CHAPTER 591
CORPORATIONS LEGALIZED

  591.1  Defective publication.
  Corporations heretofore incorporated under the laws of the state which have caused notice of their incorporation to be published once each week for four consecutive weeks in some daily, semiweekly or triweekly newspaper, instead of causing the same to be published in each issue of such newspaper for four consecutive weeks, are hereby legalized and are declared legal incorporations the same as though the law had been complied with in all respects in regard to the publication of notice.
[S13, §1613-a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §10408; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.1]

  591.2  Publication after required time.
  In all instances where the incorporators of corporations organized in this state for pecuniary profit have omitted to publish notice of such incorporation within three months after the date of the certificates of incorporation issued by the secretary of state, but did publish such notices thereafter in the manner and form as required by law, such notices of incorporation are hereby legalized and shall have the same force and effect as though published within said period of three months.
[C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §10409; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.2]

  591.3  Filing of renewals after required time.
  In all instances where proper action has been taken prior to July 1, 1959, by the stockholders for renewal of any corporation for pecuniary profit and the certificates showing such proceedings, together with the articles of incorporation, have been filed and recorded in the office of the county recorder and later in the office of the secretary of state, or have been filed and recorded in the office of the secretary of state and later in the office of the county recorder, although there has been failure to file such certificates and articles of incorporation in either or both of the said offices within the time specified therefor by law, such renewals are hereby legalized and shall be held to have the same force and effect as though the filings of the said documents in the said offices had been made within the periods prescribed by statute.
[SS15, §1618-1a; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §10410; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.3]

  591.4  Defective notice or acknowledgment, etc.
  In all instances where the incorporators of corporations organized in the state prior to January 1, 1959, have failed to publish notices of such incorporation within three months from and after the date of the certificates of incorporation issued by the secretary of state, but did publish such notices within three months after the date required by law in such cases in manner and form as required by law, and in all instances where the number of incorporators or the signatures or acknowledgment thereof were less than the number required by law, or the articles of incorporation were otherwise defective, but where the corporation or association has thereafter been conducted with the requisite number of stockholders or members, such notices of incorporation and the incorporation of corporations or associations so defectively incorporated are in each and every case hereby legalized and all the corporate acts of all such corporations and associations are hereby legalized in all respects.
[C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §10411; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.4]

  591.5  Notices of incorporation.
  In all instances where the incorporators of corporations for pecuniary profit have omitted to publish notice of incorporation within three months from the date of the certificate of incorporation issued by the secretary of state, but have published notice thereafter in manner and form as by law required, such notices are hereby legalized and shall have the same force and effect as though published within said period of three months, as to all acts of said corporation from the date of said completed publication.
[C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §10412; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.5]

  591.6  Amended articles and change of name.
  Any corporation, organized under chapter 2 of Title IX, Code of 1897, or chapter 394, Codes of 1924, 1927, 1931, 1935 and 1939, or chapter 504, Codes of 1946, 1950, 1954 and 1958, which shall have heretofore adopted articles of incorporation or changed its name or amended its articles, and some question has arisen as to whether such articles, change in name or amendment was adopted by a majority of the members of such corporation as required by section 1651, Code of 1897, and section 8593, Codes of 1924, 1927, 1931, 1935 and 1939, and section 504.19, Codes of 1946, 1950, 1954 and 1958, and such corporation shall have been engaged in the exercise of its corporate functions for the period of at least three years, such articles, change in name or amendment shall be held and considered to have been duly adopted by a majority of all the members of such corporation and are hereby legalized and made valid.
[S13, §1642-b; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §10413; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.6]

  591.7  Cooperative associations or corporations.
  In all instances where cooperative associations or corporations have been organized under the law as it appears in chapter 389, Code of 1927, where such associations or corporations have filed the original articles rather than a verified copy with the county recorder or where the secretary of state failed to certify the filing and acceptance of such articles, or where the certificate of the secretary of state contained a facsimile signature rather than the true signature of the secretary of state, or where there is any defect in the articles, notice, procedure or otherwise, the incorporation of such corporation or association and all of the corporate acts thereof are hereby legalized in all respects.
[C31, 35, §10413-c1; C39, §10413.1; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.7]

  591.8  Defective organization or renewal.
  In all cases wherein a corporation organized or purporting to have been organized under the laws of this state has adopted articles of incorporation or other instrument of similar import and has functioned as a corporation in carrying out the objects and purposes set forth therein and in the transaction of its business, but has failed to file its articles of incorporation or such other instrument with the secretary of state, or otherwise to comply with the laws of this state relating to the organization of corporations, or to take appropriate action for the renewal of its existence within the period limited by law, and has, subsequent thereto, filed in the office of the secretary of state its renewal articles of incorporation and a certificate of the adoption thereof, paid all fees in connection therewith and has heretofore received a certificate from the secretary of state renewing and extending its corporate existence, the acts, franchises, rights, privileges and corporate existence of any such corporation are hereby legalized and validated and shall have the same force and effect as if all the laws of this state relating to the organization of corporations and the renewal of their corporate existence had been strictly complied with.
[C31, 35, §10413-d1; C39, §10413.2; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.8]

  591.9  Interstate bridges — merger and consolidation.
  In all cases wherein any corporation organized or purporting to have been organized under the laws of this state for the purpose of constructing or operating a bridge or both, one extremity of which shall rest in an adjacent state, has attempted to merge or consolidate its stock, property, franchises, assets and liabilities with the stock, property, franchises, assets and liabilities of a corporation organized or purporting to have been organized for a similar purpose under the laws of such adjacent state, and such corporations have in fact united and combined their stock, property, franchises, assets and liabilities, such merger or consolidation, together with the action taken in effecting such merger or consolidation, is hereby legalized and validated, and such corporations so merging or consolidating shall be deemed to have become one corporation under such name as shall have been agreed upon, and such corporation shall be deemed on the date of such merger or consolidation to have succeeded to all the property, rights, privileges, assets and franchises and to have assumed all of the liabilities of such merging or consolidating corporations.
[C31, 35, §10413-d2; C39, §10413.3; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.9]

  591.10  Failure to publish notice of renewal.
  In all instances where there has been an omission to publish notice of renewal within three months after the filing of the certificate and articles of incorporation with the secretary of state as provided in section 491.32, Code 1954, but such notice was published thereafter in the manner and form as required by law and proof of publication filed in the office of the secretary of state, such notices are hereby legalized and shall have the same force and effect as though published within said period of three months and proper proof of publication thereof was filed.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.10]

  591.11  Failure to publish notice of amendment.
  In all instances where notices of amendments to articles of incorporation have not been published within three months after the filing with and approval by the secretary of state of such amendments, as provided in section 491.20, Code 1954, but such notices have been thereafter published in the form and manner as required by law and proof of publication filed with the secretary of state, such notices are hereby legalized and shall have the same force and effect as though published within said period of three months and proper proof of publication filed with the secretary of state.
[C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.11]
2006 Acts, ch 1010, §151

  591.12  Effect of foregoing statutes.
  Sections 591.1 to 591.11 hereof shall not affect pending litigation and shall not operate to revive rights or claims previously barred, and shall not permit an action to be brought or maintained upon any claim or cause of action which was barred by any statute which was in force prior to July 4, 1955.
[C58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.12]

  591.13  Corporation stock — certificates of information.
  In all instances in which corporations, incorporated under the laws of this state, have properly issued any of their capital stock prior to July 4, 1951, and have filed in the office of secretary of state certificates relative thereto containing the specific information required by statute at the time of the issuance of said stock, although there has been failure to file such certificates in said office within the time specified therefor by law, such filings are hereby legalized and shall be held to have the same force and effect as though the filings of the said certificates had been made within the period prescribed by the statute then in effect.
[C58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.13]

  591.14  Failure to file certificate — penalty.
  Any corporation organized under the laws of this state which failed to file with the office of secretary of state a certificate relative to any issuance of its capital stock prior to July 4, 1951, containing the specific information required by statute at the time of such issuance of stock may file with the office of the secretary of state subsequent to July 4, 1955, a certificate of issuance of said stock upon first paying to the secretary of state a penalty of ten dollars when said certificate is offered for filing and, provided that the penalty herein provided for is first paid and that said certificate contains the specific information required by section 492.9, said certificate when so filed shall be received by the secretary of state as a compliance with the statutes requiring the filing of such certificates in effect at the time of the issuance of said stock and shall be held to have the same force and effect as though the filing of said certificate had been made within the period prescribed by statute then in effect.
[C58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.14]

  591.15  Failure to publish notice of incorporation or amendment.
  In all instances where the incorporators, stockholders and directors of corporations organized in this state for pecuniary profit have omitted to publish notice of incorporation or notice of amendments to articles of incorporation within three months after the date of the certificates of incorporation issued by the secretary of state or approval by the secretary of state of such amendments, but have published such notices of incorporation or notices of amendments to articles of incorporation and filed proper proof of publication with the secretary of state prior to July 4, 1963, such notices of incorporation and notices of amendments to articles of incorporation are hereby legalized and shall have the same force and effect as though published within said period of three months.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.15]

  591.16  Nonprofit corporate renewal legalized.
  In all cases wherein any corporation organized under chapter 2 of Title IX, Code of 1897, or chapter 394 of the Codes of 1924, 1927, 1931, 1935 and 1939, or chapter 504 of the Codes of 1946, 1950, 1954, 1958 and 1962, or purporting to have been organized, reincorporated or renewed thereunder, whose articles of incorporation, either original or on renewal or reincorporation, are filed with the secretary of state has thereafter taken action to reincorporate or renew its period of existence and has filed with the secretary of state articles of incorporation on renewal or reincorporation with a certificate or proof of the adoption thereof and has paid all fees in connection therewith and has heretofore received a certificate from the secretary of state approving said articles of incorporation filed on renewal or reincorporation, the acts, franchises, rights, privileges and corporate existence of any such corporation for the period provided by any such renewal or reincorporation but not in excess of the period permitted by law and the articles of incorporation adopted on such renewal or reincorporation, as filed in the office of the secretary of state, are hereby legalized and validated and shall have the same force and effect as if all the laws of this state relating to the organization or reincorporation of such corporations and the renewal of their corporate existence by reincorporation or renewal had been strictly complied with.
  This section shall not operate to revive rights or claims previously barred and shall not permit an action to be brought or maintained upon any claim or cause of action which was barred by any statute which was in force prior to the effective date of this section.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.16]

  591.17  Nonprofit corporations legalized.
  In all instances where corporations not for pecuniary profit have heretofore adopted renewal articles of incorporation or articles of reincorporation and there has been a failure to set forth therein the time of the annual meeting or the time of the annual meeting of the trustees or directors and such renewal articles of incorporation or articles of reincorporation are otherwise complete and in compliance with the law as set forth in section 504.1, Code 1989, such renewal articles of incorporation or articles of reincorporation are hereby legalized and validated and shall be held to have the same force and effect as though all of such provisions had been complied with in all respects.
  In all instances where corporations not for pecuniary profit have adopted renewal articles of incorporation or articles of reincorporation and the certificate thereof shall not have been signed and acknowledged by the three or more persons who shall have adopted the same but such documents shall have been signed and acknowledged by one or more officers of the corporation or of its board of directors or trustees, such certificates of renewal are hereby legalized and validated and shall be held to be in full force and effect.
[C66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §591.17]
2004 Acts, ch 1086, §95