(a) Notice under this Chapter shall be in writing unless oral notice is authorized in the corporation‘s articles of incorporation or bylaws and written notice is not specifically required by this Chapter.

(b) Notice may be communicated in person; by electronic means; or by mail or private carrier. If these forms of personal notice are impracticable as to one or more persons, notice may be communicated to such persons by publishing notice in a newspaper in the county wherein the corporation has its principal place of business in the State, or if it has no principal place of business in the State, the county wherein it has its registered office; or by radio, television, or other form of public broadcast communication.

(c) Written notice by a domestic or foreign corporation to its shareholder is effective when deposited in the United States mail with postage thereon prepaid and correctly addressed to the shareholder’s address shown in the corporation’s current record of shareholders. To the extent the corporation pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 55-1-50 and the shareholder have agreed, notice by a domestic corporation to its shareholder in the form of an electronic record sent by electronic means is effective when it is sent as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-325 A shareholder may terminate any such agreement at any time on a prospective basis effective upon written notice of termination to the corporation or upon such later date as may be specified in the notice.

(d) Written notice to a domestic or foreign corporation (authorized to transact business in this State) may be addressed to its registered agent at its registered office or to the corporation or its secretary at its principal office shown in its most recent annual report on file in the office of the Secretary of State or, in the case of a domestic or foreign corporation that has not yet filed an annual report, in its articles of incorporation or application for a certificate of authority, respectively.

(e) Except as provided in subsection (c), written notice is effective at the earliest of the following:

(1) When received;

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Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 55-1-41

  • 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.
  • 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
  • United States: shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3

(2) Five days after its deposit in the United States mail, as evidenced by the postmark or otherwise, if mailed with at least first-class postage thereon prepaid and correctly addressed;

(3) 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.

In the case of notice in the form of an electronic record sent by electronic means, the time of receipt shall be determined as provided in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 66-325

(f) Oral notice is effective when actually communicated to the person entitled thereto.

(g) If this Chapter prescribes notice requirements for particular circumstances, those requirements govern. If articles of incorporation or bylaws prescribe notice requirements not inconsistent with this section or other provisions of this Chapter, those requirements govern. (1989, c. 265, s. 1; 1993, c. 552, s. 5; 2001-387, s. 6.)