North Dakota Code 10-19.1-63 – Consideration for shares – Value and payment – Liability
1. Consideration for the issuance of shares may be paid, in whole or in part, in money; in other property, tangible or intangible; or in labor or services actually performed for the corporation. When payment of the consideration for which shares are to be issued is received by the corporation, the shares are considered fully paid and nonassessable. Neither promissory notes nor future services constitute payment or part payment for shares of a corporation.
Terms Used In North Dakota Code 10-19.1-63
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- 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.
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- Organization: includes a foreign or domestic association, business trust, corporation, enterprise, estate, joint venture, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, limited partnership, partnership, trust, or any legal or commercial entity. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
- Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
2. Subject to any restrictions in the articles, a corporation may, without any new or additional consideration, issue its own shares in exchange for or in conversion of its outstanding shares, or, subject to authorization of share dividends, divisions, and combinations according to section 10-19.1-61.1, issue its own shares pro rata to shareholders or the shareholders of one or more classes or series, to effectuate share dividends, divisions, or combinations. No shares of a class or series, shares of which are then outstanding, shall be issued to the holders of shares of another class or series, except in exchange for or in conversion of outstanding shares of the other class or series, unless the issuance is expressly provided for in the articles or is approved at a meeting by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of all shares of the same class or series as the shares to be issued.
3. The determinations of the board or the shareholders as to the amount or fair value or the fairness to the corporation of the consideration received or to be received by the corporation for its shares or the terms of payment, as well as the agreement to issue shares for that consideration, are presumed to be proper if they are made in good faith and on the basis of accounting methods, or a fair valuation or other method, reasonable in the circumstances. Unless otherwise required by the articles, the consideration may be less than the par value, if any, of the shares. Directors or shareholders who are present and entitled to vote, and who, intentionally or without reasonable investigation, fail to vote against approving an issue of shares for a consideration that is unfair to the corporation, or overvalue property received or to be received by the corporation as consideration for shares issued, are jointly and severally liable to the corporation for the benefit of the then shareholders who did not consent to and are damaged by the action, to the extent of the damages of those shareholders. A director or shareholder against whom a claim is asserted pursuant to this subsection, except in case of knowing participation in a deliberate fraud, is entitled to contribution on an equitable basis from other directors or shareholders who are liable under this section.
4. A corporation may issue only shares that are nonassessable or that are assessable but are issued with the unanimous consent of the shareholders. “Nonassessable” shares are shares for which the agreed consideration has been fully paid, delivered, or rendered to the corporation.
a. The reasonable charges and expenses of organization or reorganization of a corporation, and the reasonable expenses of and compensation for the sale or underwriting of its shares, may be paid or allowed by the corporation out of the consideration received by it in payment for its shares without rendering the shares not fully paid and nonassessable.
b. If shares are issued in violation of this subsection, then the following persons are jointly and severally liable to the corporation for the difference between the agreed consideration for the shares and the consideration actually received by the corporation:
(1) A director or shareholder who was present and entitled to vote but who failed to vote against the issuance of the shares knowing of the violation; (2) The person to whom the shares were issued; and
(3) A successor or transferee of the interest in the corporation of a person described in paragraph 1 or 2, including a purchaser of shares, a subsequent assignee, successor, or transferee, a pledgee, a holder of any other security interest in the assets of the corporation or shares granted by the person described in paragraph 1 or 2, or a legal representative of or for the person or estate of the person, which successor, transferee, purchaser, assignee, pledgee, holder, or representative acquired the interest knowing of the violation.
5. A pledgee or holder of any other security interest in all or any shares that have been issued in violation of subsection 4 is not liable under subdivision b of subsection 4 if all those shares are surrendered to the corporation. The surrender does not impair any rights of the pledgee or holder of any other security interest against the pledgor or person granting the security interest.
6. A pledgee, holder of any other security interest, or legal representative is liable under subdivision b of subsection 4 only in that capacity. The liability of the person under subdivision a of subsection 4 is limited to the assets held in that capacity for the person or estate of the person described in paragraph 1 or 2 of subdivision b of subsection 4.
7. Each person liable under subdivision b of subsection 4 has a full right of contribution on an equitable basis from all other persons liable under that subdivision for the same transaction.
8. An action may not be maintained against a person under subdivision b of subsection 4 unless commenced within two years from the date on which shares are issued in violation of subsection 4.