Sec. 2. (a) Without the prior approval of the circuit court or superior court of the county where the corporation‘s principal office or, if the principal office is not located in Indiana, the corporation’s registered office, is located in a proceeding that the attorney general has been given written notice, a public benefit or religious corporation may only merge with the following:

(1) A public benefit or religious corporation.

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Terms Used In Indiana Code 23-17-19-2

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Attorney: includes a counselor or other person authorized to appear and represent a party in an action or special proceeding. See Indiana Code 1-1-4-5
  • 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.
  • Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
(2) A foreign corporation that would qualify under this article as a public benefit or religious corporation.

(3) A wholly-owned foreign or domestic business or mutual benefit corporation if the public benefit or religious corporation is the surviving corporation and continues to be a public benefit or religious corporation after the merger.

(4) A business or mutual benefit corporation if the following conditions are met:

(A) On or before the effective date of the merger, assets with a value equal to the greater of the fair market value of the net tangible and intangible assets, including goodwill, of the public benefit corporation or the fair market value of the public benefit corporation if the corporation were to be operated as a business concern are transferred or conveyed to a person who would have received the corporation’s assets under IC 23-17-22-5(a)(5) and IC 23-17-22-5(a)(6) had the corporation dissolved.

(B) The business or mutual benefit corporation returns, transfers, or conveys any assets held by the business or mutual benefit corporation upon condition requiring return, transfer, or conveyance, that occurs by reason of the merger, in accordance with the condition.

(C) The merger is approved by a majority of directors of the public benefit or religious corporation who are not and will not become:

(i) members in;

(ii) shareholders in; or

(iii) officers, employees, agents, or consultants of;

the surviving corporation.

(D) The requirements of section 8 of this chapter are met.

(5) A state educational institution if it is a public benefit corporation and the public benefit corporation is controlled by the state educational institution before the merger.

     (b) At least twenty (20) days before consummation of any merger of a public benefit corporation or a religious corporation under subsection (a)(4), notice, including a copy of the proposed plan of merger, must be delivered to the attorney general.

     (c) Without the prior written consent of the attorney general or of the circuit court or superior court of the county where:

(1) the corporation’s principal office is located; or

(2) if the principal office is not located in Indiana, the corporation’s registered office is located;

in a proceeding in which the attorney general has been given notice, a member of a public benefit or religious corporation may not receive or keep anything as a result of a merger other than a membership or membership in the surviving public benefit or religious corporation. The court shall approve the transaction if the transaction is in the public interest.

As added by P.L.179-1991, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.149-2016, SEC.72; P.L.130-2016, SEC.1.