(a) If a membership nonprofit corporation does not allow a member who complies with Section 10A-3A-4.02(a) to inspect and copy any records required by that section to be available for inspection, the designated court, and if none, the circuit court for the county in which the membership nonprofit corporation’s principal office is located in this state, and if none in this state, the circuit court for the county in which the membership nonprofit corporation’s most recent registered office is located may summarily order inspection and copying of the records demanded at the membership nonprofit corporation’s expense upon application of the member.

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Terms Used In Alabama Code 10A-3A-4.04

  • circuit: means judicial circuit. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
  • 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 the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Alabama Code 1-1-1
(b) If a membership nonprofit corporation does not within a reasonable time allow a member who complies with Section 10A-3A-4.02(b) to inspect and copy the records as required by that section, the member who complies with Section 10A-3A-4.02(c) may apply to the designated court, and if none, the circuit court for the county in which the membership nonprofit corporation’s principal office is located in this state, and if none in this state, the circuit court for the county in which the membership nonprofit corporation’s most recent registered office is located for an order to permit inspection and copying of the records demanded. The court shall dispose of an application under this subsection on an expedited basis.
(c) If the court orders inspection and copying of the records demanded under Section 10A-3A-4.02(b), it may impose reasonable restrictions on their confidentiality, use or distribution by the demanding member and it shall also order the membership nonprofit corporation to pay the member’s expenses incurred to obtain the order unless the membership nonprofit corporation establishes that it refused inspection in good faith because the membership nonprofit corporation had:

(1) a reasonable basis for doubt about the right of the member to inspect the records demanded; or
(2) required reasonable restrictions on the confidentiality, use, or distribution of the records demanded to which the demanding member had been unwilling to agree.