2017 Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes
Title 15 - CORPORATIONS AND UNINCORPORATED ASSOCIATIONS
Chapter 77 - Workers' Cooperative Corporations
Section 7714 - Records
(a) Records requirement.--A corporation shall keep at its registered office or principal place of business a record of the proceedings of the members and of the directors and the original or a copy of its bylaws, including amendments to date, certified by the secretary of the corporation, and shall keep at its registered office or principal place of business or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar a share register giving the names of the members, their respective addresses and the number and classes of shares held by each. A corporation shall keep at its registered office or principal place of business appropriate, complete and accurate books or records of account, including a record of all salaries, per diem payments and other remunerations paid to each officer and director by the corporation and remuneration received for the corporation's business transactions.
(b) Examination and copies.--A member, upon written demand, has a right to examine during the usual hours for business, for any proper purpose, the share register, books or records of account and records of the proceedings of the members and directors and to make copies or extracts. A proper purpose is a purpose reasonably related to the member's interest as a stockholder. If an attorney or other agent is the person who seeks the right of inspection, the demand shall be accompanied by a power of attorney or other writing which authorizes the attorney or other agent to act on behalf of the member. The demand shall be directed to the corporation at its registered office in this Commonwealth or at its principal place of business.
(c) Remedy to compel inspection.--
(1) If the corporation refuses to permit an inspection sought by a member under subsection (b) or does not reply to the demand within five business days after the demand has been made, the member may apply to the court of common pleas of the county in which the registered office of the corporation is located for an order to compel inspection. The court of common pleas has exclusive original jurisdiction to determine whether or not the person seeking inspection is entitled to the inspection sought. The court may summarily order the corporation to permit the member to inspect the material and to make copies or extracts. The court may order the corporation to furnish to the member a list of its members as of a specific date on condition that the member first pay to the corporation the reasonable cost of obtaining and furnishing the list and on other conditions as the court deems appropriate.
(2) If the member seeks to inspect the books and records of the corporation, other than its register or list of members, the member must first establish both of the following:
(i) That the member has complied with the provisions of this section respecting the form and manner of making demand for inspection of the document.
(ii) That the inspection sought is for a proper purpose.
(3) If the member seeks to inspect the share register or list of members of the corporation and the member has complied with the provisions of this subsection respecting the form and manner of making demand for inspection of the documents, the burden of proof is on the corporation to establish that the inspection the member seeks is for an improper purpose. The court may, at its discretion, prescribe limitations or conditions with reference to the inspection or award other relief as the court deems just and proper. The court may order books, documents and records, pertinent extracts or authenticated copies to be brought within this Commonwealth and kept in this Commonwealth upon terms and conditions as it prescribes.
