Source: http://www.morgantaylorlaw.com/content/view/70/98/
Timestamp: 2018-03-22 04:22:41
Document Index: 749344861

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n9415', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2', 'art 2']

Law Offices of Morgan C. Taylor - Religious Corporation Law
9110. This part shall be known and may be cited as the Nonprofit Religious Corporation Law.
9111. Subject to any other provision of law of this state applying to the particular class of corporation or line of activity, a corporation may be formed under this part primarily or exclusively for any religious purposes.
9120. (a) One or more persons may form a corporation under this part by executing and filing articles of incorporation.
9121. (a) In the case of an existing unincorporated association, the association may change its status to that of a corporation upon a proper authorization for such by the association in accordance with its rules and procedures.
9122. (a) The Secretary of State shall not file articles setting forth a name in which "bank," "trust," "trustee" or related words appear, unless the certificate of approval of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions is attached thereto.
(b) The Secretary of State shall not file articles which set forth a name which is likely to mislead the public or which is the same as, or resembles so closely as to tend to deceive, the name of a domestic corporation, the name of a foreign corporation which is authorized to transact intrastate business or has registered its name pursuant to Section 2101, a name which a foreign corporation has assumed under subdivision (b) of Section 2106 or a name which will become the record name of a domestic or foreign corporation upon the effective date of a filed corporate instrument where there is a delayed effective date pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 110 or subdivision (c) of Section 5008, or a name which is under reservation pursuant to this section, Section 201, Section 5122, or Section 7122, except that a corporation may adopt a name that is substantially the same as an existing domestic or foreign corporation which is authorized to transact intrastate business or has registered its name pursuant to Section 2101, upon proof of consent by such corporation and a finding by the Secretary of State that under the circumstances the public is not likely to be misled.
9130. The articles of incorporation of a corporation formed under this part shall set forth:
(b) The following statement: "This corporation is a religious corporation and is not organized for the private gain of any person. It is organized under the Nonprofit Religious Corporation Law (primarily or exclusively (insert one or both)) for religious purposes. " (The articles may include a further description of the corporation's purposes. )
(c) The name and address in this state of the corporation's initial agent for service of process in accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 6210 (made applicable pursuant to Section 9660).
9131. The articles of incorporation may set forth a further statement limiting the purposes or powers of the corporation.
9132. (a) The articles of incorporation may set forth any or all of the following provisions, which shall not be effective unless expressly provided in the articles:
(i) That the subordinate corporation shall dissolve whenever its charter is surrendered to, taken away by, or revoked by the head organization granting it.
(ii) That in the event of its dissolution pursuant to an article provision allowed by subdivision (a), paragraph (2), clause (i), of this section, or, in the event of its dissolution for any reason, any assets of the corporation after compliance with the applicable provisions of Chapters 16 (commencing with Section 6610) and 17 (commencing with Section 6710) (made applicable pursuant to Section 9680) shall be distributed to the head organization.
(4) A provision that requires an amendment to the articles or to the bylaws, and any amendment or repeal of that amendment, to be approved in writing by a specified person or persons other than the board or the members.
9133. For all purposes other than an action in the nature of quo warranto, a copy of the articles of a corporation duly certified by the Secretary of State is conclusive evidence of the formation of the corporation and prima facie evidence of its corporate existence.
9134. If initial directors have not been named in the articles, the incorporator or incorporators, until the directors are elected, may do whatever is necessary and proper to perfect the organization of the corporation, including the adoption and amendment of bylaws of the corporation and the election of directors and officers.
9140. Subject to any limitations contained in the articles or bylaws and to compliance with other provisions of this division and any other applicable laws, a corporation, in carrying out its activities, shall have all of the powers of a natural person, including, without limitation, the power to:
(c) Qualify to conduct its activities in any other state, territory, dependency or foreign country.
(d) Issue, purchase, redeem, receive, take or otherwise acquire, own, sell, lend, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of, pledge, use and otherwise deal in and with its own bonds, debentures, notes and debt securities.
(m) Pay the reasonable value of services rendered in this state to the corporation before January 1, 1975, and not previously paid, by any person who performed such services on a full-time basis under the direction of a religious organization in connection with the religious tenets of the organization. Such person shall have relied solely on the religious organization for his or her financial support for a minimum of five years. A payment shall not be made if such person or religious organization waives the payment or receipt of compensation for such services in writing. Payment may be made to such religious organization to reimburse it for maintenance of any person who rendered such services and to assist it in providing future support and maintenance; however, payment shall not be made from any funds or assets acquired with funds donated by or traceable to gifts made to the corporation by any person, organization or governmental agency other than the members, immediate families of members and affiliated religious organizations of the religious organization under whose direction the services were performed.
9141. Subject to Section 9142:
(b) Any contract or conveyance made in the name of a corporation which is authorized or ratified by the board or is done within the scope of authority, actual or apparent, conferred by the board or within the agency power of the officer executing it, except as the board's authority is limited by law other than this part, binds the corporation, and the corporation acquires rights thereunder whether the contract is executed or wholly or in part executory.
9142. (a) Notwithstanding Section 9141, any of the following may bring an action to enjoin, correct, obtain damages for or to otherwise remedy a breach of a trust under which any or all of the assets of a corporation are held:
(d) Trusts created by paragraph (2) of subdivision (c) may be amended or dissolved by amendment from time to time to the articles, bylaws, or governing instruments creating the trusts. However, nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to permit the amendment of the articles to delete or to amend provisions required by Section 214. 01 of the Revenue and Taxation Code to a greater extent than otherwise allowable by law.
9143. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part to the contrary, when property, received by a corporation, covered by this part from a person directly affiliated with that corporation has been contributed based upon an affirmative representation that it would be used for a specific purpose other than the general support of the corporation's activities and has been used in a manner contrary to the specific purpose for which the property was contributed, an action may be brought by the contributor or by any person listed in paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 9142, if that person, before bringing an action, notifies the corporation, in writing, that an action will be brought unless the corporation takes immediate steps to correct any improper diversion of funds.
9150. (a) "Bylaws," as used in this part means the code or codes of rules used, adopted, or recognized for the regulation or management of the affairs of the corporation irrespective of the name or names by which such rules are designated.
9151. (a) The bylaws shall set forth (unless such provision is contained in the articles, in which case it may only be changed by an amendment of the articles) the number of directors of the corporation; or that the number of directors shall be not less than a stated minimum nor more than a stated maximum with the exact number of directors to be fixed, within the limits specified, by approval of the board or the members (Section 5034), in the manner provided in the bylaws, subject to subdivision (e) of Section 9151. The number or minimum number of directors may be one or more.
9152. Any corporation may provide in its bylaws for delegates having some or all of the authority of members. Where delegates are provided for, the bylaws shall set forth delegates' terms of office, any reasonable method for delegates' selection and removal, and any reasonable method for calling, noticing and holding meetings of delegates and may set forth the manner in which delegates may act by written ballot similar to Section 9413 for written ballot of members.
Delegates may only act personally at a meeting or by written ballot and may not act by proxy. Delegates may be given a name other than "delegates. "
9153. A corporation may provide in its bylaws for voting by its members or delegates on the basis of chapter or other organizational unit, or by region or other geographic grouping.
9210. Subject to the provisions of this part and any provision in the articles or bylaws:
9211. (a) Unless otherwise provided in the articles or in the bylaws, all of the following apply:
(2) Regular meetings of the board may be held without notice if the time and place of the meetings are fixed by the bylaws or the board. Special meetings of the board shall be held upon four days' notice by first-class mail or 48 hours' notice delivered personally or by telephone, including a voice messaging system or by electronic transmission by a corporation (Section 20). The articles or bylaws may not dispense with notice of a special meeting. A notice, or waiver of notice, need not specify the purpose of any regular or special meeting of the board.
(7) A majority of the number of directors authorized in the articles or bylaws constitutes a quorum of the board for the transaction of business.
(c) This section applies also to incorporators, to committees of the board, and to action by those incorporators or committees mutatis mutandis.
9212. (a) Subject to any provision in the articles or bylaws: (i) the board may, by resolution adopted by a majority of the number of directors then in office, provided that a quorum is present, create one or more committees, each consisting of two or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the board; and (ii) appointments to such committees shall be by a majority vote of the directors then in office. The bylaws may authorize one or more committees, each consisting of two or more directors, and may provide that a specified officer or officers who are also directors of the corporation shall be a member or members of such committee or committees. The board may appoint one or more directors as alternate members of any committee, who may replace any absent member at any meeting of the committee. Any such committee, to the extent provided in the resolution of the board or in the bylaws, shall have all the authority of the board, except with respect to:
(1) The approval of any action for which this part also requires approval of the members (Section 5034) or approval of a majority of all members (Section 5033).
(b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to any committee which does not exercise the authority of the board.
(c) Unless the bylaws otherwise provide, the board may delegate to any committee powers as authorized by Section 9210, but may not delegate the powers set forth in paragraphs (1) through (6) of subdivision (a) of this section.
9213. (a) A corporation shall have a chairman of the board or a president or both, a secretary, a chief financial officer and such other officers with such titles and duties as shall be stated in the bylaws or determined by the board and as may be necessary to enable it to sign instruments. The president, or if there is no president, the chairman of the board, is the general manager and chief executive officer of the corporation, unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws. Any number of offices may be held by the same person unless the articles or bylaws provide otherwise, except that neither the secretary nor the chief financial officer may serve concurrently as the president or chairman of the board.
9214. Subject to the provisions of subdivision (a) of Section 9141 and Section 9142, any note, mortgage, evidence of indebtedness, contract, conveyance or other instrument in writing, and any assignment or endorsement thereof, executed or entered into between any corporation and any other person, when signed by any one of the chairman of the board, the president, or any vice president and by any one of the secretary, any assistant secretary, the chief financial officer or any assistant treasurer of such corporation, is not invalidated as to the corporation by any lack of authority of the signing officers in the absence of actual knowledge on the part of the other person that the signing officers had no authority to execute the same.
9215. The original or a copy in writing or in any other form capable of being converted into clearly legible tangible form of the bylaws or of the minutes of any incorporators', members', directors', committee or other meeting or of any resolution adopted by the board or a committee thereof, or members, certified to be a true copy by a person purporting to be the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation, is prima facie evidence of the adoption of such bylaws or resolution or of the due holding of such meeting and of the matters stated therein.
9220. (a) The articles or bylaws may provide for the tenure, election, selection, designation, removal, and resignation of directors.
(c) Unless the articles or bylaws otherwise provide, each director, including a director elected to fill a vacancy, shall hold office until the expiration of the term for which elected and until a successor has been elected and qualified.
(d) If a corporation has not issued memberships and (1) all the directors resign, die, or become incompetent, or (2) a corporation's initial directors have not been named in the articles and all incorporators resign, die, or become incompetent before the election of the initial directors, the superior court of any county may appoint directors of the corporation upon application by any party in interest.
9221. (a) The board may declare vacant the office of a director who has been declared of unsound mind by a final order of court, or convicted of a felony, or, if at the time a director is elected, the bylaws provide that a director may be removed for missing a specified number of board meetings, fails to attend the specified number of meetings.
(b) As provided in paragraph (3) of subdivision (c) of Section 9151, the articles or bylaws may prescribe the qualifications of the directors. Unless otherwise provided by the articles or bylaws, the board, by a majority vote of the directors who meet all of the required qualifications to be a director, may declare vacant the office of any director who fails or ceases to meet any required qualification that was in effect at the beginning of that director's current term of office.
9222. (a) Except as provided in the articles or bylaws and subject to subdivision (b) of this section, any or all directors may be removed without cause if the removal is approved by the members (Section 5034).
(c) Any reduction of the authorized number of directors or any amendment reducing the number of classes of directors does not remove any director prior to the expiration of the director's term of office.
9223. (a) The superior court of the proper county may, at the suit of a director, or twice the authorized number (Section 5036) of members, remove from office any director in case of fraudulent acts and may bar from reelection any director so removed for a period prescribed by the court. The corporation shall be made a party to such action.
9224. (a) Unless otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws and except for a vacancy created by the removal of a director by the members, vacancies on the board may be filled by approval of the board (Section 5032) or, if the number of directors then in office is less than a quorum, by (1) the unanimous written consent of the directors then in office, (2) the affirmative vote of a majority of the directors then in office at a meeting held pursuant to notice or waivers of notice complying with Section 9211, or (3) a sole remaining director.
9226. No director may resign where the corporation would then be left without a duly elected director or directors in charge of its affairs.
Article 3. Examination by Attorney General
9230. (a) Except as the Attorney General is empowered to act in the enforcement of the criminal laws of this state, and except as the Attorney General is expressly empowered by subdivisions (b), (c) and (d), the Attorney General shall have no powers with respect to any corporation incorporated or classified as a religious corporation under or pursuant to this code.
(d) Where property has been solicited and received from the general public, based on a representation that it would be used for a specific charitable purpose other than general support of the corporation's activities, and has been used in a manner contrary to that specific charitable purpose for which the property was solicited, the Attorney General may institute an action to enforce the specific charitable purpose for which the property was solicited; provided (1) that before bringing such action the Attorney General shall notify the corporation that an action will be brought unless the corporation takes immediate steps to correct the improper diversion of funds, and (2) that in the event it becomes impractical or impossible for the corporation to devote the property to the specified charitable purpose, or that the directors or members of the corporation in good faith expressly conclude and record in writing that the stated purpose for which the property was contributed is no longer in accord with the policies of the corporation, then the directors or members of the corporation may approve or ratify in good faith the use of such property for the general purposes of the corporation rather than for the specific purpose for which it was contributed.
As used in this section, "solicited from the general public" means solicitations directed to the general public, or to any individual or group of individuals who are not directly affiliated with the soliciting organization and includes, but is not limited to, instances where property has been solicited on an individual basis, such as door to door, direct mail, face to face, or similar solicitations, as well as solicitations on a more general level to the general public, or a portion thereof, such as through the media, including newspapers, television, radio, or similar solicitations.
As used in this section, "individual rights of action" include only rights enforceable by private individuals and do not include any right of action of a public officer in an official capacity regardless of whether the officer brings the action on behalf of a private individual.
Article 4. Standards of Conduct
9240. (a) Any duties and liabilities set forth in this article shall apply without regard to whether a director is compensated by the corporation.
9241. (a) A director shall perform the duties of a director, including duties as a member of any committee of the board upon which the director may serve, in good faith, in a manner such director believes to be in the best interests of the corporation and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as is appropriate under the circumstances.
(2) Counsel, independent accountants, or other persons as to matters which the director believes to be within such person's professional or expert competence;
(3) A committee of the board upon which the director does not serve, as to matters within its designated authority, which committee the director believes to merit confidence; or
(4) Religious authorities and ministers, priests, rabbis, or other persons whose position or duties in the religious organization the director believes justify reliance and confidence and whom the director believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, so long as, in any such case, the director acts in good faith, after reasonable inquiry when the need therefor is indicated by the circumstances, and without knowledge that would cause such reliance to be unwarranted.
9242. (a) Section 9241 governs the duties of directors as to any acts or omissions in connection with the election, selection, or nomination of directors.
9243. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), for the purpose of this section, a self-dealing transaction means a transaction to which the corporation is a party and in which one or more of its directors has a material financial interest and which does not meet the requirements of paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) of subdivision (d). Such a director is an "interested director" for the purpose of this section.
(2) The transaction is approved or ratified in good faith by the members (Section 5034) other than the directors, after notice and disclosure to the members of the material facts concerning the transaction and the director's interest in the transaction; or
(C) Prior to consummating the transaction or any part thereof, the board authorized or approved the transaction in good faith by a vote of a majority of the directors then in office without counting the vote of the interested director or directors, and with knowledge of the material facts concerning the transaction and the director's interest in the transaction. Except as provided in paragraph (4), action by a committee of the board shall not satisfy this paragraph; and
(D) (i) Prior to authorizing or approving the transaction, the board considered and in good faith determined after reasonable investigation under the circumstances that either the corporation could not have obtained a more advantageous arrangement with reasonable effort under the circumstances or the transaction was in furtherance of the corporation's religious purposes or (ii) in fact, either the corporation could not have obtained a more advantageous arrangement with reasonable effort under the circumstances or the transaction was in furtherance of the corporation's religious purposes; or
9244. (a) No contract or other transaction between a corporation and any domestic or foreign corporation, firm or association of which one or more of its directors are directors is either void or voidable because such director or directors are present at the meeting of the board or a committee thereof which authorizes, approves or ratifies the contract or transaction, if:
(1) The material facts as to the transaction and as to such director's other directorship are fully disclosed or known to the board or committee, and the board or committee authorizes, approves or ratifies the contract or transaction in good faith by a vote sufficient without counting the vote of the common director or directors; or
9245. (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 9241, directors of a corporation who approve any of the following corporate actions shall be jointly and severally liable to the corporation for:
9246. (a) For the purposes of this section, "agent" means any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or other agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the request of the corporation as a director, officer, employee, or agent of another foreign or domestic corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, or other enterprise, or was a director, officer, employee, or agent of a foreign or domestic corporation which was a predecessor corporation of the corporation or of another enterprise at the request of such precedessor corporation; "proceeding" means any threatened, pending, or completed action or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative; and "expenses" includes without limitation attorneys' fees and any expenses of establishing a right to indemnification under subdivision (d) or paragraph (3) of subdivision (e).
(b) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation to procure a judgment in its favor, an action brought under Section 9243, or an action brought by the Attorney General pursuant to Section 9230) by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of the corporation, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with such proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and, in the case of a criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe the conduct of such person was unlawful. The termination of any proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person believed to be in the best interests of the corporation or that the person had reasonable cause to believe that the person's conduct was unlawful.
(c) A corporation shall have power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action by or in the right of the corporation, or brought under Section 9243, or brought by the Attorney General pursuant to Section 9230, to procure a judgment in its favor by reason of the fact that such person is or was an agent of the corporation, against expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such action if the person acted in good faith, in a manner in which such person believed to be in the best interests of the corporation and with such care, including reasonable inquiry, as an ordinary prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. No idemnification shall be made under this subdivision:
(1) In respect of any claim, issue, or matter as to which such person shall have been adjudged to be liable to the corporation in the performance of such person's duty to the corporation, unless and only to the extent that the court in which such proceeding is or was pending shall determine upon application that, in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for the expenses which such court shall determine;
(g) No provision made by a corporation to indemnify its or its susidiary's directors or officers for the defense of any proceeding, whether contained in the articles, bylaws, a resolution of members or directors, an agreement or otherwise, shall be valid unless consistent with this section. Nothing contained in this section shall affect any right to indemnification to which persons other than such directors and officers may be entitled by contract or otherwise.
(i) A corporation shall have power to purchase and maintain insurance on behalf of any agent of the corporation against any liability asserted against or incurred by the agent in such capacity or arising out of the agent's status as such whether or not the corporation would have the power to indemnify the agent against such liability under the provisions of this section; provided, however, that a corporation shall have no power to purchase and maintain such insurance to indemnify any agent of the corporation for a violation of Section 9243.
9247. (a) There shall be no personal liability for monetary damages to a third party on the part of a volunteer director or volunteer executive officer of a nonprofit corporation subject to this part, caused by the director's or officer's negligent act or omission in the performance of that person's duties as a director or officer, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1) The act or omission was within the scope of the director's or executive officer's duties.
(4) Damages caused by the act or omission are covered pursuant to a liability insurance policy issued to the corporation, either in the form of a general liability policy or a director's or officer's liability policy, or personally to the director or executive officer.
In the event that the damages are not covered by a liability insurance policy, the volunteer director or volunteer executive officer shall not be personally liable for the damages if the board of directors of the corporation and the person had made all reasonable efforts in good faith to obtain available liability insurance.
(c) "Executive officer" means the president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer of a corporation, or other individual serving in like capacity, who assists in establishing the policy of the corporation.
Article 5. Investments
9250. In investing, reinvesting, purchasing, acquiring, exchanging, selling, and managing a corporation's investments, the board shall meet the standards set forth in Section 9241.
9251. Nothing in Section 9250 shall abrogate or restrict the power of a court in proper cases to direct or permit a corporation to deviate from the terms of a trust or agreement regarding the making or retention of investments.
9310. (a) A corporation may admit persons to membership, as provided in its articles or bylaws, or may provide in its articles or bylaws that it shall have no members. In the absence of any provision in its articles or bylaws providing for members, a corporation shall have no members.
9311. Subject to the articles or bylaws, memberships may be issued by a corporation for no consideration or for such consideration as is determined by the board.
9312. No person may hold more than one membership, and no fractional memberships may be held, provided, however, that:
9313. Except as provided in its articles or bylaws, a corporation may admit any person to membership.
9320. Subject to Section 9417:
(a) No member may transfer for value a membership or any right arising therefrom; and
(b) Unless otherwise provided in the corporation's articles or bylaws, all rights of membership cease upon the member's death or dissolution.
9332. (a) A corporation may refer to persons associated with it as "members" even though such persons are not members within the meaning of Section 5056; but references to members in this part mean members as defined in Section 5056.
9340. (a) A member may resign from membership at any time.
(c) Except as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 9320 or in subdivision (a) of this section, a membership issued for a period of time shall expire when such period of time has elapsed unless the membership is renewed.
(d) A membership may be terminated as provided in the articles or bylaws of the corporation.
9350. (a) A member of a corporation is not, as such, personally liable for the debts, liabilities, or obligations of the corporation.
(b) No person is liable for any obligation arising from membership unless the person was admitted to membership upon the person's application or with the person's consent.
9351. A corporation may levy dues, assessments, or fees upon its members pursuant to its articles or bylaws, but a member upon learning of them may avoid liability for them by promptly resigning from membership, except where the member is, by contract or otherwise, liable for them. Article or bylaw provisions authorizing such dues, assessments, or fees do not, of themselves, create such liability.
9352. (a) No action shall be brought by or on behalf of any creditor to reach and apply the liability, if any, of a member to the corporation to pay any amount due to the corporation unless final judgment has been rendered in favor of the creditor against the corporation and execution has been returned unsatisfied in whole or in part or unless such proceedings would be useless.
(b) All creditors of the corporation, with or without reducing their claims to judgment, may intervene in any such creditor's action to reach and apply unpaid amounts due the corporation and any or all members who owe amounts to the corporation may be joined in such action. Several judgments may be rendered for and against the parties to the action or in favor of a receiver for the benefit of the respective parties thereto.
CHAPTER 4. MEETINGS AND VOTING
9410. (a) In the absence of a contrary provision in the articles or bylaws, the provisions of this chapter shall apply to any regular or special meeting of members or obtaining approval of members (Section 5034) or approval of a majority of members (Section 5033). The articles or bylaws may provide any reasonable method of calling, noticing, and holding such meetings or obtaining such approvals.
(b) Anything in subdivision (a) to the contrary notwithstanding, the articles or bylaws may not vary the provisions of subdivision (e) of Section 9411, subdivision (e) of Section 9417 (if proxies are authorized), or Section 9418.
9411. (a) Subject to the provisions of this chapter, regular and special meetings of members shall be called, noticed and held as may be ordered by the board. Unless prohibited by the bylaws of the corporation, if authorized by the board of directors in its sole discretion, and subject to the requirement of consent in clause (b) of Section 20 and those guidelines and procedures as the board of directors may adopt, members not physically present in person (or, if proxies are allowed, by proxy) at a meeting of members may, by electronic transmission by and to the corporation (Sections 20 and 21) or by electronic video screen communication, participate in a meeting of members, be deemed present in person (or, if proxies are allowed, by proxy), and vote at a meeting of members whether that meeting is to be held at a designated place or in whole or in part by means of electronic transmission by and to the corporation or by electronic video screen communication, in accordance with subdivision (f).
(b) Special meetings of members for any lawful purpose may be called by the board or the chairman of the board or the president. In addition, special meetings of members for any lawful purpose may be called by 5 percent or more of the members.
(c) Upon request in writing to the chairman of the board, president, vice president or secretary by any person (other than the board) entitled to call a special meeting of members, the board shall expeditiously set a reasonable time and place for the meeting and the officer forthwith shall cause notice to be given to the members entitled to vote of the time and place of the meeting. If the notice is not given within 20 days after receipt of the request, the persons entitled to call the meeting may give the notice or the superior court of the proper county shall summarily order the giving of the notice, after notice to the corporation giving it an opportunity to be heard. The court may issue such orders as may be appropriate, including, without limitation, orders designating the time and place of the meeting, the record date for determination of members entitled to vote and the form of notice.
(d) The transactions of any meeting of members, however called and noticed, and wherever held, are as valid as though had at a meeting duly held after regular call and notice, if a quorum is present either in person (or, if proxies are allowed, by proxy), and if, either before or after the meeting, each of the persons entitled to vote, not present in person or by proxy, signs a written waiver of notice or a consent to the holding of the meeting or an approval of the minutes thereof. All such waivers, consents and approvals shall be filed with the corporate records or made a part of the minutes of the meeting. Attendance of a person at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of and presence at such meeting, except when the person objects, at the beginning of the meeting, to the transaction of any business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened and except that attendance at a meeting is not a waiver of any right to object to the consideration of matters required by this part to be included in the notice but not so included, if such objection is expressly made at the meeting. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any regular or special meeting of members need be specified in any written waiver of notice, consent to the holding of the meeting or approval of the minutes thereof except as provided in subdivision (e).
(e) Any member approval required under subdivision (b) of Section 9150, Section 9222, Section 5812 (made applicable pursuant to Section 9620), subdivision (a) of Section 9631, subdivision (c) of Section 9640, subdivision (a) of Section 6015 (made applicable pursuant to Section 9640), or subdivision (b) of Section 9680, other than unanimous approval by those entitled to vote, shall be valid only if the general nature of the proposal so approved was stated in the notice of meeting or in any written waiver of notice.
9412. (a) One-third of the voting power, represented in person, by written ballot, or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at a meeting of members. If a quorum is present, the affirmative vote of the majority of the voting power represented at the meeting, entitled to vote, and voting on any matter shall be the act of the members.
(b) The members present at a duly called or held meeting at which a quorum is present may continue to transact business until adjournment notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough members to leave less than a quorum, if any action taken (other than adjournment) is approved by at least a majority of the members required to constitute a quorum or, if required by this division, or by the articles or the bylaws, the vote of the greater number or voting by classes.
(c) In the absence of a quorum, any meeting of members may be adjourned from time to time by the vote of a majority of the votes represented either in person or by proxy, but no other business may be transacted, except as provided in subdivision (b).
9413. (a) Any action which may be taken at any regular or special meeting of members may be taken without a meeting if the written ballot of every member is solicited, if the required number of signed approvals in writing, setting forth the action so taken, is received, and if the requirements of subdivision (c) are satisfied. Unless otherwise provided by the articles or bylaws and if approved by the board of directors, that ballot and any related material may be sent by electronic transmission by the corporation (Section 20) and responses may be returned to the corporation by electronic transmission to the corporation (Section 21).
(c) Approval by written ballot pursuant to this section shall be valid only when the number of ballots cast on or before the time the ballot must be returned to be counted equals or exceeds the quorum required to be present at a meeting authorizing the action, and the number of approvals equals or exceeds the number of votes that would be required to approve at a meeting at which the total number of votes cast was the same as the number of ballots cast.
(e) Directors may be elected by written ballot under this section, where authorized by the articles or bylaws, except that election by written ballot may not be authorized where the directors are elected by cumulative voting pursuant to Section 9415.
9414. (a) If for any reason it is impractical or unduly difficult for any corporation to call or conduct a meeting of its members, delegates or directors, or otherwise obtain their consent, in the manner prescribed by its articles or bylaws, or this part, then the superior court of the proper county, upon petition of a director, officer, delegate, or member, may order that such a meeting be called or that a written ballot or other form of obtaining the vote of members, delegates or directors be authorized, in such a manner as the court finds fair and equitable under the circumstances.
(e) Any meeting or other method of obtaining the vote of members, delegates or directors conducted pursuant to an order issued under this section, and which complies with all the provisions of such order, is for all purposes a valid meeting or vote, as the case may be, and shall have the same force and effect as if it complied with every requirement imposed by the articles, bylaws and this part.
9415. (a) If the articles or bylaws authorize cumulative voting, but not otherwise, every member entitled to vote at any election of directors may cumulate such member's votes and give one candidate a number of votes equal to the number of directors to be elected multiplied by the number of votes to which the member is entitled, or distribute the member's votes on the same principle among as many candidates as the member thinks fit.
(b) No member shall be entitled to cumulate votes for a candidate or candidates unless such candidate's name or candidates' names have been placed in nomination prior to the voting and the member has given notice at the meeting prior to the voting of the member's intention to cumulate votes. If any one member has given such notice, all members may cumulate their votes for candidates in nomination.
(c) In any election of directors, the candidates receiving the highest number of votes are elected, subject to any lawful provision specifying election by classes.
9417. (a) Any member may authorize another person or persons to act by proxy with respect to such membership, except that this right may be limited or withdrawn by the articles or bylaws. Any proxy purported to be executed in accordance with the provisions of this part shall be presumptively valid.
(b) No proxy shall be valid after the expiration of 11 months from the date thereof unless otherwise provided in the proxy, except that the maximum term of any proxy shall be three years from the date of execution. Every proxy continues in full force and effect until revoked by the person executing it prior to the vote pursuant thereto. Such revocation may be effected by a writing delivered to the corporation stating that the proxy is revoked or by a subsequent proxy executed by the person executing the prior proxy and presented to the meeting, or as to any meeting by attendance at such meeting and voting in person by the person executing the proxy.
(e) Any proxy covering matters requiring a vote of the members pursuant to Section 5812 (made applicable pursuant to Section 9620), subdivision (a) of Section 9631, subdivision (c) of Section 9640, subdivision (a) of Section 6015 (made applicable pursuant to Section 9640), or subdivision (b) of Section 9680 is not valid unless it sets forth the general nature of the matter to be voted on.
9418. (a) Upon the filing of an action therefor by any director or member, or by any person who had the right to vote in the election at issue after such director, member, or person has exhausted any remedies provided in the articles or bylaws, the superior court of the proper county shall determine the validity of any election or appointment of any director of any corporation.
(c) The court, consistent with the provisions of this part and in conformity with the articles and bylaws to the extent feasible, may determine the person entitled to the office of director or may order a new election to be held or appointment to be made, may determine the validity of the issuance of memberships and the right of persons to vote and may direct such other relief as may be just and proper.
9419. In the absence of fraud, any election, appointment or removal of a director is conclusively presumed valid nine months thereafter if the only defect in the election, appointment or removal is the failure to give notice as provided in this part or in the corporation' s articles or bylaws.
9420. Any action required or permitted to be taken by the members may be taken without a meeting, if all members shall individually or collectively consent in writing to the action. The written consent or consents shall be filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the members. The action by written consent shall have the same force and effect as the unanimous vote of the members.
9421. (a) If the name signed on a ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment corresponds to the name of a member, the corporation if acting in good faith is entitled to accept the ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment and give it effect as the act of the member.
CHAPTER 5. RECORDS, REPORTS AND RIGHTS OF INSPECTION
9510. (a) Each corporation shall keep:
9511. Except as otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, a member may inspect and copy the record of all the members' names, addresses and voting rights, at reasonable times, upon five business days' prior written demand upon the corporation for a purpose reasonably related to the member's interest as a member.
9512. Except as otherwise provided in the articles or bylaws, the accounting books and records and minutes of proceedings of the members and the board and committees of the board shall be open to inspection upon the written demand on the corporation of any member at any reasonable time, for a purpose reasonably related to such person's interests as a member.
9513. Every director shall have the right at any reasonable time to inspect and copy all books, records and documents of every kind and to inspect the physical properties of the corporation of which such person is a director for a purpose reasonably related to such person' s interests as a director.
9514. (a) Upon refusal of a lawful demand for inspection under this chapter, the superior court of the proper county, or the county where the books or records in question are kept, may enforce the demand or right of inspection with just and proper conditions or may, for good cause shown, appoint one or more competent inspectors or independent accountants to audit the financial statements kept in this state and investigate the property and funds of any corporation and of any subsidiary corporation thereof, domestic or foreign, keeping records in this state and to report thereon in such manner as the court may direct.
Article 1. Distributions
9610. (a) The provisions of Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 5410) of Part 2 apply to religious corporations except for subdivision (b) of Section 5420.
(b) Suit may be brought in the name of the corporation by a creditor, a director, or the authorized number of members. In any such action in addition to the remedy provided in subdivision (a) of Section 5420, the court may award punitive damages for the benefit of the corporation against any director, officer, member or other person who with intent to defraud the corporation caused, received or aided and abetted in the making of any distribution.
Article 2. Amendment of Articles
9620. (a) The provisions of Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 5810) of Part 2 apply to religious corporations except for Section 5813. 5, the second sentence of Section 5817, and Section 5818.
9621. (a) A religious corporation may amend its articles to change its status to that of (1), a public benefit corporation, by complying with this section and the other sections of Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 5810) of Part 2 (made applicable pursuant to Section 9620) or (2), a mutual benefit corporation, business corporation, or cooperative corporation by complying with Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 5810) of Part 2.
(b) Amended articles authorized by this section shall include the provisions which would have been required (other than the name of the initial agent for service of process if a statement has been filed pursuant to Section 6210, made applicable pursuant to Section 9660) and may in addition only include those provisions which would have been permitted, in original articles filed by the type of corporation (public benefit, mutual benefit, business, or cooperative) into which the religious corporation is changing its status.
Article 3. Sale of Assets
9630. Any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge or other hypothecation of all or any part of the corporation's property, real or personal, for the purpose of securing the payment or performance of any contract or obligation may be approved by the board. Unless the articles or bylaws otherwise provide, no approval of the members (Section 5034) or of any other person or persons shall be necessary for such action.
9631. (a) Subject to the provisions of Section 9142, a corporation may sell, lease, convey, exchange, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of its assets when the principal terms are:
9632. Any deed or instrument conveying or otherwise transferring any assets of a corporation may have annexed to it the certificate of the secretary or an assistant secretary of the corporation, setting forth that the transaction has been validly approved by the board, that the notice, if any, required by Section 9633 has been given and (a) stating that the property described in such deed or instrument is less than substantially all of the assets of the corporation or that the transfer is in the usual and regular course of the business of the corporation, if such be the case, or (b) if such property constitutes all or substantially all of the assets of the corporation and the transfer is not in the usual and regular course of the business of the corporation, stating the fact of approval thereof by the members (Section 5034). Such certificate is prima facie evidence of the existence of the facts authorizing such conveyance or other transfer of the assets and conclusive evidence in favor of any purchaser or encumbrancer for value who, without notice of any trust restriction applicable to the property or any failure to comply therewith, in good faith parted with value.
9633. A corporation must give written notice to the Attorney General 20 days before it sells, leases, conveys, exchanges, transfers or otherwise disposes of all or substantially all of its assets unless the Attorney General has given the corporation a written waiver of this section as to the proposed transaction.
9640. (a) The provisions of Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 6010) of Part 2 apply to religious corporations except subdivision (a) of Section 6010 and Sections 6011 and 6012.
(b) A corporation may merge with any domestic corporation, foreign corporation, or other business entity (Section 5063. 5). However, without the prior written consent of the Attorney General, a religious corporation may only merge with another religious corporation or with a public benefit corporation or a foreign nonprofit corporation the articles of which provide that its assets are irrevocably dedicated to charitable, religious or public purposes.
Article 5. Bankruptcy Reorganizations and Arrangements
9650. Any proceeding, initiated with respect to a corporation, under any applicable statute of the United States, as now existing or hereafter enacted, relating to reorganizations or arrangements of corporations, shall be governed by the provisions of Chapter 14 (commencing with Section 1400) of Division 1 of Title 1, and for this purpose the reference in Chapter 14 to "shareholders" shall be deemed to be a reference to members and the reference to "this division" shall be deemed to be a reference to this part.
Article 6. Filings
9660. (a) The provisions of Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 6210) of Part 2 apply to religious corporations except for Section 6216.
(b) The Attorney General may bring an action in the proper county to compel compliance with Chapter 12 (commencing with Section 6210) made applicable to religious corporations by this section.
Article 7. Service of Process
9670. Service of process upon a corporation shall be governed by Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 1700) of Division 1 of Title 1.
9680. (a) Chapters 16 (commencing with Section 6610) and 17 (commencing with Section 6710) of Part 2 apply to religious corporations except for Sections 6610, 6614, 6710, 6711 and 6716.
(A) A corporation which has been adjudicated a bankrupt.
(2) Except as provided in subdivision (3), the disposition required in subdivision (1) shall be made by decree of the superior court of the proper county. The decree shall be made upon petition therefor, upon 30 days' notice to the Attorney General, by any person concerned in the dissolution.
9690. The provisions of Chapter 18 (commencing with Section 6810) of Part 2 apply to religious corporations. In so providing, the Legislature encourages the criminal courts of this state in sentencing persons convicted of fraudulent activities in the guise of religious activity to exercise their authority to impose restitution as a means of compensating the victims.