improving the grounds, avenues, or superstructures of their cemeteries, to use the income thereof, for the erection, preservation, or repair of monuments therein, or for any other purpose or design consistent with the objects of the corporation. § 613. Whenever an interment is made in any lot or plat transferred to individual owners by the corporation, the same thereby becomes forever inalienable, and descends in regular line of succession to the heirs at law of the owner. When there are several owners of interests in such lot or plat, one or more may acquire by purchase the interest of others interested in the fee simple title thereof; but no one not an owner acquires interest or right of burial therein by purchase; nor must any one be buried in any such lot or plat, not at the time owning an interest therein, or who is not the relative of such owner or of his wife, except by consent of all jointly interested. § 614. When grounds purchased or otherwise acquired for cemetery purposes have been previously used as a burial ground, those who are lot owners at the time of the purchase continue to own the same, and are members of the corporation, with all the privileges a purchase of a lot from the corporation confers. TITLE XIV. AGRICULTURAL FAIR CORPORATIONS. SECTION 620. May acquire and hold real estate, how much. 621. Shall not contract debts or liabilities exceeding amount in treasury. 622. Not for profit. May fix fee, &c., for membership. § 620. Agricultural Fair Corporations may purchase, hold, or lease any quantity of land, not exceeding in the aggregate one hundred and sixty acres, with such buildings and improvements as may be erected thereon, and may sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the same, at pleasure. This real estate must be held for the purpose of erecting buildings and other improvements thereon, to promote and encourage agriculture, horti culture, mechanics, manufactures, stock raising, and general domestic industry. $621. Such corporation must not contract any debts or lia bilities in excess of the amount of money in the treasury at the time of contract, except for the purchase of real property, for which they may create a debt not exceeding five thousand dollars, secured by mortgage on the property of the corporaion. The directors who vote therefor are personally liable for any debt contracted or incurred in violation of this section. § 622. Agricultural Fair Corporations are not conducted for profit, and have no capital stock or income other than that derived from charges to exhibitors and fees for membership, which charges, together with the term of membership and mode of acquiring the same, must be provided for in their by-laws. Such fees must never be greater than to raise sufficient revenue to discharge the debt for the real estate and the improvements thereon, and to defray the current expenses of fairs. TITLE XV. GAS CORPORATIONS. SECTION 628. Corporations to obtain privilege from city or town and use meters proved by the inspector. 629. Gas to be supplied on written application. Damages for refusal. 630. When corporations may refuse to supply gas. 631. Agent of corporation may inspect meters. 632. When persons neglect to pay, gas may be shut off. § 628. No corporation hereafter formed must supply any city or town with gas, or lay down mains or pipes for that purpose in the streets or alleys thereof, without permission from the city or town authorities, granted in pursuance of the provisions of the Political Code or of statutes expressly continued by such Code. Nor must such corporation furnish or use any gas-meter which has not been proved and sealed by the inspector or gas-meters. § 629. Upon the application in writing of the owner or oc cupant of any building or premises distant not more than one hundred feet from any main of the corporation, and payment by the applicant of all money due from him, the corporation must supply gas as required for such building or premises, and cannot refuse on the ground of any indebtedness of any former owner or occupant thereof, unless the applicant has undertaken to pay the same. If, for the space of ten days after such application, the corporation refuses or neglects to supply the gas required, it must pay to the applicant the sum of fifty dollars as liquidated damages, and five dollars a day as liquidated damages for every day such refusal or neglect continues thereafter. § 630. No corporation is required to lay service pipe where serious obstacles exist to laying it, unless the applicant, if re quired, deposits in advance, with the corporation, a sum of money sufficient to pay the cost of laying such service pipe, or his proportion thereof. § 631. Any agent of a gas corporation exhibiting written authority, signed by the president or secretary thereof for such purpose, may enter any building or premises lighted with gas supplied by such corporation, to inspect the gas-meters therein, to ascertain the quantity of gas supplied or consumed. Every owner or occupant of such buildings who hinders or prevents such entry or inspection must pay to the corporation the sum of fifty dollars as liquidated damages. § 632. All gas corporations may shut off the supply of gas from any person who neglects or refuses to pay for the gas supplied, or the rent for any meter, pipes, or fittings provided by the corporation as required by his contract; and for the purpose of shutting off the gas in such case any employee of the corporation may enter the building or premises of such person, between the hours of eight o'clock in the forenoon and six o'clock in the afternoon of any day, and remove therefrom any property of the corporation used in supplying gas. TITLE XVI. LAND AND BUILDING CORPORATIONS. SECTION 639. How organized. 640. May borrow money. 641. Powers and object of the corporation. 642. May insure the lives of members and debtors. 645. Secretary must make annual statement, and publish same. 646. Liability of shareholders for debts. (Repealed.) 647. Consolidation and transfer of corporation business and property. 648. Married women and minors. (Repealed). § 639. Corporations organized for the erection of buildings and making other improvements on real property may raise funds in shares not exceeding two hundred dollars each, payable in periodical instalments. Such bodies are known as land and building corporations, and may be organized with or without a capital stock. [In effect July 1, 1874.] § 640. Any such corporation may borrow money for the purpose of carrying out its objects, and may give as security therefor its shares or mortgage upon its real estate. § 641. Any such corporation may purchase real estate and erect buildings for its members, and make loans to its members for the purpose of aiding them in acquiring and improving real estate. Such loan must in all cases be secured on such real estate. § 642. Such corporation may insure, in some life insurance company incorporated under the laws of this State, the lives of its members and debtors. In case of the death of a debtor or member so insured, the amount recovered on the policy must be applied to extinguish the indebtedness, including the premium paid, and the residue, if any, must be paid to the legal representatives of the decedent. § 643. Any such corporation may purchase, hold, and convey real estate, as follows: 1. The lot and building in which the business of the corporation is carried on, the cost of which must not exceed twenty thousand dollars; 2. Such as may from time to time be necessary to supply the wants of its members, the cost of which, held unallotted to the members thereof at any one time, must not exceed the sum of one hundred thousand dollars; 3. Such as shall have been mortgaged, pledged, or conveyed to it in trust, to secure money loaned, or to secure the purchase price thereof in pursuance of the regular business of the corporation. § 644. The by-laws of such corporations must specify the mount of the periodical subscriptions or payments to be made by each member, the time ard manner in which such payments are to be made; the fines and forfeiture for default; the time and manner of election of directors and other offi cers, and their terms of office; the manner in which the real estate may be distributed, allotted, or sold to its members; the terms and conditions upon which loans may be made to its members and by them repaid to the corporation; the manner in which a person may become and cease to be a member; the conditions on which members may withdraw from the corporation, and the provisions for the payment to withdrawing members of the sums of money due to them arising from subscriptions or payments, and the proportion of the profits such withdrawing members may receive on with drawal. § 645. The secretary of any such corporation- must, once in each year during the existence of the corporation, prepare a full and explicit statement of the financial affairs thereof, comprising a balance sheet, statements of receipts and exper ditures, profit and loss, and assets and liabilities, which must be audited and verified by two competent persons (not directors), elected by the general body of shareholders, and be countersigned by the president and secretary. A copy of such statement must be printed and circulated among the members, and appear immediately after the annual meeting of the corporation daily at least one week, or weekly at least four weeks, in one or more newspapers published at the place of the principal business of the corporation. § 646 of said Code is repealed. [In effect July 1, 1874.] § 647. Any two or more such corporations may unite and become incorporated in one body, with or without any dissolution or division of the funds of such corporation, or either of them; or any such corporation may transfer its engagements, funds, and property to any other such corporation, upon such terms as may be agreed upon by two thirds of the members of each of such bodies present at general meetings of the members, convened for the purpose by notice stating the object of the meeting, sent through the post-office to every member, and by general notice, appearing daily at least one week, or weekly at least two weeks, in some newspaper published at the place of the principal business of the corporation; but no such transfer can prejudice any right of any creditor of either corporation. 648 of said Code is repealed In effect July 1, 1874. |