(a)        If any corporate action specified in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-13-02(a) is to be submitted to a vote at a shareholders’ meeting, or where no approval of the action is required pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-11-03(j), the meeting notice or, if applicable, the offer made pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-11-03(j), shall state that the corporation has concluded that shareholders are, are not, or may be entitled to assert appraisal rights under this Article. If the corporation concludes that appraisal rights are or may be available, a copy of this Article shall accompany the meeting notice or offer sent to those record shareholders entitled to exercise appraisal rights.

(b)        In a merger pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-11-04 or N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-11-12, the parent corporation shall notify in writing all record shareholders of the subsidiary who are entitled to assert appraisal rights that the corporate action became effective. Notice required under this subsection shall be sent within 10 days after the corporate action became effective and include the materials described in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-13-22.

(c)        If any corporate action specified in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-13-02(a) is to be approved by written consent of the shareholders pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-7-04, then the following shall occur:

(1)        Written notice that appraisal rights are, are not, or may be available shall be given to each record shareholder from whom a consent is solicited at the time consent of each shareholder is first solicited and, if the corporation has concluded that appraisal rights are or may be available, shall be accompanied by a copy of this Article.

(2)        Written notice that appraisal rights are, are not, or may be available shall be delivered together with the notice to the applicable shareholders required by subsections (d) and (e) of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-7-04, may include the materials described in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-13-22, and, if the corporation has concluded that appraisal rights are or may be available, shall be accompanied by a copy of this Article.

(d)       If any corporate action described in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-13-02(a) is proposed, or a merger pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-11-04 or N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-11-12 is effected, then the notice or offer referred to in subsection (a) or (c) of this section, if the corporation concludes that appraisal rights are or may be available, and the notice referred to in subsection (b) of this section, shall be accompanied by both of the following:

(1)        Annual financial statements as described in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-16-20(a) of the corporation that issued the shares to be appraised. The date of the financial statements shall not be more than 16 months before the date of the notice. If annual financial statements that meet the requirements of this subdivision are not reasonably available, then the corporation shall provide reasonably equivalent financial information and in any case shall provide a balance sheet as of the end of a fiscal year ending not more than 16 months before the date of the notice, an income statement for that year, and a cash flow statement for that year.

(2)        The latest interim financial statements of the corporation, if any.

(e)        The right to receive the information described in subsection (d) of this section may be waived in writing by a shareholder before or after the corporate action. ?(1925, c. 77, s. 1; c. 235; 1929, c. 269; 1939, c. 5; c. 279; 1943, c. 270; G.S., ss. 55-26, 55-165, 55-167; 1955, c. 1371, s. 1; 1969, c. 751, s. 39; 1973, c. 469, ss. 36, 37; 1989, c. 265, s. 1; 2002-58, s. 2; 2011-347, s. 1; 2018-45, s. 26; 2021-106, s. 6(g).)

Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 55-13-20

  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • 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.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • in writing: may be construed to include printing, engraving, lithographing, and any other mode of representing words and letters: Provided, that in all cases where a written signature is required by law, the same shall be in a proper handwriting, or in a proper mark. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
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