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Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff
(a) Any resident of this state who shall have been a member of record, for at least six months immediately preceding his demand, of a foreign corporation conducting activities in this state, or any resident of this state authorized in writing by at least five percent of the members, entitled to vote, of the foreign corporation, upon at least five days' written demand may require such foreign corporation to produce a record of its members setting forth the names and addresses of all members, the number and class of capital certificates held by each and the dates when they respectively became the owners of record thereof, and shall have the right to examine in person or by agent or attorney at the office of the foreign corporation in this state or at the office of its transfer agent or registrar in this state or at such other place in any county in this state in which the foreign corporation is conducting activities as may be designated by the foreign corporation during the usual business hours, a record of members or an exact copy of the record of members certified as correct by the corporate officer or agent responsible for keeping or producing such record and to make extracts therefrom. In the case of a foreign corporation having shares, a record of shareholders shall for the purpose of this section be regarded as a record of members, and holders of voting trust certificates representing such shares shall for the purpose of this section be regarded as members.
(b) An examination authorized by paragraph (a) may be denied to such member or other person upon his refusal to furnish to the foreign corporation or its transfer agent or registrar an affidavit that such inspection is not desired for a purpose which is in the interests of a business or object other than the activities of the foreign corporation and that such member or other person has not within five years sold or offered for sale any list or record of members of any corporation of any kind, whether or not formed under the laws of this state, or aided or abetted any person in procuring any such list or record of members for any such purpose.
(c) Upon refusal by the foreign corporation or by an officer or agent of the foreign corporation to produce for examination or to permit an examination of the record of members as herein provided, the person making the demand for production and examination may apply to the supreme court in the judicial district where the office of the foreign corporation within this state is located, upon such notice as the court may direct, for an order directing the foreign corporation, its officer or agent, to show cause why an order should not be granted directing such production and permitting such examination by the applicant. Upon the return day of the order to show cause, the court shall hear the parties summarily, by affidavit or otherwise, and if it appears that the applicant is qualified and entitled to such examination, the court shall grant an order compelling such production for examination and awarding such further relief as to the court may seem just and proper.
(d) Nothing herein contained shall impair the power of courts to compel the production for examination of the books of a foreign corporation. The record of members specified in paragraph (a) shall be prima facie evidence of the facts therein stated in favor of the plaintiff in any action or special proceeding against such foreign corporation or any of its officers, directors or members.
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - New York Consolidated Laws, Not-For-Profit Corporation Law - NPC § 1316. Record of members - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/notforprofit-corporation-law/npc-sect-1316/
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