BY-LAWS of the LAKESHORE COMPANY
Incorporated Under the Laws of the
State of
Revised January, 2011
Table of Contents
ARTICLE I.
NUMBER OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE
II. ELECTION OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE
III. STOCKHOLDERS' ANNUAL MEETING
ARTICLE
IV. STOCKHOLDERS' SPECIAL MEETINGS
ARTICLE V.
SHARES OF STOCK
ARTICLE
VI. SALE OF ASSETS
ARTICLE
VII. CLOSING OF TRANSFER BOOKS
ARTICLE
VIII. NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDERS' MEETINGS
ARTICLE
IX. QUORUM AT STOCKHOLDERS' MEETING
ARTICLE X.
VOTE OF JOINT OWNERS
ARTICLE
XI. ORDER OF BUSINESS AT STOCKHOLDERS' MEETINGS
ARTICLE
XII. MEETINGS OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE XIII.
QUORUM AT DIRECTORS' MEETING
ARTICLE
XIV. VACANCIES AMONG DIRECTORS
ARTICLE
XV. RULES OF DIRECTORS
ARTICLE
XVI. ELECTION OF OFFICERS 6
ARTICLE
XVII. VACANCIES AMONG THE OFFICERS
ARTICLE
XVIII. DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT
ARTICLE
XIX. DUTIES OF VICE-PRESIDENT
ARTICLE
XX. DUTIES OF SECRETARY
ARTICLE
XXI. DUTIES OF TREASURER
ARTICLE
XXII. PROXIES
ARTICLE
XXIII. CERTIFICATES OF STOCK
ARTICLE
XXIV. TRANSFER OF STOCK
ARTICLE
XXV. EXAMINATION OF ASSETS
ARTICLE
XXVI. DIVIDENDS
ARTICLE
XXVII. BOOKS
ARTICLE
XXVIII. BANK ACCOUNT
ARTICLE
XXIX. COMMON SEAL
ARTICLE
XXX. OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS LIABILITIES
ARTICLE
XXXI. AMENDMENTS
10
ARTICLE
XXXII. POWER TO CONTRACT
The
business of the company shall be managed by a board of at least three (3)
directors.
The
directors shall be elected by the stockholders at each annual meeting and shall
hold their office until their successors have been elected by the stockholders.
At least 15
days prior to the annual meeting, the existing board of directors shall present
written notice to the stockholders of a slate of no less than three (3)
prospective directors for election at the annual meeting.
It is the
responsibility of the stockholders to vote to accept or reject the slate
presented by the existing board, and to vote to accept or reject any other
nominations made from the floor at the meeting, each slate or nomination being
voted on separately.
The fiscal year of the company shall
end on December 31st of each year. The annual meeting of the stockholders
shall be held on a date within the first 60 days of each new year as determined
by the board of directors, at the Company’s principal office; namely, the
Clubhouse of the Mt. Kemble Lake Association, at Mt. Kemble Lake, in Harding Township, New Jersey. Fifteen (15) days notice of all
meetings, in writing, shall be given by mail, e-mail or direct delivery to the
stockholders.
The
president shall preside at said meeting; in his absence, the vice-president
shall preside; in the absence of both president and vice-president the
secretary or treasurer shall run the meeting; and in the absence of all
officers, the meeting shall elect one of their own number to preside. Every stockholder present at such
meeting, in person or by proxy, shall be entitled to one vote.
The
president or board of directors may at any time call a special meeting of the
stockholders, and the president shall call the same whenever requested to do so
by a majority in interest of the stockholders; such meeting shall be held at
the Company's principal office at Mt. Kemble Lake in
Harding Township, New Jersey, and shall be presided over by the president, or
in his absence by the vice-president, or in the absence of both, by the
secretary or treasurer; and in the absence of all officers, by a chairperson to
be elected by the meeting.
No share of
stock shall be issued to any person nor shall any person at any time be the
holder thereof, unless said person shall own and possess a fee simple title in
and to the real property situated in the tract of land, situate, lying and
being in the Township of Harding, Morris County, State of New Jersey, as shown
on a map, entitled: “Tax Maps TOWNSHIP OF HARDING, Morris County,
N.J.” dated March, 1953 (and as revised subsequently) for Blocks 36
through 45: nor shall such person or stockholder be entitled to or hold at any
time more than one share of stock regardless of the number of lots or amount of
real property so owned by said person or shareholder in said tract.
Said one
share of stock when so issued and outstanding shall be transferable only to the
successor in title of the real property registered on the books of the
corporation as owned by the person to whom the stock is issued. Said stock shall be issued in the name
or names of the owners of the real property, as such ownership appears on the
deed or deeds to said real property.
When the real property is owned by a Trust or Corporation, the Trustee
or Corporate Officers shall designate a representative(s) in whose name(s) the
share of stock shall be issued.
In the
event that a shareholder of one share of stock as aforesaid, acquires in any
manner an additional share or shares of stock, such additional share or shares
of stock shall be deposited with the Treasurer of the Lakeshore Company to be
held in escrow until such time as the property to which one of the said shares
of stock was attached shall be transferred. At that time the said share shall be
transferred to the new owner, provided the transfer is not in violation of any
of the provisions of the by-laws.
The said
one share of stock in each case shall be issued with respect to and shall cover
and attach to original dwelling plot of holder's property and all thereto
contiguous vacant real property of the shareholder in said tract. In the event that said contiguous
property shall be subdivided and conveyed to others or subdivided and improved
by the erection of a dwelling thereon, said share of stock shall remain with
respect to and shall cover and attach to the original dwelling plot of the
shareholder and such other contiguous land not severed or so subdivided. Contiguous real property shall include
vacant land on other side of roadways opposite to the aforesaid original
dwelling plot of shareholders.
One share
of stock may be issued by the Directors to a non-resident owner of vacant or unimproved
real property in said tract covering said vacant or unimproved real property
under the same conditions herein provided for a resident owner. Except that should such non-resident
owner erect a dwelling upon said vacant land, the share of stock of said
nonresident shall attach to the plot of land upon which said dwelling is
erected and the same so recorded upon the books of the corporation.
A
stockholder who ceases to own real property in-said tract, shall have no voice
in the affairs of the corporation and shall then be deprived of all rights and
privileges incident to the ownership of said stock, except the right to
transfer said stock to such stockholder's successor in title to the aforesaid
residence plot of the stockholder.
Joint
ownership, tenancy in common, and other forms of multiple ownership of real
property in said tract shall be considered one ownership and such owners shall
be entitled to no more than one share of said stock at any time. Problems and conflicts arising as the
result of enlargement or division, or both, of present and future real property
holdings of any stockholder, and similar matters, not otherwise herein
provided, shall be decided by a two-thirds vote of the stockholders present, in
person or by proxy, at an annual meeting, or a special meeting called for the
purpose, for which due notice of the problems or conflicts to be so decided
have been delivered or mailed to all stockholders ten days in advance of said
annual or special meeting.
No real
property of the corporation shall be sold or conveyed in any way without a
two-thirds vote of the stockholders present, in person or by proxy, at an
annual meeting, or a special meeting called for the purpose, for which due
notice of the proposed sale or conveyance has been delivered or mailed to all
stockholders ten days in advance of said annual or special meeting. Any other disposable asset of the
corporation (with a value of less than $5000) may be disposed of at the
discretion of the Board of Directors.
Any monies
derived from any real estate holdings of the corporation sold pursuant to the
requirements of this Article shall be placed in a conservative growth
investment and all investment earnings shall be re-invested in this investment. The use of this money for any purpose
other than investment shall be governed by the requirements applicable to the
sale of real estate in this Article.
At the Annual stockholder meeting, the Lakeshore Board shall
specifically report the status of the investments covered in this section.
The board
of directors, or the stockholders, may, for the purpose of election of
directors, close the transfer books for a period not exceeding twenty-five
days, and for the purpose of declaring a dividend, for a period not exceeding
ten days.
A written
notice of every meeting of stockholders shall be delivered in person or by mail
or e-mail to every stockholder at least fifteen (15) days before the
meeting. It shall be the duty of
stockholders to give their correct post-office address to the secretary, who
shall keep a record of the same, and a notice sent to the last post-office
address so given by the stockholders shall be sufficient; in default of such
address being given, the secretary shall make reasonable inquiry for such
address, and if the same be not ascertained on such inquiry, the stockholders
who shall have failed to give such address shall be deemed to have waived
notice of the meeting.
Except as
herein otherwise provided, notice of a special meeting shall state briefly and
in general terms the objects of the meeting and notice of the annual meeting
shall state that the meeting is for the election of a board of directors and
for all other business that may properly come before a stockholders'
meeting. The notice shall also
include the listing of the slate of proposed directors.
A majority
in interest of all the stockholders represented in person or by proxy shall
constitute a quorum for the transaction of all business, and a majority of such
quorum, shall decide all questions that may arise except where otherwise
provided in these by-laws or by statute.
Any person
whose name appears as a joint owner on the stock certificate shall have the
right to vote such stock at any meeting of stockholders and such vote shall
bind, as to such vote, every other person whose name appears on said
certificate; provided, however, that the presiding officer at said meeting, in
case of a dispute between joint owners as to the casting of the vote, shall
have the right to decide which joint owner shall cast the vote, and such
decision shall be final.
The order
of business at a stockholders' meeting shall be as follows:
1. Roll Call.
2. Reading of
the minutes.
3. Reports.
4. Deferred
business.
5. New Business.
6. Election of
directors.
7. Adjournment.
The
directors may meet at
A quorum of
the board of directors shall be a majority of the entire board.
The board
of directors shall have power to fill any vacancies occurring in their own
number, and the persons appointed by them to fill such vacancies shall hold
their office until their successors are elected by the stockholders.
The board
of directors shall have power to make rules and regulations for the conduct of
their own meetings, and the management of the affairs of the Company, not
inconsistent with these by-laws.
The board
of directors shall, as soon as convenient after their elections, choose one of
their number to be president, vice-president,
secretary and treasurer. Any
director except the president may hold two offices.
The
directors shall also assign themselves such other responsibilities as water company and land administration and such other duties
as shall be necessary for the transaction of the business of the Company. They may further designate functions for
which they are responsible to individuals or committees which the president may
appoint.
All these
officers shall hold office until their successors have been elected by the
stockholders unless they be sooner removed by the
board of directors or shall resign or be otherwise unable to serve. The board of directors shall have power
to remove officers whenever in their judgment the interests of the Company
require it and to elect their successors.
The board
of directors shall fill any vacancies occurring among the officers.
The
president shall preside at all meetings of the stockholders and of the
directors, and shall be ex-officio a member of all standing committees. The President shall sign all
certificates of stock of the Company and shall take the general supervision and
control of all the business affairs of the Company, and shall have command and
control of all the officers and employees of the Company, subject to the
supervision of the board of directors, and shall perform such other duties as
may properly belong to the office, and also such as shall be prescribed by the
board of directors. The President
shall execute all contracts on behalf of the Company that are approved by the
board of directors.
In the
absence of the president the vice-president shall perform the duties incident
to the office of president, and such other duties as the board may from time to
time prescribe.
The secretary
shall attend all the meetings of the stockholders and directors and act as
clerk of the same, and keep the minutes thereof; shall have the charge and
keeping of the records and papers of the Company; take charge of and affix the
seal of the corporation to such documents as may require such attestation;
issue notices of all meetings and perform generally all the duties incident to
the office of secretary, and such other duties as the board of directors may
prescribe.
The treasurer
shall keep the accounts and receive all moneys paid to the Company and enter
his receipts and payments in books kept for that purpose, and deposit such
moneys in the name of the Company in such bank or depository as said board may
direct.
The
treasurer shall pay out no moneys except by authority of the board, and all
checks drawn shall have the treasurer’s signature, or that of the president
or vice-president.
The
treasurer’s duties shall include making stated and annual statements to
the board showing the condition and business of the Company, signing all
certificates of stock, and keeping an account thereof, and having the custody
of the stocks, bonds, mortgages and the securities of the Company, subject to
the regulation and control of the board of directors.
A
stockholder may vote at any meeting of the stockholders, by his attorney in
fact, duly constituted in writing.
No special form of proxy shall be necessary. Continuing proxies may be given,
provided that no proxy shall be recognized after the expiration of one year
from its date.
Certificates
of stock shall be signed by the president and treasurer and sealed with the
common seal of the Company. They
shall be issued from certificate books with an ample stub or margin containing
blanks for the number of the certificate, date of issue, the name of the person
to whom issued.
Stock shall
be transferred only on the books of the Company by the holder thereof in person
or by his attorney duly authorized, and upon surrender of the certificates for
the stock transferred. Upon such
surrender and transfer, new certificates will be issued to the transferee.
The form of
transfer on back of certificates of stock shall be as follows:
For value received, _______ hereby
sell, assign and transfer unto _______ the share of the capital stock
represented by the within certificate, and do hereby irrevocably constitute and
appoint _______ Attorney to transfer the said stock on the books of the within
named Company with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated: _______ ____
In presence of: ____________________________
____________________________
NOTICE: The signature of the assignment must correspond with the name as written
upon the face of the certificate in every particular without alteration or
enlargement, or any change whatever.
The Board is required to have a financial review of the
books and records relating to finances for each fiscal year to be competed each
year by June 30th of the following calendar year by a public accountant or a
review committee of Shareholders (Review Committee). The nature and scope of
the review will be at the discretion of the Review Committee, but shall be
sufficient to reasonably verify that all Shareholder dues, assessments, monies,
and disbursements are properly accounted for. The Review Committee will consist of two
or more non Board Members who will be appointed annually by the Board. The
Review Committee, at its discretion, may require the Board to retain a licensed
public accountant to conduct a review or provide assistance as needed. The
Review Committee or licensed public accountant shall communicate the results of
each review to the Board not later than September 30th noting the scope and
procedures followed and results obtained. The Review shall also be posted on
the community web site.
The board
of directors may, with the approval of two-thirds of the stockholders present
at any annual or special meeting either in person or by proxy, declare a
dividend.
The stock
and transfer books may be kept at the Company's principal office at
All the
funds of the Company shall be deposited in a bank or banks or other depository
designated by the board of directors, subject to be drawn therefrom
on the draft of the treasurer, or other designated officer.
The common
seal of the Company shall be circular in form, and shall contain the name of
the Company, with the figures 1925 and word, "seal". The seal shall be stored with the
Company books and papers.
The Company
shall indemnify every officer and director to the full extent permitted by
Section 14A:3-5 of the New Jersey Business Corporation Act and to the full
extent otherwise provided by law.
Neither the amendment nor repeal of this provision shall eliminate or
reduce the protection afforded by this provision to an officer or director in
respect to any matter which occurred, arose or accrued prior to such amendment
or repeal.
In
furtherance of the provisions of this section of the by-laws, the board of directors
shall cause the Company to maintain liability insurance when reasonably
available, indemnifying the directors and officers of the Company against
liability for errors and omissions occurring in connection with the performance
of their duties, with policy limits and deductible amounts to be determined at
the reasonable discretion of the board of directors. Deductible amounts shall be paid by the
Company.
These
by-laws may be amended, repealed or altered by a two-thirds vote of all the stockholders
present, in person or by proxy, at any annual meeting, or a special meeting
called for the purpose, for which due notice of the proposed amendment, repeal,
or alteration has been delivered or mailed to all stockholders ten days in
advance of said annual or special meeting.
The Company
may contract with third parties, including but not limited to the Mt. Kemble Lake Association, Inc., for the provision of
services relating to the operation, management or administration of any of its
assets.
Bylaws
revised and updated as of January 19, 2008