(1) If any corporation owning any ditch or canal for conveying or reservoir for storing water for irrigation purposes deems it necessary to raise funds to keep its ditch, canal, or reservoir in good repair or to pay any indebtedness theretofore contracted or the interest thereon, the corporation shall have power to make an assessment on the capital stock thereof, to be levied pro rata on the shares of stock payable in money, labor, or both, for the purpose of keeping the property of the corporation in good repair and for the payment of any indebtedness or interest thereon.
But no such assessment shall be made unless the question of making the assessmentis first submitted to the stockholders of the corporation at an annual meeting or at a special meeting called for that purpose, if a quorum is present, and the majority of stock represented at such meeting, either by the owner in person or by proxy, entitled to vote thereon shall vote in favor of making such assessment; and if said stockholders fail to hold any such meeting or fail to make or authorize any assessment within ninety days after the close of the company's fiscal year, the directors shall have power to make any such assessment at any regular or special meeting called therefor for that year.
Such corporation may provide for the sale and forfeiture of shares of stock for suchassessment as provided in subsection (4) of this section and may have the benefit of said subsection (4) for the recovery of such assessments by forfeiture or sale of the stock in default, and such corporation shall have a perpetual lien upon such shares of stock and the water rights represented by the same for any and all such assessments until the same are fully paid. Such corporation may also provide that no water shall be delivered until all assessments are paid.
The shares of stock shall be deemed personal property and transferable as such in themanner provided by the bylaws, and subscriptions thereof shall be made payable to the corporation and shall be payable in such installments and at such times as shall be determined by the directors or trustees. An action may be maintained in the name of the corporation to recover any installment which shall remain due and unpaid for the period of twenty days after personal demand therefor or, if personal demand is not made, within thirty days after a written or printed demand has been deposited in the post office properly addressed to the post office address of the delinquent stockholder. The directors or trustees may prescribe by bylaws for a forfeiture or sale of stock on failure to pay the installments or assessments that from time to time may become due, but no forfeiture of stock or of the amount paid thereon shall be declared as against any estate or against any stockholder before demand has been made for the amount due thereon either in person or by written or printed notice duly mailed to the last known address of such stockholder at least thirty days prior to the time the forfeiture is to take effect; but the proceeds of any sale, over and above the amount due on said shares, shall be paid to the delinquent stockholder.
Source: G.L. § 276. G.S. § 310. R.S. 08: § 991. L. 17: p. 149, § 1. C.L. § 2356. L. 27:
p. 263, § 1. CSA: C. 41, § 144. CRS 53: § 31-14-4. C.R.S. 1963: § 31-14-4. L. 65: p. 443, § 1. L. 79: (2) R&RE, p. 333, § 1, effective June 15.