Sunday, January 3, 2016

Meetings of board of directors; notice required.



"x x x.

The Court agrees with the petitioners that the August 17, 1981 Board Resolution did not give Arturo the authority to act as LRI’s representative in the subject sale, as the meeting of the board of directors where such was passed was conducted without giving any notice to Asuncion. Section 53 of the Corporation Code provides for the following:

SEC. 53. Regular and special meetings of directors or trustees.—Regular meetings of the board of directors or trustees of every corporation shall be held monthly, unless the by-laws provide otherwise.

Special meetings of the board of directors or trustees may be held at any time upon call of the president oras provided in the by-laws.

Meetings of directors or trustees of corporations may be held anywhere in or outside of the Philippines, unless the by-laws provide otherwise. Notice of regular or special meetings stating the date, time and place of the meeting must be sent to every director or trustee at least one (1) day prior to the scheduled meeting, unless otherwise provided by the by-laws. A director or trustee may waive this requirement, either expressly or impliedly. (Emphasis ours)

The Court took this matter up in Fontecha, involving herein parties, where it was held that a meeting of the board of directors is legally infirm if there is failure to comply with the requirements or formalities of the law or the corporation’s by laws and any action taken on such meeting may be challenged as a consequence:

The general rule is that a corporation, through its board of directors, should act in the manner and within the formalities, if any, prescribed by its charter or by the general law. Thus, directors must act as a body in a meeting called pursuant tothe law or the corporation’s bylaws, otherwise, any action taken therein may be questioned by any objecting director or shareholder.38 However, the actions taken in such a meeting by the directors or trustees may be ratified expressly or impliedly. "Ratification means that the principal voluntarily adopts, confirms and gives sanction to some unauthorized act of its agent on its behalf. It is this voluntary choice, knowingly made, which amounts to a ratification of what was theretofore unauthorized and becomes the authorized act of the party so making the ratification. The substance of the doctrine is confirmation after conduct, amounting to a substitute for a prior authority. Ratification can be made either expressly or impliedly. Implied ratification may take various forms — like silence or acquiescence, acts showing approval or adoption of the act, or acceptance and retention of benefits flowing therefrom."39

x x x."


G.R. No. 154291 November 12, 2014
LOPEZ REALTY, INC. and ASUNCION LOPEZ-GONZALES, Petitioners, 
vs.
SPOUSES REYNALDO TANJANGCO and MARIA LUISA ARGUELLES-TANJANGCO, Respondents.