HomeMy WebLinkAboutArticles of Incorporation
(1) To Merge. To participate in mergers and consolidations with other nonprofit
corporations organized for the same purpose or annex additional real estate as provided in
the Declaration.
(m) To Otherwise Act. To have and to exercise any and all powers, rights and
privileges which a corporation organized under the Act may now or hereafter have or
exerCIse.
Section 2.04. Limitations Upon Powers.
(a) Earnings. No member of the Corporation shall have or receive any earnings
from the Corporation, except a member who is an employee of the Corporation, in which
event he may receive fair and reasonable compensation for his services as an employee;
and a member may also receive payments of principal and interest at a rate not exceeding
that from time to time permitted by the Act on funds loaned or advanced by him to the
Corporation.
(b) Loans to Directors. The Corporation shall make no advancements for
services to be performed in the future, nor any loan of money or property to any director
or officer of the Corporation.
( c ) Dissolution. In the event of dissolution of the Corporation, all assets
remaining after payment of all debts of the Corporation, including advances and loans of
members of the Corporation, and, if so authorized by the Board of Directors, distribution
to members of the Corporation of such amounts as may be authorized by the Act, shall be
dedicated by the Board of Directors to an appropriate public agency to be used for
purposes similar to those for which this Corporation was organized. In the event such
dedication is refused acceptance, such assets shall be transferred by the Board of
Directors to the State of Indiana or any instrumentality or subdivision thereof exclusively
for public purposes, or to any nonprofit corporation whose purposes are substantially the
same as those of the Corporation and which, at the time of transfer, is exempt from
Federal taxation under Sections 501(c)(3), 501(c)(4) or 528 of the Code or the
corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law. Any such
assets not so dedicated or transferred by the Board of Directors shall be disposed of in
accordance with the Act. No member, director or officer of the Corporation, or any
private individual, shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the assets of the
Corporation on dissolution of the Corporation, except as otherwise provided in these
Articles or in the Act.
(d) Prohibited Activities.
(i) No part of the net earnings of the Corporation shall inure to the benefit
of any member, director or officer of the Corporation, or to any private individual;
3
ARTICLE IX
Provision for Regulation and Conduct
of the Affairs of the Corporation
Section 9.01. Management of Corporation. The affairs of the Corporation shall be
managed by the Board of Directors.
Section 9.02. Code of Bylaws. The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall have the
power, without the assent of the Members, to make, alter, amend, or repeal the Bylaws.
Section 9.03. Officers. The officers of the Corporation shall consist of a President, one
or more Vice Presidents, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and such other officers as may be prescribed
by the Bylaws or prescribed by resolution of the Board of Directors in the manner specified in
the Bylaws. The offices of President and Secretary shall not be occupied by the same Person.
Section 9.04. Initial Board. The Initial Board of Directors, named in Section 6.02
hereof, shall serve as the Board of Directors of the Corporation until the Applicable Date and, in
the event of any vacancy or vacancies occurring in the Initial Board for any reason or cause
whatsoever prior to the Applicable Date, every such vacancy shall be filled by an individual
appointed by Declarant. Any such individual appointed by Declarant shall thereafter be deemed
a member of the Initial Board. If the Initial Board of Directors named in Section 6.02 hereof
consists of fewer members than the maximum number of members specified hereunder then, at
any time prior to the Applicable Date, the Declarant may, in its sole discretion, appoint an
additional member, or additional members, so long as the number of members comprising the
Board of Directors is always less than or equal to the maximum number of members permitted
hereunder. Any additional members appointed by the Declarant shall thereafter be deemed to be
a member of the Initial Board of Directors.
Section 9.05. Term of Office of Directors and Officers. Each officer and director shall
hold his office for the term specified in the Bylaws, but no term shall end until a successor is
elected and qualified for the office to be vacated.
Section 9.06. Removal of Member of the Board of Directors. Prior to the Applicable
Date, any Director(s) may be removed by the Declarant, with or without cause. After the
Applicable Date, Directors may be removed by members of the Association, with or without
cause, if the number of votes cast to remove would be sufficient to elect the Directors at a
meeting to elect Directors. After the Applicable Date, a Director or Directors may be so
removed by the Members only at a meeting called for the purpose of removing the Director(s).
Any such meeting must state that the purpose of the meeting is for voting upon the removal of
Director(s). In such case, the removed Director(s) successor(s) shall be elected at the same
meeting to serve for the remainder of the term(s) of the removed Director(s).
Section 9.07. Amendment of Articles of Incorporation. The Corporation reserves the
right to amend, alter, change or repeal any provisions contained in the Articles or any
amendment hereto, in any manner now or hereafter prescribed or permitted by the Act or any
7
amendment thereto; provided, however, that any such amendment shall require a two-thirds (2/3)
vote of the Lot Owners. Provided, further, that such power of amendment does not authorize any
amendment that would permit any part of the net earnings of the Corporation to inure to the
benefit of any private individual, that would modify the provisions of Section 2.04 if such
modification would have the effect of disqualifying this Corporation as an organization exempt
from Federal income taxation under the provisions of Section 528 of the Code, as amended, or
such equivalent provision as may hereafter exist from time to time, or that would be in conflict
with the provisions of the Declaration or any Supplemental Declaration.
Section 9.08. Non-Liability. No member or Director of the Association shall be liable
for any of the Association's obligations.
Section 9.09. Consent Resolutions. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any
meeting of the members or of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting if, prior to
such action a written consent to such action is signed by all members or all Directors, as the case
may be, and such written consent is filed with the minutes of the proceedings of the members or
of the Board.
Section 9.10. Liability to the Corporation. No person shall be liable to the Corporation
for any loss or damage suffered by the Corporation on account of any action taken or omitted to
be taken by such person in good faith as a Director, officer, employee or agent of the
Corporation if such person (i) exercised or used the same degree of care as an ordinary prudent
person in a like position would use under similar circumstances; or (ii) took or omitted to take
such action in reliance upon information, opinions, reports or statements, including financial
statements and other financial data, in each case, prepared or presented by any officer, employee
or committee of the Board of Directors of the Corporation, or legal counsel, public accountants
or other professional persons engaged by the Corporation, but such person shall not be
considered to be acting in good faith if such person has actual knowledge concerning the matter
in questions that would cause such reliance to be unwarranted; or (iii) has not breached or failed
to perform the duties of their position or office in compliance with the Act, Articles of the
Corporation and Bylaws of the Corporation in a manner constituting willful misconduct or
recklessness.
Section 9.11. Indemnification. The Corporation shall indemnify any Director or officer
or former Director or officer of the Corporation, or any person who may have served at its
request as a director or officer of another corporation, against expenses (including attorney's
fees), judgment, fines, and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the
person in connection with the defense of any action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil,
administrative, or investigative, in which he was, is made, or is threatened to be made a party by
reason of being or having been a Director or officer or former Director or officer of the
Corporation, or serving or having served at its request as a director or officer of another
corporation, except in relation to matters as to which the person's acts or omissions are adjudged
in the action, suit, or proceeding to be a breach of the person's duty to the Corporation. Such
duty to the Corporation shall be to discharge the duties of the office in a manner that does not
constitute willful misconduct or recklessness in the exercise of good faith and reasonable belief
that the action or actions were in or not opposed to the best interest of the Corporation. The
8
termination of any action, suit, or proceeding by adverse judgment, order, or settlement (whether
with or without court approval) shall not, alone, create a presumption that the Director or officer
or former Director or officer of the Corporation, or any person who may have served at its
request as a director or officer of another corporation, did not properly discharge his duty to the
Corporation. If several claims, issues, or matters are involved, a Director or officer or former
Director or officer of the Corporation, or any person who may have served at its request as a
director or officer of another corporation, may be entitled to indemnification concerning some
matters even though indemnification mayor can not be given concerning other matters. Any
Director or officer serving in any capacity for another corporation, who were it not for the
influence or vote of the Corporation would not be so serving, shall be deemed to be serving at
the request of the Corporation. In addition:
(a) To the extent that an individual has been successful on the merits or otherwise
in the defense of any action, suit, or proceeding referred to in this Section 9.11, or in the
defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, the individual shall be indemnified against
expenses (including attorney's fees) actually and reasonably incurred in connection
therewith.
(b) Any indemnification, against underlying liability, provided for in this Section
9.11 (unless ordered by a court) shall be made by the Corporation only as authorized in
the specific case upon a determination that indemnification of any Director or officer or
former Director or officer of the Corporation, or any person who may have served at its
request as a director or officer of another corporation, is proper in the circumstances
because the person has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth in Section 9.10.
Such determination shall be made (a) by the Board of Directors by a majority vote of a
quorum consisting of directors not at the time parties to the proceeding; (b) if such an
independent quorum is not obtainable, by majority vote of a committee duly designated
by the full Board of Directors (in which designation directors who are parties may
participate), consisting solely of two (2) or more directors not at the time parties to the
proceeding; ( c) by special legal counsel (l) selected by the independent quorum of the
Board of Directors (or the independent committee thereof if no such quorum can be
obtained), or (2) if no such independent quorum or committee thereof can be obtained,
selected by majority vote of the full Board of Directors (in which selected directors who
are parties may participate); or (d) by the Members, who are not directors who are at the
time parties to the proceeding. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any Director or officer or
former Director or officer of the Corporation, or any person who may have served at its
request as a director or officer of another corporation, shall be able to contest any
determination that he or she has not met the applicable standard of conduct, by
petitioning a court of appropriate jurisdiction.
( c ) Expenses incurred in defending any action, suit, or proceeding, whether civil,
administrative, or investigative, may be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final
disposition of such action, suit, or proceeding upon receipt of a written undertaking by or
on behalf of any Director or officer or former Director or officer of the Corporation, or
any person who may have served at its request as a director or officer of another
corporation, to repay the amount paid by the Corporation if it shall ultimately be
9
determined that he or she is not entitled to indemnification as provided in the Articles of
Incorporation. No advance shall be given if the Corporation has completed the
determination of conduct procedure as provided for in Section 9 .11 (b) and it is
determined that the individual will be precluded from indemnification.
(d) The indemnification provided by this Section 9.11 shall not be deemed
exclusive of any other rights to which those seeking indemnification may be entitled
under any Bylaws, agreement, vote of members or disinterested Directors, as a matter of
law, or otherwise, both as to actions in the officer's or director's official capacity and as
to actions in another capacity while holding such office, and shall continue as to a person
who has ceased to be a director or officer and shall inure to the benefit of the heirs,
executors and administrators of such a person.
(e) The indemnification and advancement of expenses provided by, or granted
pursuant to the Articles of Incorporation shall vest at the time of occurrence or
performance of any event, act or omission giving rise to any action, suit or proceeding of
the nature referred to in these Articles and, once vested, shall not later be impaired as a
result of any amendment, repeal, alteration or other modification of any or all of these
prOVISIons.
Section 9.12. Conflicting Provisions. Any further provisions consistent with the Articles
of Incorporation and the laws of this state, for the regulation and conduct of the affairs of the
Corporation, and creating, defining, limiting or regulating the powers of this Corporation, of the
Directors or of the members, may from time to time be prescribed by the Bylaws of the
Corporation. If there is any conflict between these Articles and the Declaration, the Declaration
shall control. If there is any conflict between the Bylaws and the Declaration, the Declaration
shall control. If there is any conflict between these Articles and the Bylaws, these Articles shall
control.
ARTICLE X
Distribution of Assets on
Dissolution or Final Liquidation
The Corporation may be dissolved with the assent given in writing and signed by not less
than two-thirds (2/3) of each class of members. Upon dissolution or liquidation of the
Corporation, other than incident to a merger or consolidation, the assets of the Corporation shall
be dedicated to an appropriate public agency to be used for purposes similar to those for which
this Corporation was created. In the event that such dedication is refused acceptance, such assets
shall be granted, conveyed and assigned to any non-profit corporation, Corporation, trust or other
organization to be devoted to such similar purposes.
10