Virginia Law

Article 12. Sale of Assets.

Unless the articles of incorporation provide otherwise, no approval of the members of a corporation entitled to vote is required:

1. To sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any or all of the corporation's assets in the usual and regular course of business;

2. To mortgage, pledge or dedicate to the repayment of indebtedness, whether with or without recourse, or otherwise encumber any or all of the corporation's assets whether or not in the usual and regular course of business; or

3. To transfer any or all of the corporation's assets to one or more domestic or foreign eligible entities all of whose eligible interests are owned by the corporation.

Code 1950, §§ 13-232, 13.1-246; 1956, c. 428; 1985, c. 522; 2007, c. 925.

A. A corporation may sell, lease, exchange, or otherwise dispose of all, or substantially all, of its assets, with or without the good will, otherwise than in the usual and regular course of business, on the terms and conditions and for the consideration determined by the corporation's board of directors, if the board of directors adopts and its members approve the proposed transaction.

B. Where there are members having voting rights, a disposition, other than a disposition described in § 13.1-899, shall be authorized in the following manner:

1. The board of directors shall adopt a resolution authorizing the disposition. After adoption of such a resolution, the board of directors shall submit the proposed disposition to the members for their approval. The board of directors shall also submit to the members a recommendation that the members approve the proposed disposition, unless the board of directors makes a determination that because of conflicts of interest or other special circumstances it should not make such a recommendation, in which case the board of directors shall transmit to the members the basis for that determination.

2. The board of directors may condition its submission of the proposed transaction on any basis.

3. The corporation shall notify each member, whether or not entitled to vote, of the proposed members' meeting in accordance with § 13.1-842. The notice shall also state that the purpose, or one of the purposes, of the meeting is to consider the disposition and shall contain or be accompanied by a copy or summary of the agreement pursuant to which the disposition will be effected. If only a summary of the agreement is sent to members, the corporation shall also send a copy of the agreement to any member who requests it.

4. Unless the board of directors, acting pursuant to subdivision 2 of this subsection, requires a greater vote, the disposition to be authorized shall be approved by more than two-thirds of all the votes cast on the disposition at a meeting at which a quorum exists. The articles of incorporation may provide for a greater or lesser vote than that provided for in this subsection or a vote by separate voting groups so long as the vote provided for is not less than a majority of all the votes cast on the disposition by each voting group entitled to vote on the disposition at a meeting at which a quorum of the voting group exists.

5. Unless the parties to the disposition have agreed otherwise, after a disposition of assets has been approved by members, and at any time before the disposition has been consummated, it may be abandoned, subject to any contractual rights, without further member action in accordance with the procedure set forth in the resolution proposing the disposition or, if none is set forth, by the board of directors.

C. For a transaction to be authorized where there are no members, or no members having voting rights, the proposed transaction shall be authorized upon receiving the vote of a majority of the directors in office.

D. A disposition of assets in the course of dissolution under Article 13 (§ 13.1-902 et seq.) is not governed by this section.

Code 1950, §§ 13-232, 13.1-246; 1956, c. 428; 1985, c. 522; 1991, c. 110; 2007, c. 925.

In all cases where an incorporated educational institution, or its board of directors, or trustees, for its benefit, owns or holds more than 1,000 acres of land in one or more tracts outside of a city or incorporated town, such board of trustees or directors may, notwithstanding any provision in its charter, or in the deed, will or muniment of title under which such real estate is held, by a majority vote of all of the members of such board, sell and convey all of such real estate in excess of 1,000 acres, the portion to be sold to embrace both land and buildings as may be determined by the board.

Code 1950, § 13.1-246.1; 1973, c. 476; 1985, c. 522.