Missouri Laws 351.574 – Consequences of transacting business without authority
1. A foreign corporation transacting business in this state without a certificate of authority may not maintain a proceeding in any court in this state until it obtains a certificate of authority.
2. The successor to a foreign corporation that transacted business in this state without a certificate of authority and the assignee of a cause of action rising out of that business may not maintain a proceeding based on that cause of action in any court in this state until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains a certificate of authority.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 351.574
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- 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.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Foreign corporation: means a corporation for profit organized under laws other than the laws of this state. See Missouri Laws 351.015
- hereafter: means the time after the statute containing it takes effect. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- State: when applied to any of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories, and the words "United States" includes such district and territories. See Missouri Laws 1.020
- Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
3. A court may stay a proceeding commenced by a foreign corporation, its successor, or assignee until it determines whether the foreign corporation or its successor requires a certificate of authority. If it so determines, the court may further stay the proceeding until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains the certificate.
4. Every foreign corporation now doing business in or which may hereafter do business in this state without a certificate of authority shall be subject to a fine of not less than one thousand dollars to be recovered before any court of competent jurisdiction; and it is hereby made the duty of the secretary of state immediately after August first, of each year, and as often thereafter as he may be advised that corporations are doing business in contravention of sections 351.572 to 351.604, to report the fact to the prosecuting attorney of any city or county in which the corporation is doing business, and the prosecuting attorney shall, as soon thereafter as is practicable, institute proceedings to recover the fine herein provided for, which shall go into the school moneys fund as provided by law; in addition to which penalty, no foreign corporation, failing to comply with this chapter, can maintain any suit or action, either legal or equitable, in any of the courts of this state, upon any demand, whether arising out of contract or* tort, while the requirements of sections 351.572 to 351.604 have not been complied with.
5. Notwithstanding subsections 1 and 2 of this section, the failure of a foreign corporation to obtain a certificate of authority does not impair the validity of its corporate acts or prevent it from defending any proceeding in this state.