A. A foreign corporation authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth may withdraw its certificate of authority by applying to the Commission for a certificate of withdrawal. The application shall be on a form prescribed and furnished by the Commission, which shall set forth:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 13.1-767

  • Commission: means the State Corporation Commission of Virginia. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
  • 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.
  • Entity: includes any domestic or foreign corporation; any domestic or foreign nonstock corporation; any domestic or foreign unincorporated entity; any estate or trust; and any state, the United States and any foreign government. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
  • Foreign corporation: means a corporation authorized by law to issue shares, organized under laws other than the laws of the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
  • 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.
  • Jurisdiction of formation: means the state or country the law of which includes the organic law governing a domestic or foreign corporation or eligible entity. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
  • Merger: means a transaction pursuant to § 13. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
  • Proceeding: includes civil suit and criminal, administrative, and investigatory action. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
  • Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245

1. The name of the foreign corporation and its jurisdiction of formation;

2. If applicable, a statement that the foreign corporation was a party to a merger permitted by the laws of its jurisdiction of formation and that it was not the surviving entity of the merger, has consolidated with another entity, or has converted to another type of entity under the laws of its jurisdiction of formation;

3. That the foreign corporation is not transacting business in the Commonwealth and that it surrenders its authority to transact business in the Commonwealth;

4. That the foreign corporation revokes the authority of its registered agent to accept service on its behalf and appoints the clerk of the Commission as an agent for service of process upon the foreign corporation in any proceeding based on a cause of action arising during the time it was authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth;

5. A mailing address to which the clerk of the Commission may mail a copy of any process served on the clerk under subdivision 4; and

6. A commitment to notify the clerk of the Commission in the future of any change in the mailing address of the corporation.

B. The Commission shall not allow any foreign corporation to withdraw its certificate of authority unless such corporation files with the Commission a statement certifying that the corporation has filed returns and has paid all state taxes to the time of the statement or a statement that no such returns are required to be filed or taxes are required to be paid. In such case the corporation may file returns and pay taxes before they would otherwise be due. If the Commission finds that the application complies with the requirements of law and that all required fees have been paid, it shall issue a certificate of withdrawal.

C. Before any foreign corporation authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth terminates its corporate existence, it shall file with the Commission an application for withdrawal. Whether or not such application is filed, the termination of the corporate existence of such foreign corporation shall not take away or impair any remedy available against such corporation for any right or claim existing or any liability incurred prior to such termination. Any such action or proceeding against such foreign corporation may be defended by such corporation in its corporate name. The shareholders, directors and officers shall have power to take such corporate or other action as shall be appropriate to protect such remedy, right or claim. The right of a foreign corporation that has terminated its corporate existence to institute and maintain in its corporate name actions, suits or proceedings in the courts of the Commonwealth shall be governed by the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation.

D. Service of process on the clerk of the Commission is service of process on a foreign corporation that has withdrawn its certificate of authority pursuant to this section. Service upon the clerk shall be made in accordance with § 12.1-19.1 and service upon the foreign corporation may be made in any other manner permitted by law.

Code 1950, §§ 13-211.1, 13.1-115 to 13.1-116, 13.1-118; 1956, c. 428; 1958, cc. 506, 564; 1975, cc. 88, 500; 1985, c. 522; 1991, c. 672; 1994, c. 291; 2005, c. 765; 2012, c. 130; 2015, c. 623; 2019, c. 734.

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