, are void and properties shall be returned to the communities except such real properties as were duly transferred by the provisions of that law and do not exceed one hundred hectares.
- 9.
- The Nation shall have the right to regulate private real property et cetera for appropriate distribution of natural resources.
- 10.
- The Nation reserves all subsoil rights; this includes all minerals, coal and petroleum.
- 11.
- All water rights are reserved to the Nation.
- 12.
- Value of real property when expropriated by Government will be based on assessed taxes.
- 13.
- From date of promulgation of this constitution all real property held by private persons for more than 30 years peacefully, publicly and continuously shall be their property provided that the property thus held does not exceed ten thousand hectares and the lands and waters are not otherwise reserved by this article.
- 14.
- The exercise of the powers conferred on the Nation by this article shall be carried out by judicial procedure but the judicial orders shall be carried by the administrative powers.
Parker