Right to dissent and related issues
131(1)Subject to sections 132 and 166, a holder of shares of any class of a corporation entitled to vote may dissent if the corporation is subject to an order under paragraph 128(4)(d) that affects the holder or if the corporation resolves to
(a)
amend its articles under section 113 to add, change or remove restrictions on the issue, transfer or ownership of shares of a class or series of the shares of the corporation;
(b)
amend its articles under section 113 to add, change or remove any restriction upon the business or businesses that the corporation may carry on;
(c)
amend its articles under section 113 to provide that meetings of the shareholders may be held outside New Brunswick at one or more specified places;
(c.1)
amend its articles under section 113 to remove any cumulative voting rights provided therein;
(d)
amalgamate with another corporation, otherwise than under section 123;
(e)
be continued under the laws of another jurisdiction under section 127; or
(f)
sell, lease or exchange all or substantially all its property under subsection 130(1) and subsection (1.1) does not apply.
131(2)For the purposes of subsection 131(1), a holder of shares of any class or series of shares entitled to vote under section 115 may dissent if the corporation resolves to amend its articles in a manner described in that section.
131(3)In addition to any other right he may have, but subject to subsection (26), a shareholder who complies with this section is entitled, when the action approved by the resolution from which he dissents becomes effective, or an order is made under subsection 128(5), to be paid by the corporation the fair value of the shares held by him in respect of which he dissents, determined as of the close of business on the day before the resolution is adopted or an order is made, but in determining the fair value of the shares any change in value reasonably attributable to the anticipated adoption of the resolution shall be excluded.
131(4)A dissenting shareholder may only claim under this section with respect to all the shares of a class held by him on behalf of any one beneficial owner and registered in the name of the dissenting shareholder.
131(5)A dissenting shareholder shall send to the registered office of the corporation, at or before any meeting of shareholders at which a resolution referred to in subsection (1) or (2) is to be voted on, a written objection to the resolution, unless the corporation did not give notice to the shareholder of the purpose of the meeting or of his right to dissent.
131(5.1)The execution or exercise of a proxy does not constitute a written objection to the resolution for the purposes of subsection (5).
131(6)The corporation shall, within ten days after the shareholders adopt the resolution, send to each shareholder who has sent the objection referred to in subsection (5) notice that the resolution has been adopted, but such notice is not required to be sent to any shareholder who voted for the resolution or who has withdrawn his objection.
131(6.1)A notice under subsection (6) shall set out the rights of the dissenting shareholder and the procedures to be followed to exercise those rights.
131(7)A dissenting shareholder shall, within twenty days after he receives a notice under subsection (6), or, if he does not receive such notice, within twenty days after he learns that the resolution has been adopted, send to the corporation a written notice containing
(a)
his name and address;
(b)
the number and class of shares in respect of which he dissents; and
(c)
a demand for payment of the fair value of such shares.
131(8)Not later than the thirtieth day after the sending of a notice under subsection (7), a dissenting shareholder shall send the certificates, if any, representing the shares in respect of which he dissents to the corporation or its transfer agent.
131(9)A dissenting shareholder who fails to comply with subsection (5), (7) and (8) has no right to make a claim under this section.
131(10)A corporation or its transfer agent shall endorse on any security certificate received under subsection (8) a notice that the holder is a dissenting shareholder under this section and shall return forthwith the security certificates to the dissenting shareholder.
131(11)On sending a notice under subsection (7), a dissenting shareholder ceases to have any rights as a shareholder other than the right to be paid the fair value of his shares as determined under this section except where
(a)
the dissenting shareholder withdraws his notice before the corporation makes an offer under subsection (12),
(b)
the corporation fails to make an offer in accordance with subsection (12) and the dissenting shareholder withdraws his notice, or
(c)
the directors revoke a resolution to amend the articles under subsection 113(2), terminate an amalgamation agreement under subsection 122(6), abandon an application for continuance under subsection 127(5), or abandon a sale, lease or exchange under subsection 130(7),
in which case his rights as the holder of the shares in respect of which he had dissented are reinstated as of the date he sent the notice referred to in subsection (7), and he is entitled, upon presentation and surrender to the corporation or its transfer agent of any certificate representing the shares that have been endorsed in accordance with subsection (10), to be issued a new certificate representing the same number of shares as the certificate so presented, without payment of any fee.
131(11.1)A dissenting shareholder whose rights are reinstated under subsection (11) is entitled, on presentation and surrender to the corporation or its transfer agent of any security certificate that has been endorsed in accordance with subsection (10),
(a)
to be issued, without payment of any fee, a new certificate representing the same number, class and series of shares as the certificate surrendered, or
(b)
if a resolution is passed by the directors under section 46 with respect to that class and series of shares,
(i)
to be issued the same number, class and series of uncertificated shares as represented by the certificate surrendered, and
(ii)
to be sent the notice referred to in section 46.
131(11.2)A dissenting shareholder whose rights are reinstated under subsection (11) and who held uncertificated shares at the time of sending a notice to the corporation under subsection (7) is entitled,
(a)
to be issued the same number, class and series of uncertificated shares as those held by the dissenting shareholder at the time of sending the notice under subsection (7), and
(b)
to be sent the notice referred to in section 46.
131(12)A corporation shall, not later than seven days after the later of the day on which the action approved by the resolution is effective or the day the corporation received the notice referred to in subsection (7), send to each dissenting shareholder who has sent such notice
(a)
a written offer to pay for his shares in an amount considered by the directors of the corporation to be the fair value thereof, accompanied by a statement showing how the fair value was determined; or
(b)
if subsection (26) applies, a notification that it is unable lawfully to pay dissenting shareholders for their shares.
131(13)Every offer made under subsection (12) for shares of the same class or series shall be on the same terms.
131(14)Subject to subsection (26), a corporation shall pay for the shares of a dissenting shareholder within ten days after an offer made under subsection (12) has been accepted, but any such offer lapses if the corporation does not receive an acceptance thereof within thirty days after the offer has been made.
131(15)Where a corporation fails to make an offer under subsection (12) or if a dissenting shareholder fails to accept an offer, the corporation may, within fifty days after the action approved by the resolution is effective or within such further period as the Court may allow, apply to the Court to fix a fair value for the shares of any dissenting shareholder.
131(16)If a corporation fails to apply to the Court under subsection (15), a dissenting shareholder may apply to the Court for the same purpose within a further period of twenty days or within such further period as the Court may allow.
131(17)If a corporation fails to comply with subsection (12), then the costs of a shareholder application under subsection (16) are to be borne by the corporation unless the Court otherwise orders.
131(18)Before making application to the Court under subsection (15) or not later than seven days after receiving notice of an application to the Court under subsection (16), as the case may be, a corporation shall give notice to each dissenting shareholder who, at the date upon which the notice is given,
(a)
has sent to the corporation the notice referred to in subsection (7), and
(b)
has not accepted an offer made by the corporation under subsection (12), if such offer was made,
of the date, place and consequences of the application and of his right to appear and be heard in person or by counsel, and a similar notice shall be given to each dissenting shareholder who, after the date of such first mentioned notice and before termination of the proceedings commenced by the application, satisfies the conditions set out in paragraphs (
a) and (
b), within three days after he satisfies such conditions.
131(19)All dissenting shareholders who satisfy the conditions set out in paragraphs (18)(
a) and (
b) shall be deemed to be joined as parties to an application under subsection (15) or (16) on the later of the date upon which the application is brought and the date upon which they satisfy the conditions, and shall be bound by the decision rendered by the Court in the proceedings commenced by the application.
131(20)Upon an application to the Court under subsection (15) or (16), the Court may determine whether any other person is a dissenting shareholder who should be joined as a party, and the Court shall then fix a fair value for the shares of all dissenting shareholders.
131(21)The Court may in its discretion appoint one or more appraisers to assist the Court to fix a fair value for the shares of the dissenting shareholders.
131(22)The final order of the Court in the proceedings commenced by an application under subsection (15) or (16) shall be rendered against the corporation and in favour of each dissenting shareholder who, whether before or after the date of the order, complies with the conditions set out in paragraphs (18)(
a) and (
b).
131(23)The Court may in its discretion allow a reasonable rate of interest on the amount payable to each dissenting shareholder from the date the action approved by the resolution is effective until the date of payment.
131(24)Where subsection (26) applies, the corporation shall, within ten days after the pronouncement of an order under subsection (22), notify each dissenting shareholder that it is unable lawfully to pay dissenting shareholders for their shares.
131(25)Where subsection (26) applies, a dissenting shareholder, by written notice delivered to the registered office of the corporation within thirty days after receiving a notice under subsection (24), may
(a)
withdraw his notice of dissent, in which case the corporation shall be deemed to consent to the withdrawal and the shareholder is reinstated to his full rights as a shareholder, or
(b)
retain a status as a claimant against the corporation, to be paid as soon as the corporation is lawfully able to do so or, in a liquidation, to be ranked subordinate to the rights of creditors of the corporation but in priority to its shareholders.
131(26)A corporation shall not make a payment to a dissenting shareholder under this section if there are reasonable grounds for believing that
(a)
the corporation is or would after the payment be unable to pay its liabilities as they become due; or
(b)
the realizable value of the corporation’s assets would thereby be less than the aggregate of its liabilities.
131(27)On application by a corporation that proposes to take any of the actions referred to in subsection (1) or (2), the Court may, if satisfied that the proposed action is not in all the circumstances one that should give rise to the rights arising under subsection (3), by order declare that those rights will not arise on the taking of the proposed action, and the order may be subject to compliance on the terms and conditions as the Court thinks fit.
131(28)Repealed: 2023, c.2, s.97 1991, c.27, s.5; 2023, c.2, s.97; 2023, c.2, s.155; 2023, c.2, s.157