2015 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
Title 15 - CORPORATIONS AND UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS
Chapter 57 - Officers, Directors and Members
Section 5782 - Actions against directors, members of an other body and officers

§ 5782. Actions against directors, members of an other body and officers.

(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), in any action or proceeding brought to enforce a secondary right on the part of one or more members of a nonprofit corporation against any present or former officer, director or member of an other body of the corporation because the corporation refuses to enforce rights that may properly be asserted by it, each plaintiff must aver and it must be made to appear that each plaintiff was a member of the corporation at the time of the transaction of which he complains.

(b) Exception.--Any member who, except for the provisions of subsection (a), would be entitled to maintain the action or proceeding and who does not meet such requirements may, nevertheless in the discretion of the court, be allowed to maintain the action or proceeding on preliminary showing to the court, by application and upon such verified statements and depositions as may be required by the court, that there is a strong prima facie case in favor of the claim asserted on behalf of the corporation and that without the action serious injustice will result.

(c) Security for costs.--In any action or proceeding instituted or maintained by less than the smaller of 50 members of any class or 5% of the members of any class of the corporation, the corporation in whose right the action or proceeding is brought shall be entitled at any stage of the proceedings to require the plaintiffs to give security for the reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, that may be incurred by it in connection therewith or for which it may become liable pursuant to section 5743 (relating to mandatory indemnification), but only insofar as relates to actions by or in the right of the corporation, to which security the corporation shall have recourse in such amount as the court determines upon the termination of the action or proceeding. The amount of security may from time to time be increased or decreased in the discretion of the court upon showing that the security provided has or may become inadequate or excessive. The security may be denied or limited in the discretion of the court upon preliminary showing to the court, by application and upon such verified statements and depositions as may be required by the court, establishing prima facie that the requirement of full or partial security would impose undue hardship on plaintiffs and serious injustice would result.

(d) Cross reference.--See section 6146 (relating to provisions applicable to all foreign corporations).

(June 22, 2001, P.L.418, No.34, eff. 60 days)

2001 Amendment. Act 34 added section 5782.

Cross References. Section 5782 is referred to in section 6146 of this title.