(a) Any court of record with proper venue in accordance with § 48-64-302(a) may dissolve a corporation:

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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 48-64-301

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Business: includes every trade, occupation, profession, investment activity and other lawful purpose for gain or the preservation of assets whether or not carried on for profits. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Charter: includes amended and restated charters and articles of merger. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
  • 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.
  • Court: includes every court and judge having jurisdiction in the case. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Directors: means natural persons, designated in the charter or bylaws or elected or appointed by the incorporators, and their successors and natural persons elected or appointed to act as members of the board, irrespective of the names or titles by which such persons are described. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
  • Dissolution: means that the LLC has incurred an event under §. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Interest: means either or both of the following rights under the organic law of an unincorporated entity:
    (A) The right to receive distributions from the entity either in the ordinary course or upon liquidation. See Tennessee Code 48-11-201
  • Mutual benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation which becomes by operation of law a mutual benefit corporation pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
  • Person: includes individual and entity. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See Tennessee Code 48-202-101
  • Public benefit corporation: means a domestic corporation which becomes by operation of law a public benefit corporation pursuant to §. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
  • Record: means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium and is retrievable in a perceivable form. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
  • 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 Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
  • Voting power: means the total number of votes entitled to be cast for the election of directors at the time the determination of voting power is made, excluding a vote which is contingent upon the happening of a condition or event that has not occurred at the time. See Tennessee Code 48-51-201
(1) In a proceeding by the attorney general and reporter if it is established that the corporation:

(A) Obtained its charter through fraud;
(B) Has exceeded or abused the authority conferred upon it by law;
(C) Has violated any provision of law resulting in the forfeiture of its charter;
(D) Has carried on, conducted, or transacted its business or affairs in a persistently fraudulent or illegal manner;
(E) Is a public benefit corporation and the corporate assets are being misapplied or wasted; or
(F) Is a public benefit corporation and is no longer able to carry out its purposes;

provided, that the enumeration of these grounds for dissolution shall not exclude actions or special proceedings by the attorney general and reporter or other state officials for the dissolution of a corporation for other causes as provided in this chapter or in any other statute of this state;

(2) In a proceeding by fifty (50) members or members holding five percent (5%) of the voting power, whichever is less, or any person specified in this chapter, if it is established that:

(A) The directors are deadlocked in the management of the corporate affairs, the members are unable to break the deadlock, and irreparable injury to the corporation is threatened or being suffered, or the business and affairs of the corporation can no longer be generally conducted because of the deadlock;
(B) The directors or those in control of the corporation have acted, are acting, or will act in a manner that is illegal, oppressive, or fraudulent;
(C) The members are deadlocked in voting power and have failed, for a period that includes at least two (2) consecutive annual meeting dates, to elect successors to directors whose terms have expired or would have expired upon the election of their successors;
(D) The corporate assets are being misapplied or wasted; or
(E) The corporation is a public benefit corporation and is no longer able to carry out its purposes;
(3) In a proceeding by a creditor if it is established that:

(A) The creditor’s claim has been reduced to judgment, the execution on the judgment returned unsatisfied, and the corporation is insolvent; or
(B) The corporation has admitted in writing that the creditor’s claim is due and owing and the corporation is insolvent; and
(4) In a proceeding by the corporation to have its voluntary dissolution continued under court supervision.
(b) With respect to actions based on subdivision (a)(2), (a)(3) or (a)(4), prior to dissolving a corporation, the court shall consider whether:

(1) There are reasonable alternatives to dissolution;
(2) Dissolution is in the public interest, if the corporation is a public benefit corporation; and
(3) Dissolution is the best way of protecting the interests of members, if the corporation is a mutual benefit corporation.