2023 Florida Statutes › Title XXXVI - Business Organizations › Chapter 618 - Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Associations › 618.07 - Powers of Corporations.

618.07 Powers of corporations.—Except as the same may be limited in its articles of incorporation, each association organized under this chapter shall have the following powers:
(1) To engage in any activity in connection with the producing, marketing, selling, preserving, growing, harvesting, drying, processing, manufacturing, canning, packing, grading, warehousing, storing, handling, or utilizing of agricultural products or in the manufacturing or marketing of the byproducts thereof; or in any activities in connection with the manufacturing, purchasing, hiring or using supplies, machinery, or equipment; or in the financing of any of the above-enumerated activities, or in performing business or educational services, on a cooperative basis, for those engaged in agriculture as bona fide producers of agricultural products; or in any one or more of the activities specified herein;
(2) To borrow money from any source without limitation as to amount of corporate indebtedness or liability, with authority to give any kind or form of obligation or security therefor;
(3) To act as the agent or representative of any person in any of the above-mentioned activities;
(4) To make loans or advances to members and to their members, to nonmember patrons, and to nonmember patrons of members, with authority to accept therefor any kind, form or type of obligation with or without security; to purchase, endorse, discount, sell, or guarantee the payment of any note, draft, bill of exchange, indenture, bill of sale, mortgage, or other obligation, the proceeds of which have been advanced or used in the first instance for any of the purposes provided for herein; to discount for or purchase from any association organized under the laws of any state, with or without its endorsement, any note, draft, bill of exchange, indenture, bill of sale, mortgage, or other obligation the proceeds of which are advanced or used in the first instance for carrying on any cooperative activity authorized in this chapter and with authority to dispose of same with or without endorsement. An association organized under this chapter and exercising any of the powers provided in this subsection shall not engage in the business of banking;
(5) To purchase or otherwise acquire, to hold, own, and exercise all rights of ownership in, and to sell, transfer, pledge, or guarantee the payment of dividends or interest on, or the retirement or redemption of shares, of capital stock, bonds, or other obligations of any corporation or association, engaged in any directly or indirectly related activity, or in the producing, picking, hauling, packing, shipping, handling, warehousing, financing, canning, preserving, processing, manufacturing, utilizing, marketing, or selling of any of the products handled by the association, or any byproducts thereof;
(6) To establish reserves and to invest the funds thereof in bonds, or in such other property as may be provided in the bylaws;
(7) To buy, hold, and exercise all privileges of ownership over such real or personal property, as may be necessary or convenient for the conduct and operation of any of the business of the association or incidental thereto;
(8) To sell, convey, and transfer all of the assets of the association; provided, such sale shall be consented to by not less than two-thirds of its members or by the holders of not less than two-thirds of its common stock, which consent shall be given either in writing, or by vote at a special meeting of its members or stockholders called for that purpose;
(9) To establish, secure, own, and develop patents, trademarks, and copyrights;
(10) To do each and everything necessary, suitable or proper for the accomplishment of any one of the purposes, or the attainment of any one or more of the objects herein enumerated, or conducive to or expedient for the interest or benefit of the association, and to contract accordingly; and in addition, to exercise and possess all powers, rights, and privileges necessary or incidental to the purposes for which the association is organized or to the activities in which it is engaged, and any other rights, powers, and privileges granted by the laws of this state to corporations for profit, except such as are inconsistent with the express provisions of this chapter; and to do any such thing anywhere;
(11) No association organized under this chapter, during any fiscal year thereof, shall deal in or handle products, machinery, equipment, supplies, or perform services for and on behalf of nonmembers to an amount greater in value than such as are dealt in, handled, or performed by it for and on behalf of members during the same period.
History.—s. 6, ch. 9300, 1923; CGL 6471; s. 6, ch. 14675, 1931; s. 1, ch. 16879, 1935.