2016 Georgia Code
Title 46 - Public Utilities and Public Transportation
Chapter 5 - Telephone Service
Article 2 - Telephone Service
Part 3 - Rural Telephone Cooperatives
§ 46-5-93. Pledging or encumbering of property, assets, rights, and privileges of cooperative by board of directors to secure indebtedness to federal government; tax exemption for mortgages and deeds of trust; sale, pledge, or encumbrance of property

(a) In order to secure any indebtedness of the cooperative to the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof, the board of directors of a cooperative shall have full power and authority, without authorization by the members thereof, to authorize the execution and delivery of mortgages or deeds of trust of, or the pledging or encumbering of, any or all of the property, assets, rights, privileges, licenses, franchises, and permits, wherever situated, of the cooperative, as well as the revenues therefrom, all upon such terms and conditions as the board of directors shall determine. Any such mortgage or deed of trust shall be exempt from any mortgage recordation tax imposed by this state.

(b) A cooperative may not otherwise sell, mortgage, lease, or otherwise dispose of or encumber all or a substantial portion of its property unless such sale, mortgage, lease, or other disposition or encumbrance is authorized by the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of all the members of the cooperative, provided that notwithstanding any other provision of this part or any other provision of law, the board of directors may, upon the authorization of a majority of those members of the cooperative present at a meeting of the members thereof, the notice of which shall have set forth the proposed action, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of all or a substantial portion of its property to another cooperative or a foreign corporation doing business in this state pursuant to this part, or to the holders of any notes, bonds, or other evidences of indebtedness issued to the United States government or any agency or instrumentality thereof.