A writ of quo warranto may be awarded and prosecuted in the name of the State of West Virginia, at the instance of the Attorney General, or prosecuting attorney of any county, in any of the following cases: (a) Against a corporation for a misuse or nonuse of its corporate privileges and franchises, or for the exercise of a privilege or franchise not conferred upon it by law, or where a certificate of incorporation has been obtained by it for a fraudulent purpose, or for a purpose not authorized by law; (b) against a person for the misuse or nonuse of a privilege and franchise conferred upon him by or in pursuance of law; (c) against any person or persons acting as a corporation without authority of law; (d) against any person who shall intrude into or usurp any public office.

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 53-2-1

  • 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.
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.