General Laws of Massachusetts - Chapter 155 General Provisions Relative to Corporations
- Massachusetts General Laws - Application of chapter; secretary defined - Chapter 155, Section 1
This chapter, unless expressly limited in its application, shall apply to all corporations created by or organized under the laws of the commonwealth, except incorporated...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Examination of certificates and reports by state secretary; records; reports - Chapter 155, Section 2
The secretary shall examine the certificates and reports relative to corporations submitted to him under the provisions of law, and make suitable endorsements upon such...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1971, 819, Sec. 2 - Chapter 155, Section 2A
Repealed, 1971, 819, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Clinics, hospitals, rest homes, etc., approval of articles of organization and amendments - Chapter 155, Section 2B
Upon approving articles of organization in connection with the proposed incorporation of a clinic, hospital, convalescent or nursing home, infirmary, rest home, or like entity...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Acts of incorporation and corporate organizations subject to legislative action - Chapter 155, Section 3
Every act of incorporation passed since March eleventh, eighteen hundred and thirty-one, shall be subject to amendment, alteration or repeal by the general court. All...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Public service corporations; deposit of funds - Chapter 155, Section 3A
After December thirty-first, nineteen hundred and twenty-four, all deposits of funds of public service corporations, except common carriers under the supervision of the interstate commerce...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Public service corporations; misleading use of names or titles - Chapter 155, Section 4
No person owning, holding or controlling shares of stock of any public service corporation shall hereafter use any name or title or other words that,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Violations of Sec. 4; investigation; penalties; injunction - Chapter 155, Section 5
The department of public utilities or the department of telecommunications and cable may investigate and determine whether any person is violating the preceding section; and...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Allowances for depreciation ordered set aside by department of utilities or department of telecommunications and cable - Chapter 155, Section 5A
If, when the department of public utilities or the department of telecommunications and cable, as required by law, approves an issue of stock, bonds, coupon...
- Massachusetts General Laws - General powers - Chapter 155, Section 6
A corporation may, in its corporate name, sue and be sued, appear, prosecute and defend to final judgment or decree and execution; have a corporate...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Content of by-laws - Chapter 155, Section 7
Every corporation, except those governed by chapter one hundred and fifty-six, may by its by-laws, except as otherwise expressly provided, determine the manner of calling...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Conveyance of land - Chapter 155, Section 8
A corporation may convey land to which it has a legal title. Any recordable instrument purporting to affect an interest in real estate, executed in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Name of corporation; exception - Chapter 155, Section 9
A corporation organized under general laws may assume any name which, in the judgment of the secretary, indicates that it is a corporation; but it...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Reservation of corporate name - Chapter 155, Section 9A
Any person intending to organize a corporation under the General Laws, or any corporation organized under the General Laws intending to change its name, or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Change of name - Chapter 155, Section 10
A corporation, except one subject to chapter one hundred and fifty-six or chapters one hundred and sixty to one hundred and sixty-three, inclusive, may at...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Unauthorized business; restraint by injunction - Chapter 155, Section 11
Upon an information in equity by the attorney general at the relation of the commissioner, the supreme judicial court may restrain by injunction any corporation...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Free hospital beds for employees of corporation; appropriation - Chapter 155, Section 12
Every corporation may, by a vote of a majority of each class of stock outstanding and entitled to vote, appropriate not more than five thousand...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Contributions to communities - Chapter 155, Section 12A
Every corporation may, by vote of its directors, or of its officers having the powers of directors, contribute such sum or sums of money as...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Reciprocal insurance contracts; exchanges - Chapter 155, Section 12B
Any corporation organized or to be organized under the laws of the commonwealth shall have full power and authority to participate as a subscriber in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Contributions for charitable, scientific or educational purposes - Chapter 155, Section 12C
Every corporation may, by its articles of organization or by-laws or by a general or special vote of its stockholders or members, authorize its directors,...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Chartered corporations; time for organization; commencement of corporate existence - Chapter 155, Section 13
A corporation created by special charter shall, if no time is limited therein, be organized within two years after the passage of its act of...
- Massachusetts General Laws - First meeting; holders of privileges prior to organization - Chapter 155, Section 14
The first meeting of such corporation, unless otherwise provided in its act of incorporation, shall be called by a notice, signed by the person or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Failure, refusal or neglect to call meeting; alternative method - Chapter 155, Section 15
If, by reason of the death or absence of the officers of a corporation, or other cause, there is no person duly authorized to call...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Par value of common and preferred shares - Chapter 155, Section 16
The par value of the common or preferred shares of all corporations shall be one hundred dollars. Any corporation which may be organized with shares...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Issue at less than par - Chapter 155, Section 17
No corporation shall issue a share for a less amount to be actually paid in thereon than the par value of the shares at the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Preferred stock; amount; preferences and voting powers; exceptions - Chapter 155, Section 18
Every corporation may issue preferred stock of one or more classes to an amount not exceeding at any time the amount of the common stock...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Preferred stock; content of certificate - Chapter 155, Section 19
Such stock shall be issued subject to all general laws governing the issue of capital stock; and each certificate subsequently issued of stock in the...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Increase of capital stock; notice of vote; disposition of new shares - Chapter 155, Section 20
If a corporation, not subject to chapter one hundred and fifty-six, increases its capital stock and no other provision therefor is made by law, its...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Voting rights, etc. of persons in representative or fiduciary capacity - Chapter 155, Section 21
An executor, administrator, guardian, conservator, trustee or person in any other representative or fiduciary capacity shall represent the shares of his trust at all meetings...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Records available for inspection by shareholders; record date of right to vote or to other rights - Chapter 155, Section 22
The agreement of association, an attested copy of the articles of organization or of articles in amendment of said agreement or of said articles and...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Shareholders list; filing; failure to file - Chapter 155, Section 23
A corporation not subject to chapter one hundred and fifty-six shall within fifteen days after a written request by a stockholder thereof, made not less...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1938, 445, Sec. 13 - Chapter 155, Section 23A
Repealed, 1938, 445, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Repealed, 1957, 765, Sec. 2 - Chapter 155, Section 24 to 44
Repealed, 1957, 765, Sec.
- Massachusetts General Laws - Record transfer of stock not paid for - Chapter 155, Section 45
Stock shall not be transferred on the books of a corporation if any instalments thereon remain overdue and unpaid.
- Massachusetts General Laws - New certificates upon transfer or pledge - Chapter 155, Section 46
A pledgee of stock transferred as collateral security shall be entitled to a new certificate if the instrument of transfer substantially describes the debt or...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Publication of unclaimed dividend list - Chapter 155, Section 47
Every corporation shall, once in every five years, publish three times successively in a newspaper in Boston, and also in a newspaper in the county...
- Massachusetts General Laws - False statements; penalty - Chapter 155, Section 48
Whoever knowingly makes, executes, files or publishes any report or statement required by law to be made, executed, filed or published by a corporation in...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Statement required by foreign law; penalty for falsifying - Chapter 155, Section 49
Whoever knowingly makes, executes or publishes any report or statement required by the law of another state or country to be made, executed, or published...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Voluntary dissolution - Chapter 155, Section 50
A corporation which desires to close its affairs may, unless otherwise provided in the agreement of association, by the vote of a majority of its...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Failure to file reports or returns; application of secretary or commissioner to dissolve - Chapter 155, Section 50A
If a corporation has failed to comply with the provisions of law requiring the filing of reports with the state secretary or tax returns with...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Continuation to close affairs - Chapter 155, Section 51
Every corporation whose charter expires by its own limitation or is annulled by forfeiture or otherwise, or whose corporate existence for other purposes is terminated...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Distribution of assets on petition; notice; liability of directors - Chapter 155, Section 51A
At any time within the period of three years or the extension of such period by reason of the pendency of any suit, as provided...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Appointment of receivers; powers; term - Chapter 155, Section 52
If the charter of the corporation expires or is annulled, or if the corporation is dissolved as provided in section fifty, or if its corporate...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Payment of debts; distribution of surplus - Chapter 155, Section 53
The receivers shall pay all debts due from the corporation if the funds in their hands are sufficient therefor; and if they are not, they...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Surrender of certificate of incorporation; notice - Chapter 155, Section 54
If a petition, signed and sworn to by a majority in interest of the stockholders of a railroad or street railway company organized under general...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Return to state secretary of decree of dissolution - Chapter 155, Section 55
If a corporation is dissolved or annulled, the clerk of the court in which the decree therefor is entered shall forthwith make return thereof to...
- Massachusetts General Laws - Revival of corporations dissolved under provisions of Sec. 50A - Chapter 155, Section 56
If the secretary finds that a corporation has been dissolved subject to the provisions of this section by act of the general court or under...
Last modified: September 11, 2015