2023 Illinois Compiled Statutes › Chapter 805 - BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS › 805 ILCS 30/ - Gas Company Property Act.

(805 ILCS 30/0.01) (from Ch. 32, par. 398.9)
Sec. 0.01. 
		Short title. 
		This Act may be cited as the
Gas Company Property Act.
(Source: P.A. 86-1324.)
(805 ILCS 30/1) (from Ch. 32, par. 399)
Sec. 1. 
		
		That all gas companies now organized, or
hereafter to be organized in this state, are hereby authorized and
empowered to sell, transfer and convey or lease their real and personal
property, rights, franchises and privileges, in whole or in part, to any
other gas company doing business in the same city, town or village, and
such other gas company is authorized to purchase or lease and to hold and
enjoy said property.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/2) (from Ch. 32, par. 400)
Sec. 2. 
		
		It shall be lawful for any gas companies, now organized or
hereafter to be organized in this state, doing business in the same city,
town or village, to consolidate and merge into a single corporation, which
shall be one of said merging and consolidating corporations, by complying
with the provisions of this act, as hereinafter specified.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/3) (from Ch. 32, par. 401)
Sec. 3. 
		
		All gas companies which are authorized to manufacture and
distribute illuminating gas shall have the power to manufacture and
distribute gas for fuel purposes and to distribute natural gas, and all
companies authorized to distribute gas in any city, town or village shall
have the power to distribute the same in any territory annexed to such
city, town or village.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/4) (from Ch. 32, par. 402)
Sec. 4. 
		
		The purchase and sale or lease, or the consolidation and merger,
hereby authorized, may be made in the manner following: The respective
boards of directors or trustees of the company or companies proposing to
sell and lease its or their property, and of the company proposing to
purchase or lease the same, as under section 1, or of the companies
proposing to consolidate and merge into single corporation, as under
section 2, may enter into and make an agreement, or agreements, under
their respective corporate seals, for such sale or purchase or lease, or
for such consolidation and merger, describing the terms and conditions
thereof and the mode of carrying the same into effect.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/5) (from Ch. 32, par. 403)
Sec. 5. 
		
		Before taking effect, the agreement or agreements for sale and
purchase or lease, or for such consolidation and merger, authorized by this
act, shall be submitted to any annual meeting or to a special meeting of
the stockholders of each of the companies. Such special meeting shall be
called by delivering personally, or depositing in the postoffice, at least
thirty days before the time fixed for such meetings, a notice addressed to
each stockholder of the company whose address is known to the secretary of
the company, signed by a majority of the directors or trustees of the
company, stating the time, place and object of such meeting. Such
stockholders, whose addresses shall be to the secretary unknown, shall be
notified by a general notice of the time, place and object of such meeting
by publication once a week, for three successive weeks, in some newspaper
printed in the county in which the principal business office of such
company is located.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/6) (from Ch. 32, par. 404)
Sec. 6. 
		
		At any such annual or special meeting, stockholders may vote in
person or by proxy, each stockholder being entitled to one vote for each
share of stock held by him, and at such meeting there shall be submitted
the proposed agreement or agreements. Votes representing two-thirds of all
the outstanding capital stock of each company shall be necessary for the
ratification of such agreement or agreements, if there be represented and
is voted at such meeting, in person, or by proxy, not less than two-thirds
of such outstanding capital stock. If less than two-thirds of such capital
stock be represented and voted at such meeting, and if there be presented
at such meeting the acknowledgments in writing of the receipt of notice of
such meeting, from the owners of stock not represented and voted, to such
an amount as would make not less than two-thirds of such outstanding
capital stock, when added to the stock represented and voted, then such
agreement or agreements may be ratified by the vote of two-thirds of the
capital stock represented and voted at such meeting.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/7) (from Ch. 32, par. 405)
Sec. 7. If any stockholder of any of the companies, parties to the
agreement or agreements provided for in section 4, not voting in favor of
or not acquiescing in such agreement or agreements, objects to the purchase
or lease, or the consolidation and merger, as defined in said agreement or
agreements, he  shall give notice of his  dissent within thirty days of such
meeting and may demand payment for his  stock, and shall thereupon receive
from such corporation in which he  shall hold stock, its fair cash value, at
the time when the vote for the agreement or agreements was so cast, and
such corporation shall cancel the same. But if such dissenting stockholder
shall refuse to part with his stock, or if the value of the same cannot be
agreed upon, then such corporation shall, within ninety days of the
time of said meeting, proceed to take and acquire the same and the
interest of said
dissenting stockholder therein, by the exercise of the power and right of
eminent domain, hereby granted to such corporation for that purpose, and
paying to, or tendering to, such dissenting stockholder, or to the county
treasurer for his  use, the value of the stock by him held, such value to be
ascertained as of the time aforesaid and to be found and determined in the
manner provided
for the condemnation of property for public use by the exercise of the
right of eminent
domain under the Eminent Domain Act. Any stock
so acquired shall be cancelled by the company
acquiring the same. If such stockholder shall not give notice of his
dissent within thirty days, as aforesaid, he shall be held to have acquiesced
in the agreement aforesaid, and shall be subject thereto.
(Source: P.A. 94-1055, eff. 1-1-07.)
(805 ILCS 30/7.5)
Sec. 7.5. Eminent domain. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, any power granted under this Act to acquire property by condemnation or eminent domain is subject to, and shall be exercised in accordance with, the Eminent Domain Act.
(Source: P.A. 94-1055, eff. 1-1-07.)
(805 ILCS 30/8) (from Ch. 32, par. 406)
Sec. 8. 
		
		If the agreement or agreements aforesaid shall be approved at each
of such meetings of the respective stockholders of each company separately,
in the manner herein described, the same shall be the agreement or
agreements of such companies respectively, and a sworn copy of the
proceedings of such meetings, made by the secretaries thereof,
respectively, shall be presumptive evidence of the holding and actions of
such meetings. A certificate of such sale and purchase or lease, or of such
consolidation and merger, shall be made by the president of each of the
companies, under the seal of the company, and verified by his affidavit,
and shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, and of the
recorder in the county where such companies carry on their
business, whereupon the agreement or agreements aforesaid shall be in full
force and effect. The companies, parties to the agreement or agreements,
which provide for consolidation and merger, shall thereupon be and are
hereby declared to be consolidated and merged into the one corporation
specified in such agreement or agreements. Upon the purchase or lease or
consolidation and merger hereby authorized being perfected, a notice
thereof shall be published in some newspaper in the county in which the
principal office of such corporation is located, for three successive
weeks.
(Source: P.A. 83-358.)
(805 ILCS 30/9) (from Ch. 32, par. 407)
Sec. 9. 
		
		Any corporation purchasing or leasing the real and personal
property of any other company or companies, as provided for in section 1,
or any consolidated corporation, as authorized by section 2, shall be
subject to and shall perform, for each of the companies so entering into
said agreement or agreements, the legal obligations now resting upon each
of them, respectively, under their respective charters and ordinances,
except where the provisions thereof conflict with the exercise of the
powers herein granted, in the same manner and to the same extent as if the
companies had remained individual and distinct; and such performance by
said corporation so purchasing or leasing, or by such consolidated
corporation, shall be held and considered as the performance by each of the
respective companies so selling, leasing or consolidating of the legal
obligations theretofore resting upon each of them respectively: Provided,
however, That nothing in this act shall be construed as extinguishing said
companies entering into the agreement or agreements mentioned in this act,
or annulling or impairing any of their respective franchises, licenses or
privileges, but they shall severally be regarded as still subsisting, so
far as their continuance for the purpose of upholding any right, title or
interest, power, privilege or immunity ever exercised or enjoyed by any of
them be necessary for the protection of their respective creditors or
mortgagees, or any of them; the separate exercise of their respective
powers, and the separate enjoyment of their separate privileges and
immunities being suspended until the protection of such creditors or
mortgagees shall require their resumption, when such suspension shall
cease, so far as, and for such time as, the protection of such creditors or
mortgagees may require.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/10) (from Ch. 32, par. 408)
Sec. 10. 
		
		The purchase and sale or lease, or the consolidation and merger
authorized by this act, shall not be held or construed as a violation of
the provisions of any ordinance or bond given thereunder, and shall in no
way affect suits pending in which such company or companies shall be
parties, and shall not affect causes of action or rights of individuals in
any particular. In case the property sold and purchased or leased, or
acquired through consolidation and merger, under this act, is subject to
mortgage or other lien, such mortgage or other lien shall be and remain a
lien upon all properties so sold and purchased or leased, or acquired as
aforesaid, so that the same shall be liable for and respond to the payment
of such mortgage or other lien existing at the time of such sale or lease,
or consolidation and merger, before being liable for the payment of the
debts and liabilities of the company so purchasing or leasing such
property, or acquiring the same as aforesaid. Any corporation purchasing or
leasing the real and personal property of any other company or companies as
provided for in section 1, or any consolidated corporation, as authorized
by section 2, shall pay and discharge all debts and liabilities of each
of the companies so entering into said agreement or agreements, and actions
may be brought and maintained and recovery had therefor against the company
so purchasing or leasing, or against such consolidated corporation.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/11) (from Ch. 32, par. 409)
Sec. 11. 
		
		Any corporation purchasing or leasing the property of any company
or companies, or into which any company or companies are consolidated and
merged under this act, shall be, at the time of availing itself of or
accepting the benefits of this act, in the actual business of furnishing
gas to consumers; and shall be subject to the following provisions:
Such corporation shall not increase the price charged by it for gas of
the quality furnished to consumers during any part of the year immediately
preceding such purchase or lease, or such consolidation and merger.
Such corporation shall furnish gas to consumers as good in quality as it
furnished previous to such purchase or lease, or such consolidation and
merger.
(Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)
(805 ILCS 30/12) (from Ch. 32, par. 410)
Sec. 12. 
		
		Any company violating either of the provisions of Section 11
shall be liable in damages therefor to the person aggrieved, and shall, for
each offense, forfeit $200, to be recovered in a civil action, in the name
of the People of the State of Illinois, or by any person who may sue for
the same. Such company shall also be subject to proceedings
in quo warranto,
for violation of either of the provisions, and if adjudged guilty, the
court may enter judgment of ouster from its franchises, unless the company
shall cease and discontinue such violation as and when determined by the
court.
Any director or directors, officer or officers, or agent or agents,
of such company who shall willfully and knowingly violate, or be concerned
in the willful violation of either of the provisions of Section 11, shall
for each offense, forfeit $1,000, to be recovered in a civil action, in the
name of the People of the State of Illinois.
(Source: P.A. 84-547.)