N.Y. Not-for-Profit Corporation Law 621 – Books and records; right of inspection; prima facie evidence
§ 621. Books and records; right of inspection; prima facie evidence.
Terms Used In N.Y. Not-for-Profit Corporation Law 621
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
- Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, every corporation shall keep, at the office of the corporation, correct and complete books and records of account and minutes of the proceedings of its members, board and executive committee, if any, and shall keep at such office or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar in this state, a list or record containing the names and addresses of all members, the class or classes of membership or capital certificates and the number of capital certificates held by each and the dates when they respectively became the holders of record thereof. A corporation may keep its books and records of account in an office of the corporation without the state, as specified in its certificate of incorporation. Any of the foregoing books, minutes and records may be in written form or in any other form capable of being converted into written form within a reasonable time.
(b) Any person who shall have been a member of record of a corporation for at least six months immediately preceding his demand, or any person holding, or thereunto authorized in writing by the holders of, at least five percent of any class of the outstanding capital certificates, upon at least five days written demand shall have the right to examine in person or by agent or attorney, during usual business hours, its minutes of the proceedings of its members and list or record of members and to make extracts therefrom.
(c) An inspection authorized by paragraph (b) may be denied to such member or other person upon his refusal to furnish to the corporation, its transfer agent or registrar an affidavit that such inspection is not desired and will not be used for a purpose which is in the interest of a business or object other than the business of the corporation and that he has not within five years given, sold or offered for sale any list or record of members of any domestic or foreign corporation or aided or abetted, or attempted or offered to aid or abet, any person in procuring any such list or record of members for any such purpose.
(d) Upon refusal by the corporation or by an officer or agent of the corporation to permit an inspection of the minutes of the proceedings of its members or of the list or record of members, as herein provided, the person making the demand for inspection may apply to the supreme court in the judicial district where the office of the corporation is located, upon such notice as the court may direct, for an order directing the corporation, its officer or agent to show cause why an order should not be granted permitting such inspection by the applicant. Upon the return day of the order to show cause, the court shall hear the parties summarily, by affidavit or otherwise, and if it appears that the applicant is qualified and entitled to such inspection, the court shall grant an order compelling such inspection and awarding such further relief as to the court may seem just and proper.
(e) Upon the written request of any person who shall have been a member of record for at least six months immediately preceding his request, or of any person holding, or thereunto authorized in writing by the holders of, at least five percent of any class of the outstanding capital certificates, the corporation shall provide to such member an annual balance sheet and profit and loss statement or a financial statement performing a similar function for the preceding fiscal year, and, if any interim balance sheet or profit and loss or similar financial statement has been distributed to its members or otherwise made available to the public, the most recent such interim balance sheet or profit and loss or similar financial statement. The corporation shall be allowed a reasonable time to prepare such annual balance sheet and profit and loss or similar financial statement.
(e-1) In addition to those documents described in paragraph (e) of this section, members of a homeowners association incorporated pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall also be entitled to review, upon request to the homeowners association's governing board, invoices, ledgers, bank accounts, reconciliations, contracts, and any documents related to the expenditure of homeowners association dues.
(f) Nothing herein contained shall impair the power of courts to compel the production for examination of the books and records of a corporation.
(g) The books and records specified in paragraph (a) shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated in favor of the plaintiff in any action or special proceeding against such corporation or any of its officers, directors or members.
(h) Nothing in this chapter shall require an employee organization certified or recognized for any collective negotiating unit of an employer pursuant to Article 14 of the civil service law to disclose the home address of any member or former member of such organization.