2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 7 - Corporations and Associations
Associations
Article 56 - Cooperatives
Part 6 - Property Encumbrances, Business Combinations, and Property Sales
§ 7-56-608. Dissenters' rights - definitions

(1) As used in this section:

(a) "Dissenter" means a member eligible to vote who exercises the right to dissent provided in this section at the time and in the manner required by this section.

(b) "Interest" means interest required to be paid pursuant to this section at the average rate currently paid by the cooperative subject to this section on its principal bank loans or, if none, at the legal rate specified in section 5-12-101, C.R.S.

(c) "Stated value" means the original cost paid by a person for capital stock or membership fees, as recorded in the records of the cooperative, in order to qualify for membership and the right to vote in the cooperative, and for other equity capital the amount stated in the records of the cooperative that is required to make a payment under this section.

(2) If the board of a cooperative subject to this article submits to the members of the cooperative for approval a plan of merger, conversion, consolidation, or share or equity capital exchange and if following the merger, conversion, consolidation, or share or equity capital exchange there will be members of any cooperative involved in the proposed transaction who would no longer be eligible for membership or other voting interest in the surviving or resulting entity, the ineligible members shall be entitled to repayment of their equity interests in the cooperative in accordance with this section.

(3) If the board of a cooperative subject to this article submits to the members of the cooperative for approval a plan to sell all or substantially all of the cooperative's assets and not dissolve following the sale, the members of the cooperative shall be entitled to repayment of their equity interests in the cooperative in accordance with this section.

(4) A cooperative that proposes to be a party to a merger, conversion, consolidation, share or equity capital exchange, or a sale of assets, as described in subsection (2) or (3) of this section, shall include in the notice of the membership meeting at which the vote of the members is taken thereon an explanation of the right to dissent and the requirement to give written notice of intent to demand payment by a member having the right to do so under this section.

(5) A member who may be entitled to repayment of the member's equity interests in the cooperative in accordance with this section shall give written notice of the member's intention to demand payment before the vote is taken at the membership meeting at which a vote on the proposed merger, conversion, consolidation, share or equity capital exchange, or sale of assets is to be taken. Upon giving notice, the member shall no longer be entitled to vote on the proposed transaction. The written notice shall include the name of the member in which the stock or membership is held on the records of the cooperative and the member's address and social security or federal tax identification number. Failure to give written notice of intention to demand payment in the prescribed manner disqualifies the member from demanding payment under this section.

(6) If the merger, conversion, consolidation, share or equity capital exchange, or sale of assets described in subsection (2) or (3) of this section is approved by the members of the cooperative in the manner applicable to any other entity that is a party to the transaction, the surviving, resulting, or new entity, including a cooperative that is to sell all or substantially all of its assets, shall be required to make the payments provided in this section. The surviving, resulting, or new entity shall give written notice to all dissenters who have given notice to dissent pursuant to this section. The notice shall include the address at which the surviving, resulting, or new entity will receive payment demands, the requirement to submit stock or membership certificates or certification of the loss or destruction thereof, the period in which demands will be received which shall be not less than thirty days from the date of the notice, and where applicable, a statement of qualifications for membership or other voting interest in the surviving or new entity.

(7) Within the period stated in the notice described in subsection (6) of this section, a dissenter may deliver a written demand for payment to the surviving, resulting, or new entity, or in the case of a sale of assets subject to this section, to the cooperative selling its assets, stating the address to which payment is to be made and, where applicable, a statement as to the reasons why the dissenter no longer qualifies for membership or a voting interest in the surviving, resulting, or new entity.

(8) Within thirty days after receipt of a demand for payment, the surviving, resulting, or new entity or, in the case of a sale of assets subject to this section, the cooperative selling its assets shall pay to the dissenter:

(a) The stated value of the initial investment of the dissenter in stock or membership fees in the cooperative as recorded in the records of the cooperative made to qualify the dissenter to be a member of the cooperative; and

(b) The stated value of all other equity capital of the dissenter in the cooperative as recorded in the records of the surviving, resulting, or new entity, or in the case of a sale of assets subject to this section, of the cooperative selling its assets; except that, in the case of any merger, conversion, consolidation, or share or equity capital exchange, if the surviving, resulting, or new entity has, by written agreement or operation of law other than this section, become liable to repay the other equity capital of the dissenter, the repayment of other equity capital shall be made by the surviving, resulting, or new entity under the same conditions and time frame, but not more than fifteen years, that would have applied if the member or equity holder had withdrawn or been terminated from the cooperative that is not the surviving, resulting, or new entity immediately prior to the effective date of the merger, conversion, consolidation, or share or equity capital exchange. If payment is not made on the date required by this subsection (8), the recipient shall be entitled to interest from the date the payment should have been made until the date payment is actually made.

(9) Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, holders of equity capital who are not members of the cooperative shall under no circumstances be entitled to dissenter's rights.

(10) Section 7-90-206 (2) applies to a conversion in which the cooperative is the converting entity.