2018 Code of Virginia
Title 13.1 - Corporations
Chapter 9 - Virginia Stock Corporation Act
§ 13.1-665. Corporation's acceptance of votes

A. If the name signed on a vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment corresponds to the name of a shareholder, the corporation, if acting in good faith, is entitled to accept the vote, ballot, consent, waiver or proxy appointment and give it effect as the act of the shareholder.

B. If the name signed on a vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment does not correspond to the name of its shareholder, the corporation, if acting in good faith, is nevertheless entitled to accept the vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment and give it effect as the act of the shareholder if:

1. The shareholder is an entity and the name signed purports to be that of an officer, partner, or agent of the entity;

2. The name signed purports to be that of an administrator, executor, guardian, or conservator representing the shareholder and, if the corporation requests, evidence of fiduciary status acceptable to the corporation has been presented with respect to the vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment;

3. The name signed purports to be that of a receiver or trustee in bankruptcy of the shareholder and, if the corporation requests, evidence acceptable to the corporation that such receiver or trustee has been authorized to vote the shares in an order of the court by which such person was appointed has been presented with respect to the vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment;

4. The name signed purports to be that of a pledgee, beneficial owner, or attorney-in-fact of the shareholder and, if the corporation requests, evidence acceptable to the corporation of the signatory's authority to sign for the shareholder has been presented with respect to the vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment; or

5. Two or more persons are the shareholder as fiduciaries and the name signed purports to be the name of at least one of the fiduciaries and the person signing appears to be acting on behalf of all the fiduciaries.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions B 2 and B 5, in any case in which the will, trust agreement, or other instrument under which a fiduciary purports to act contains directions for the voting of shares in any corporation, or for the execution and delivery of proxies for the voting thereof, such directions shall be binding upon the fiduciary and upon the corporation if a copy thereof has been furnished to the corporation.

D. The corporation is entitled to reject a vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment if the secretary or other officer or agent authorized to count votes, acting in good faith, has reasonable basis for doubt about the validity of the signature on it or about the signatory's authority to sign for the shareholder.

E. Neither the corporation nor the person authorized to count votes, including an inspector under § 13.1-664.1, who accepts or rejects a vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment in good faith and in accordance with the standards of this section or subsection B of § 13.1-663 is liable in damages to the shareholder for the consequences of the acceptance or rejection.

F. Corporate action based on the acceptance or rejection of a vote, ballot, consent, waiver, or proxy appointment under this section is valid unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines otherwise.

Code 1950, §§ 13-193 to 13-198, 13-203, 13.1-32; 1956, c. 428; 1958, c. 564; 1975, c. 500; 1984, c. 366; 1985, c. 522; 2005, c. 765; 2015, c. 611.