Legal Question in Business Law in California

Re: Recover tithe from a church

NO. What would make you think you had any right to that? You have NO right to 'refund of tithe', regardless of 'cause'; it was a gift, not a loan. If you had a provable claim of some kind of fraud, with provable damages, that would be different.

Re: Recover tithe from a church

I think it would be difficult to impossible to do so in the legal arena, absent a powerful showing of fraud. Donations to charities, as with other gifts, are generally irrevocable when made, and in the case of donations, they are usually irrevocable (enforceable) when pledged, even before money changes hands. You might have a better chance to negotiate a return of your funds privately, but don't step over the boundary and make threats that could be interpreted as extortion. If you have suspicions of widespread fraud in the church's financial affairs, you could contact the state Attorney General's office.