Presbyteries seizing church property

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Now first I am not a member of the PCUSA, the largest Presbyterian denomination. I am a member of the PCA, the second largest Presbyterian denomination.

There's been a lot of news coming from the PCUSA with conservative churches voting to leave. The last few months have seen 2 or 3 large churches leave in the Pittsburgh area alone. The reason being is these churches believe the PCUSA is becoming to liberal in its theology and abandoning classic orthodoxy. In fact I have seen a couple of quotes that amount to "Why are we allowing a 2,000 year old writer control how the church is being run?" Now granted they might have said that without thinking it all through but its scarey when the mainline Presbyterian church has members saying that. If it hadn't been for people that wanted to return to that 2000 year old writer, there would be no Presbyterian Church.

But the thing that is really in the news is the fact that the PCUSA is actually seizing the church buildings or demanding huge payments from churches that are leaving. One church had to come up with $500,000 and another $250,000.

Now lets think about this for a second. If the Presbytery had actually funded the building of these churches I could understand it. But some of these churches are decades if not centuries old. And the PCUSA has only been around since 1983. I just don't see how they can claim ownership of churches paid for by local members as belonging to the denomination.

And the really burning question is why would any church want to become affiliated with a denomination that is going to seize their building if they want to leave later?

I know that the mainline Episcopol church is like this as well.