181.1531(2g)(a)(a) If a notice under
sub. (1) or
(2) (b) is returned to the department as undeliverable, the department shall again give written notice to the foreign corporation, addressed to the principal office of the foreign corporation, as most recently designated in the records of the department.
181.1531(2g)(b)
(b) If the notice under
par. (a) is returned to the department as undeliverable or if the corporation's principal office cannot be determined from the records of the department, the department shall give the notice by publishing a class 2 notice under
ch. 985 in the official state newspaper.
181.1531(2r)(b)
(b) Five days after its deposit in the U.S. mail, if mailed postpaid and correctly addressed.
181.1531(2r)(c)
(c) On the date shown on the return receipt, if sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and the receipt is signed by or on behalf of the addressee.
181.1531(3)
(3) Effect of revocation. The authority of a foreign corporation to transact business in this state, ends on the effective date of revocation of its certificate of authority, as reflected in the records of the department.
181.1531(4)
(4) Service on corporation after revocation. If the department or a court revokes a foreign corporation's certificate of authority, the foreign corporation may be served under
s. 181.1510 (3) and
(4) or the foreign corporation's registered agent may be served until the registered agent's authority is terminated, in any civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory proceeding based on a cause of action which arose while the foreign corporation was authorized to transact business in this state.
181.1531(5)
(5) Authority of registered agent. Revocation of a foreign corporation's certificate of authority does not terminate the authority of its registered agent.
181.1531 History
History: 1997 a. 79;
2001 a. 44.
181.1532
181.1532
Appeal from revocation. 181.1532(1)
(1)
Right to appeal. A foreign corporation may appeal the department's revocation of its certificate of authority under
s. 181.1530 (1) to the circuit court for the county where the foreign corporation's principal office or, if none exists in this state, its registered office is located, within 30 days after the effective date of the notice of revocation. The foreign corporation shall appeal by petitioning the court to set aside the revocation and attaching to the petition copies of its certificate of authority and the department's notice of revocation.
181.1532(2)
(2) Permissible remedies. The court may order the department to reinstate the certificate of authority or may take any other action that the court considers appropriate.
181.1532(3)
(3) Appeal of judicial decision. The court's final decision may be appealed as in other civil proceedings.
181.1532 History
History: 1997 a. 79;
2001 a. 44.
181.1533
181.1533
Domestication of a foreign corporation. 181.1533(1)(1)
Articles of domestication and certificate of authentication. 181.1533(1)(a)(a)
In general. A foreign corporation may become a domestic corporation by filing articles of domestication under
par. (b) and a certificate of authentication under
par. (c).
181.1533(1)(b)
(b)
Articles of domestication. Articles of domestication shall contain all of the following information:
181.1533(1)(b)2.
2. The text of restated articles of incorporation of the corporation, which shall comply with
s. 181.0202.
181.1533(1)(b)3.
3. A statement that the corporation has adopted an election to domesticate in accordance with
sub. (2).
181.1533(1)(b)4.
4. A statement that the corporation will file, with the appropriate entity in the jurisdiction where the foreign corporation is organized, articles of dissolution or an equivalent document having the effect of terminating the corporation's existence as a corporation organized under the laws of that jurisdiction.
181.1533(1)(c)
(c)
Certificate of authentication. A certificate of status or a document of similar import authenticated by the secretary of state or other official having custody of corporate records in the state or country under whose law the domesticating corporation is incorporated. The certificate or document shall include the corporation's name and date of incorporation, and shall be dated no earlier than 60 days before its delivery.
181.1533(2)
(2) Election to domesticate. An election by a foreign corporation to become a domestic corporation shall be adopted in the same manner as is required, under the law of the jurisdiction where the domesticating corporation is organized, for a merger of that corporation into a domestic corporation.
181.1533(3)
(3) Effect of domestication. When a domestication under this section takes effect,
s. 181.1106 applies to the domesticating corporation as if the domesticating corporation had merged with a newly incorporated domestic corporation, with the domesticating corporation being the surviving corporation.
181.1533(4)
(4) Effective date of domestication. A domestication under this section takes effect on the effective date of the articles of domestication under
sub. (1). The department shall establish the date of incorporation of a domesticating corporation on its records from the information supplied in the certificate of authentication filed under
sub. (1) (c).
181.1533(5)
(5) Notice of effective date of filing in foreign jurisdiction. 181.1533(5)(a)(a) Within 60 days of the effective date of the filing described under
sub. (1) (b) 4., the corporation shall file with the department a notice indicating the effective date of that filing in the foreign jurisdiction.
181.1533(5)(b)
(b) Failure of the domesticating corporation to file the notice under
par. (a) does not affect the validity of a domestication under this section. A domesticating corporation that fails to file the notice within the time required under
par. (a) may be required to forfeit not more than $100. Each day of continued violation constitutes a separate offense.
181.1533 History
History: 1997 a. 79.
RECORDS AND REPORTS
181.1601(1)(1)
Minutes and records of action. A corporation shall keep as permanent records minutes of all meetings of its members and board, a record of all actions taken by the members or directors without a meeting, and a record of all actions taken by committees of the board as authorized under
s. 181.0825.
181.1601(2)
(2) Accounting records. A corporation shall maintain appropriate accounting records.
181.1601(3)
(3) Membership records. A corporation or its agent shall maintain a record of its members in a form that permits preparation of a list of the name and address of all members, in alphabetical order by class, showing the number of votes each member is entitled to cast.
181.1601(4)
(4) Form. A corporation shall maintain its records in written form or in another form capable of conversion into written form within a reasonable time.
181.1601(5)
(5) Copies at principal office. A corporation shall keep a copy of all of the following records at its principal office:
181.1601(5)(a)
(a) Its articles of incorporation and all amendments to them currently in effect.
181.1601(5)(b)
(b) Its bylaws or restated bylaws and all amendments to them currently in effect.
181.1601(5)(c)
(c) Resolutions adopted by its board relating to the characteristics, qualifications, rights, limitations and obligations of members or any class or category of members.
181.1601(5)(d)
(d) The minutes of all meetings of members and records of all actions approved by the members for the past 3 years.
181.1601(5)(f)
(f) A list of the names and business or home addresses of its current directors and officers.
181.1601 History
History: 1997 a. 79.
181.1602
181.1602
Inspection of records by members. 181.1602(1)(1)
Records at principal office. Subject to
s. 181.1603 (3), a member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and location specified by the corporation, any of the records of the corporation described in
s. 181.1601 (5) if the member gives the corporation written notice or a written demand at least 5 business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy.
181.1602(2)
(2) Other records that may be inspected. A member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and reasonable location specified by the corporation, any of the following records of the corporation if the member meets the requirements of
sub. (3) and gives the corporation written notice at least 5 business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy:
181.1602(2)(a)
(a) Excerpts from any records required to be maintained under
s. 181.1601 (1), to the extent not subject to inspection under
sub. (1).
181.1602(3)
(3) When other records may be inspected. A member may inspect and copy the records identified in
sub. (2) only if all of the following apply:
181.1602(3)(a)
(a) The member's demand is made in good faith and for a proper purpose.
181.1602(3)(b)
(b) The member describes with reasonable particularity the purpose and the records the member desires to inspect.
181.1602(3)(c)
(c) The records are directly connected with this purpose.
181.1602(4)
(4) Applicability. This section does not affect any of the following:
181.1602(4)(a)
(a) The right of a member to inspect records under
s. 181.0720 or, if the member is in litigation with the corporation, to the same extent as any other litigant.
181.1602(4)(b)
(b) The power of a court, independently of this chapter, to compel the production of corporate records for examination.
181.1602 History
History: 1997 a. 79.
181.1603
181.1603
Scope of inspection rights. 181.1603(1)
(1)
Agents and attorneys. A member's agent or attorney has the same inspection and copying rights as the member who the agent or attorney represents.
181.1603(2)
(2) Copies. The right to copy records under
s. 181.1602 includes, if reasonable, the right to receive copies made by photographic, xerographic, or other means.
181.1603(3)
(3) Reasonable charges. The corporation may impose a reasonable charge, covering the costs of labor and material, for copies of any documents provided to the member. The charge may not exceed the estimated cost of production or reproduction of the records.
181.1603(4)
(4) Date of membership list. The corporation may comply with a member's demand to inspect the record of members under
s. 181.1602 (2) (c) by providing the member with a list of its members that was compiled no earlier than the date of the member's demand.
181.1603 History
History: 1997 a. 79.
181.1604
181.1604
Court-ordered inspection. 181.1604(1)
(1)
Records at principal office. If a corporation does not allow a member who complies with
s. 181.1602 (1) to inspect and copy any records required by that subsection to be available for inspection, the circuit court for the county where the corporation's principal office or, if none in this state, its registered office is located may summarily order inspection and copying of the records demanded at the corporation's expense upon application of the member.
181.1604(2)
(2) Other records. If a corporation does not within a reasonable time allow a member to inspect and copy any other record, the member who complies with
s. 181.1602 (2) and
(3) may apply to the circuit court for the county where the corporation's principal office or, if none in this state, its registered office is located for an order to permit inspection and copying of the records demanded. The court shall dispose of an application under this subsection on an expedited basis.
181.1604(3)
(3) Payment of costs. If the court orders inspection and copying of the records demanded, it shall also order the corporation to pay the member's costs, including reasonable attorney fees, incurred to obtain the order unless the corporation proves that it refused inspection in good faith because it had a reasonable basis for doubt about the right of the member to inspect the records demanded.
181.1604(4)
(4) Restrictions on distribution of records. If the court orders inspection and copying of the records demanded, it may impose reasonable restrictions on the use or distribution of the records by the demanding member.
181.1604 History
History: 1997 a. 79.
181.1605
181.1605
Limitations on use of membership list. Without consent of the board, a membership list or any part of a membership list may not be obtained or used by any person for any purpose unrelated to a member's interest as a member. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, without the consent of the board a membership list or any part of a membership list may not be used for any of the following:
181.1605(1)
(1) Solicitation. To solicit money or property unless such money or property will be used solely to solicit the votes of the members in an election to be held by the corporation.
181.1605(2)
(2) Commercial purposes. For any commercial purpose.
181.1605(3)
(3) Sale of list. To be sold to or purchased by any person.
181.1605 History
History: 1997 a. 79.
181.1620
181.1620
Financial statements for members. 181.1620(1)
(1)
Member may demand. A corporation upon written demand from a member shall furnish that member its latest annual financial statements, which may be consolidated or combined statements of the corporation and one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliates, as appropriate, that include a balance sheet as of the end of the fiscal year and statement of operations for that year. If financial statements are prepared for the corporation on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles, the annual financial statements must also be prepared on that basis.
181.1620(2)
(2) Certified public accountant's report or officer's statement. If annual financial statements are reported upon by a certified public accountant licensed or certified under
ch. 442, the certified public accountant's report must accompany them. If not, the statements must be accompanied by a statement of the president or the person responsible for the corporation's financial accounting records that includes all of the following:
181.1620(2)(a)
(a) A statement of the president's or other person's reasonable belief as to whether the statements were prepared on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles and, if not, describing the basis of preparation.
181.1620(2)(b)
(b) A description of any respects in which the statements were not prepared on a basis of accounting consistent with the statements prepared for the preceding year.
181.1620 History
History: 1997 a. 79;
2001 a. 16.
181.1621
181.1621
Report of indemnification to members. If a corporation indemnifies or advances expenses to a director under
s. 181.0874,
181.0877 or
181.0881 in connection with a proceeding by or in the right of the corporation, the corporation shall report the indemnification or advance in writing to the members with or before the notice of the next meeting of members.
181.1621 History
History: 1997 a. 79.
181.1622
181.1622
Annual report for department. 181.1622(1)
(1)
Content. Each domestic corporation and each foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state shall file with the department an annual report under this section. The department shall forward by 1st class mail a report form to every corporation that has filed an annual report during the past 2 years. The department shall mail the report form no later than 60 days before the date on which the corporation is required by this chapter to file an annual report. The annual report shall include all of the following information:
181.1622(1)(a)
(a) The name of the domestic corporation or foreign corporation and the state or country under whose law it is incorporated.
