Chapter 181

181.1530 181.1530 Grounds for revocation.

181.1530(1) (1) Permissive revocation by department. Except as provided in sub. (1m), the department may bring a proceeding under s. 181.1531 to revoke the certificate of authority of a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state if any of the following applies:

181.1530(1)(a) (a) The foreign corporation fails to file its annual report with the department within 4 months after it is due.

181.1530(1)(b) (b) The foreign corporation does not pay, within 4 months after they are due, any fees or penalties due the department under this chapter.

181.1530(1)(c) (c) The foreign corporation is without a registered agent or registered office in this state for at least 6 months.

181.1530(1)(d) (d) The foreign corporation does not inform the department under s. 181.1508 or 181.1509 that its registered agent or registered office has changed, that its registered agent has resigned or that its registered office has been discontinued, within 6 months of the change, resignation or discontinuance.

181.1530(1)(e) (e) The foreign corporation obtained its certificate of authority through fraud.

181.1530(1)(f) (f) The department receives a duly authenticated certificate from the secretary of state or other official having custody of corporate records in the state or country under whose law the foreign corporation is incorporated stating that it has been dissolved or has disappeared as the result of a merger.

181.1530(1)(g) (g) The foreign corporation violates s. 940.302 (2) or 948.051 (2).

181.1530(1m) (1m) Mandatory revocation by department. If the department receives a certificate under sub. (1) (f) and a statement by the foreign corporation that the certificate is submitted by the foreign corporation to terminate its authority to transact business in this state, the department shall issue a certificate of revocation under s. 181.1531 (2) (b).

181.1530(2) (2) Revocation by a court. A court may revoke, under s. 946.87, the certificate of authority of a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state. The court shall notify the department of the action, and the department shall issue a certificate of revocation under s. 181.1531 (2) (b).

181.1530 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2007 a. 116.

181.1531 181.1531 Procedure for and effect of revocation.

181.1531(1) (1) Notice of proceeding by department. If the department determines that one or more grounds exist under s. 181.1530 (1) for revocation of a certificate of authority, the department shall give the foreign corporation under s. 181.1510 written notice of the determination, addressed to the foreign corporation’s registered agent.

181.1531(2) (2) Cure, revocation and reinstatement.

181.1531(2)(a) (a) Within 60 days after the notice takes effect, the foreign corporation shall correct each ground for revocation or demonstrate to the reasonable satisfaction of the department that each ground determined by the department does not exist.

181.1531(2)(b) (b) If the foreign corporation fails to satisfy par. (a), the department may revoke the foreign corporation’s certificate of authority by entering a notation in the department’s records to reflect each ground for revocation and the effective date of revocation. The department shall give notice of those facts to the foreign corporation in the same manner as a notice of determination under subs. (1) and (2).

181.1531(2)(c) (c)

181.1531(2)(c)1. 1. If a foreign corporation’s certificate of authority is revoked, the department shall reinstate the certificate of authority if the foreign corporation does all of the following within 6 months after the effective date of revocation:

181.1531(2)(c)1.a. a. Corrects each ground for revocation.

181.1531(2)(c)1.b. b. Pays any fees or penalties due the department under s. 181.1502 (4) (a) or $500, whichever is less.

181.1531(2)(c)2. 2. A reinstatement under this paragraph shall relate back to and take effect as of the effective date of the revocation, and the foreign corporation may resume carrying on its business as if the revocation never occurred.

181.1531(2g) (2g) Secondary notices.

181.1531(2g)(a) (a) If a notice under sub. (1) or (2) (b) is returned to the department as undeliverable, the department shall again give written notice to the foreign corporation, addressed to the principal office of the foreign corporation, as most recently designated in the records of the department.

181.1531(2g)(b) (b) If the notice under par. (a) is returned to the department as undeliverable or if the corporation’s principal office cannot be determined from the records of the department, the department shall give the notice by posting the notice on the department’s Internet site.

181.1531(2r) (2r) Effective date of notice. A notice under sub. (1), (2) (b), or (2g) (a) takes effect at the earliest of the following:

181.1531(2r)(a) (a) When received.

181.1531(2r)(b) (b) Five days after its deposit in the U.S. mail, if mailed postpaid and correctly addressed.

181.1531(2r)(c) (c) On the date shown on the return receipt, if sent by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, and the receipt is signed by or on behalf of the addressee.

181.1531(3) (3) Effect of revocation. The authority of a foreign corporation to transact business in this state, ends on the effective date of revocation of its certificate of authority, as reflected in the records of the department.

181.1531(4) (4) Service on corporation after revocation. If the department or a court revokes a foreign corporation’s certificate of authority, the foreign corporation may be served under s. 181.1510 (3) and (4) or the foreign corporation’s registered agent may be served until the registered agent’s authority is terminated, in any civil, criminal, administrative or investigatory proceeding based on a cause of action which arose while the foreign corporation was authorized to transact business in this state.

181.1531(5) (5) Authority of registered agent. Revocation of a foreign corporation’s certificate of authority does not terminate the authority of its registered agent.

181.1531 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2001 a. 44; 2011 a. 234; 2013 a. 20.

181.1532 181.1532 Appeal from revocation.

181.1532(1) (1) Right to appeal. A foreign corporation may appeal the department’s revocation of its certificate of authority under s. 181.1530 (1) to the circuit court for the county where the foreign corporation’s principal office or, if none exists in this state, its registered office is located, within 30 days after the effective date of the notice of revocation. The foreign corporation shall appeal by petitioning the court to set aside the revocation and attaching to the petition copies of its certificate of authority and the department’s notice of revocation.

181.1532(2) (2) Permissible remedies. The court may order the department to reinstate the certificate of authority or may take any other action that the court considers appropriate.

181.1532(3) (3) Appeal of judicial decision. The court’s final decision may be appealed as in other civil proceedings.

181.1532 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2001 a. 44.

subch. XVI of ch. 181 SUBCHAPTER XVI

RECORDS AND REPORTS

181.1601 181.1601 Corporate records.

181.1601(1) (1) Minutes and records of action. A corporation shall keep as permanent records minutes of all meetings of its members and board, a record of all actions taken by the members or directors without a meeting, and a record of all actions taken by committees of the board as authorized under s. 181.0825.

181.1601(2) (2) Accounting records. A corporation shall maintain appropriate accounting records.

181.1601(3) (3) Membership records. A corporation or its agent shall maintain a record of its members in a form that permits preparation of a list of the name and address of all members, in alphabetical order by class, showing the number of votes each member is entitled to cast.

181.1601(4) (4) Form. A corporation shall maintain its records in written form or in another form capable of conversion into written form within a reasonable time.

181.1601(5) (5) Copies at principal office. A corporation shall keep a copy of all of the following records at its principal office:

181.1601(5)(a) (a) Its articles of incorporation and all amendments to them currently in effect.

181.1601(5)(b) (b) Its bylaws or restated bylaws and all amendments to them currently in effect.

181.1601(5)(c) (c) Resolutions adopted by its board relating to the characteristics, qualifications, rights, limitations and obligations of members or any class or category of members.

181.1601(5)(d) (d) The minutes of all meetings of members and records of all actions approved by the members for the past 3 years.

181.1601(5)(e) (e) The financial statements furnished for the past 3 years under s. 181.1620.

181.1601(5)(f) (f) A list of the names and business or home addresses of its current directors and officers.

181.1601(5)(g) (g) Its most recent annual report delivered to the department under s. 181.0214.

181.1601 History History: 1997 a. 79; 2021 a. 258.

181.1602 181.1602 Inspection of records by members.

181.1602(1) (1) Records at principal office. Subject to s. 181.1603 (3), a member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and location specified by the corporation, any of the records of the corporation described in s. 181.1601 (5) if the member gives the corporation written notice or a written demand at least 5 business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy.

181.1602(2) (2) Other records that may be inspected. A member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and reasonable location specified by the corporation, any of the following records of the corporation if the member meets the requirements of sub. (3) and gives the corporation written notice at least 5 business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy:

181.1602(2)(a) (a) Excerpts from any records required to be maintained under s. 181.1601 (1), to the extent not subject to inspection under sub. (1).

181.1602(2)(b) (b) Accounting records of the corporation.

181.1602(2)(c) (c) Subject to s. 181.1605, the membership list.

181.1602(3) (3) When other records may be inspected. A member may inspect and copy the records identified in sub. (2) only if all of the following apply:

181.1602(3)(a) (a) The member’s demand is made in good faith and for a proper purpose.

181.1602(3)(b) (b) The member describes with reasonable particularity the purpose and the records the member desires to inspect.

181.1602(3)(c) (c) The records are directly connected with this purpose.

181.1602(4) (4) Applicability. This section does not affect any of the following:

181.1602(4)(a) (a) The right of a member to inspect records under s. 181.0720 or, if the member is in litigation with the corporation, to the same extent as any other litigant.

181.1602(4)(b) (b) The power of a court, independently of this chapter, to compel the production of corporate records for examination.

181.1602 History History: 1997 a. 79.

181.1603 181.1603 Scope of inspection rights.

181.1603(1) (1) Agents and attorneys. A member’s agent or attorney has the same inspection and copying rights as the member who the agent or attorney represents.

181.1603(2) (2) Copies. The right to copy records under s. 181.1602 includes, if reasonable, the right to receive copies made by photographic, xerographic, or other means.

181.1603(3) (3) Reasonable charges. The corporation may impose a reasonable charge, covering the costs of labor and material, for copies of any documents provided to the member. The charge may not exceed the estimated cost of production or reproduction of the records.

181.1603(4) (4) Date of membership list. The corporation may comply with a member’s demand to inspect the record of members under s. 181.1602 (2) (c) by providing the member with a list of its members that was compiled no earlier than the date of the member’s demand.

181.1603 History History: 1997 a. 79.

181.1604 181.1604 Court-ordered inspection.

181.1604(1) (1) Records at principal office. If a corporation does not allow a member who complies with s. 181.1602 (1) to inspect and copy any records required by that subsection to be available for inspection, the circuit court for the county where the corporation’s principal office or, if none in this state, its registered office is located may summarily order inspection and copying of the records demanded at the corporation’s expense upon application of the member.

181.1604(2) (2) Other records. If a corporation does not within a reasonable time allow a member to inspect and copy any other record, the member who complies with s. 181.1602 (2) and (3) may apply to the circuit court for the county where the corporation’s principal office or, if none in this state, its registered office is located for an order to permit inspection and copying of the records demanded. The court shall dispose of an application under this subsection on an expedited basis.

181.1604(3) (3) Payment of costs. If the court orders inspection and copying of the records demanded, it shall also order the corporation to pay the member’s costs, including reasonable attorney fees, incurred to obtain the order unless the corporation proves that it refused inspection in good faith because it had a reasonable basis for doubt about the right of the member to inspect the records demanded.

181.1604(4) (4) Restrictions on distribution of records. If the court orders inspection and copying of the records demanded, it may impose reasonable restrictions on the use or distribution of the records by the demanding member.

181.1604 History History: 1997 a. 79.

181.1605 181.1605 Limitations on use of membership list. Without consent of the board, a membership list or any part of a membership list may not be obtained or used by any person for any purpose unrelated to a member’s interest as a member. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, without the consent of the board a membership list or any part of a membership list may not be used for any of the following:

181.1605(1) (1) Solicitation. To solicit money or property unless such money or property will be used solely to solicit the votes of the members in an election to be held by the corporation.

181.1605(2) (2) Commercial purposes. For any commercial purpose.

181.1605(3) (3) Sale of list. To be sold to or purchased by any person.

181.1605 History History: 1997 a. 79.

181.1620 181.1620 Financial statements for members.

181.1620(1) (1) Member may demand. A corporation upon written demand from a member shall furnish that member its latest annual financial statements, which may be consolidated or combined statements of the corporation and one or more of its subsidiaries or affiliates, as appropriate, that include a balance sheet as of the end of the fiscal year and statement of operations for that year. If financial statements are prepared for the corporation on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles, the annual financial statements must also be prepared on that basis.

181.1620(2) (2) Certified public accountant’s report or officer’s statement. If annual financial statements are reported upon by a certified public accountant licensed or certified under ch. 442, the certified public accountant’s report must accompany them. If not, the statements must be accompanied by a statement of the president or the person responsible for the corporation’s financial accounting records that includes all of the following:

181.1620(2)(a) (a) A statement of the president’s or other person’s reasonable belief as to whether the statements were prepared on the basis of generally accepted accounting principles and, if not, describing the basis of preparation.