Section 14. Judicial investigation of amount of property of religious corporations

The supreme court at a special term, held in the judicial  district in which the principal place of worship or of holding corporate
  meetings of a  religious  corporation  is  situated,  may  require  such
  corporation  to  make and file an inventory of its property, verified by
  its trustees or a majority of them, on the written  application  of  the
  attorney-general,  stating  that,  from his knowledge, or on information
  and belief, the value of the property held by such  corporation  exceeds
  the  amount  authorized by law. On presentation of such application, the
  court shall order that a notice of at least eight days, together with  a
  copy of the application, be served upon the trustees of the corporation,
  requiring  them  to show cause at a time and place therein specified why
  they should not make and file such inventory and  account.  If,  on  the
  hearing of such application, no good cause is shown to the contrary, the
  court may make an order requiring such inventory or account to be filed,
  and  may  also  proceed to take and state the amount of property held by
  the corporation, and may appoint a referee for that  purpose;  and  when
  such  account  is  taken  and  stated,  after  hearing  all  the parties
  appearing on the application, the court may enter an  order  determining
  the amount of property so held by the corporation and its annual income,
  from which order an appeal may be taken by any party aggrieved as from a
  judgment  of the supreme court in an action tried therein before a court
  without a jury. No corporation shall be required to make and  file  more
  than  one  inventory  and  account  in any one year, or to make a second
  account and inventory while proceedings are pending for the statement of
  an account under this section.