Subdivision 1.Generally; limitations.

A corporation has the powers in this section, subject to limitations provided in applicable federal or state law or in its articles or bylaws.

Subd. 2.Duration.

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Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 317A.161

  • 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.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, and to partnerships and other unincorporated associations. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • seal: includes an impression thereof upon the paper alone, as well as an impression on a wafer, wax, or other substance thereto attached. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
  • state: extends to and includes the District of Columbia and the several territories. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44

A corporation has perpetual duration.

Subd. 3.Legal capacity.

A corporation may sue and be sued, and participate in a legal, administrative, or arbitration proceeding, in its corporate name.

Subd. 4.Property ownership.

A corporation may buy, lease, acquire, own, hold, improve, use, and deal in and with, real or personal property, or an interest in property, wherever located.

Subd. 5.Property disposition.

A corporation may sell, convey, mortgage, create a security interest in, lease, exchange, transfer, or dispose of all or a part of its real or personal property, or an interest in property, wherever located.

Subd. 6.Trading in securities; obligations.

A corporation may buy, subscribe for, acquire, own, hold, vote, use, employ, sell, exchange, mortgage, lend, create a security interest in, dispose of, use, and deal in and with, securities or other interests in, or obligations of, a person or direct or indirect obligations of a domestic or foreign government or instrumentality.

Subd. 7.Contracts; mortgages.

A corporation may make contracts and incur liabilities, borrow money, issue its securities, and secure its obligations by mortgage of or creation of a security interest in its property, franchises, and income.

Subd. 8.Investment.

A corporation may invest and reinvest its funds.

Subd. 9.Holding property as security.

A corporation may take and hold real and personal property, whether or not of a kind sold or otherwise dealt in by the corporation, as security for the payment of money loaned, advanced, or invested.

Subd. 10.Location.

A corporation may conduct its business, carry on its operations, have offices, and exercise the powers granted by this chapter anywhere in the universe.

Subd. 11.Donations.

A corporation may make donations for religious, scientific, educational, or charitable purposes, and for other purposes consistent with law, that further the corporate interest.

Subd. 12.Pensions; benefits.

A corporation may pay pensions, retirement allowances, and compensation for past services and establish employee or incentive benefit plans, trusts, and provisions for the benefit of its officers, directors, employees, and agents and their families, dependents, and beneficiaries. It may indemnify and buy insurance for a fiduciary of an employee benefit and incentive plan, trust, or provision.

Subd. 13.Participations.

(a) A corporation may participate in the promotion, organization, management, and operation of an organization or in a transaction, undertaking, or arrangement that the participating corporation would have power to conduct by itself, whether or not the participation involves sharing or delegation of control.

(b) A corporation may participate with others in a corporation, partnership, limited partnership, joint venture, trust, or other association of any kind that the participating corporation would have power to conduct by itself, whether or not the participation involves sharing or delegation of control.

Subd. 14.Insurance.

A corporation may provide for its benefit life insurance and other insurance with respect to the services of its officers, directors, employees, and agents.

Subd. 15.Corporate seal.

A corporation may have, alter at pleasure, and use a corporate seal as provided in section 317A.163.

Subd. 16.Bylaws.

A corporation may adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws relating to the management of the business or the regulation of the affairs of the corporation as provided in section 317A.181.

Subd. 17.Committees.

A corporation may establish committees of the board of directors, elect or appoint persons to the committees, define their duties, and fix their compensation as provided in section 317A.241.

Subd. 18.Officers; employees; agents.

A corporation may elect or appoint officers, employees, and agents of the corporation, define their duties, and fix their compensation as provided in sections 317A.301 to 317A.361.

Subd. 19.Loans; guaranties; sureties.

A corporation may lend money to, guarantee an obligation of, become a surety for, or otherwise financially assist persons as provided in section 317A.501.

Subd. 20.Advances.

A corporation may make advances to its directors, officers, and employees and those of its subsidiaries as provided in section 317A.505.

Subd. 21.Indemnification.

A corporation shall indemnify those persons identified in section 317A.521 against certain expenses and liabilities only as provided in section 317A.521 and may indemnify other persons.

Subd. 22.Assumed names.

A corporation may conduct all or part of its business under one or more assumed names as provided in sections 333.001 to 333.06.

Subd. 23.May take and hold trust property.

A corporation may take, receive, and hold real and personal property, including the principal and interest of money or other fund, that is given, conveyed, bequeathed, devised to, or vested in the corporation in trust where the corporation or a related organization has a vested or contingent interest in the trust.

Subd. 24.May invest trust property.

Except where the trust instrument prescribes otherwise, a corporation may invest trust property or its proceeds in accordance with section 501C.0901.

Subd. 25.Membership.

A corporation may be a member of another foreign or domestic nonprofit corporation.

Subd. 26.Dissolution.

A corporation may dissolve and wind up.

Subd. 27.Merger and consolidation.

A corporation may merge and consolidate with other domestic or foreign nonprofit corporations organized for related purposes.

Subd. 28.Other powers.

A corporation has other powers necessary or convenient to effect a lawful purpose for which the corporation is incorporated.