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(805 ILCS 30/0.01) (from Ch. 32, par. 398.9)     Sec. 0.01. Short title. This Act may be cited as the Gas Company Property Act. (Source: P.A. 86-1324.)

(805 ILCS 30/1) (from Ch. 32, par. 399)     Sec. 1. That all gas companies now organized, or hereafter to be organized in this state, are hereby authorized and empowered to sell, transfer and convey or lease their real and personal property, rights, franchises and privileges, in whole or in part, to any other gas company doing business in the same city, town or village, and such other gas company is authorized to purchase or lease and to hold and enjoy said property. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/2) (from Ch. 32, par. 400)     Sec. 2. It shall be lawful for any gas companies, now organized or hereafter to be organized in this state, doing business in the same city, town or village, to consolidate and merge into a single corporation, which shall be one of said merging and consolidating corporations, by complying with the provisions of this act, as hereinafter specified. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/3) (from Ch. 32, par. 401)     Sec. 3. All gas companies which are authorized to manufacture and distribute illuminating gas shall have the power to manufacture and distribute gas for fuel purposes and to distribute natural gas, and all companies authorized to distribute gas in any city, town or village shall have the power to distribute the same in any territory annexed to such city, town or village. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/4) (from Ch. 32, par. 402)     Sec. 4. The purchase and sale or lease, or the consolidation and merger, hereby authorized, may be made in the manner following: The respective boards of directors or trustees of the company or companies proposing to sell and lease its or their property, and of the company proposing to purchase or lease the same, as under section 1, or of the companies proposing to consolidate and merge into single corporation, as under section 2, may enter into and make an agreement, or agreements, under their respective corporate seals, for such sale or purchase or lease, or for such consolidation and merger, describing the terms and conditions thereof and the mode of carrying the same into effect. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/5) (from Ch. 32, par. 403)     Sec. 5. Before taking effect, the agreement or agreements for sale and purchase or lease, or for such consolidation and merger, authorized by this act, shall be submitted to any annual meeting or to a special meeting of the stockholders of each of the companies. Such special meeting shall be called by delivering personally, or depositing in the postoffice, at least thirty days before the time fixed for such meetings, a notice addressed to each stockholder of the company whose address is known to the secretary of the company, signed by a majority of the directors or trustees of the company, stating the time, place and object of such meeting. Such stockholders, whose addresses shall be to the secretary unknown, shall be notified by a general notice of the time, place and object of such meeting by publication once a week, for three successive weeks, in some newspaper printed in the county in which the principal business office of such company is located. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/6) (from Ch. 32, par. 404)     Sec. 6. At any such annual or special meeting, stockholders may vote in person or by proxy, each stockholder being entitled to one vote for each share of stock held by him, and at such meeting there shall be submitted the proposed agreement or agreements. Votes representing two-thirds of all the outstanding capital stock of each company shall be necessary for the ratification of such agreement or agreements, if there be represented and is voted at such meeting, in person, or by proxy, not less than two-thirds of such outstanding capital stock. If less than two-thirds of such capital stock be represented and voted at such meeting, and if there be presented at such meeting the acknowledgments in writing of the receipt of notice of such meeting, from the owners of stock not represented and voted, to such an amount as would make not less than two-thirds of such outstanding capital stock, when added to the stock represented and voted, then such agreement or agreements may be ratified by the vote of two-thirds of the capital stock represented and voted at such meeting. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/7) (from Ch. 32, par. 405)     Sec. 7. If any stockholder of any of the companies, parties to the agreement or agreements provided for in section 4, not voting in favor of or not acquiescing in such agreement or agreements, objects to the purchase or lease, or the consolidation and merger, as defined in said agreement or agreements, he shall give notice of his dissent within thirty days of such meeting and may demand payment for his stock, and shall thereupon receive from such corporation in which he shall hold stock, its fair cash value, at the time when the vote for the agreement or agreements was so cast, and such corporation shall cancel the same. But if such dissenting stockholder shall refuse to part with his stock, or if the value of the same cannot be agreed upon, then such corporation shall, within ninety days of the time of said meeting, proceed to take and acquire the same and the interest of said dissenting stockholder therein, by the exercise of the power and right of eminent domain, hereby granted to such corporation for that purpose, and paying to, or tendering to, such dissenting stockholder, or to the county treasurer for his use, the value of the stock by him held, such value to be ascertained as of the time aforesaid and to be found and determined in the manner provided for the condemnation of property for public use by the exercise of the right of eminent domain under Article VII of the Code of Civil Procedure. Any stock so acquired shall be cancelled by the company acquiring the same. If such stockholder shall not give notice of his dissent within thirty days, as aforesaid, he shall be held to have acquiesced in the agreement aforesaid, and shall be subject thereto. (Source: P.A. 82-783.)

(805 ILCS 30/8) (from Ch. 32, par. 406)     Sec. 8. If the agreement or agreements aforesaid shall be approved at each of such meetings of the respective stockholders of each company separately, in the manner herein described, the same shall be the agreement or agreements of such companies respectively, and a sworn copy of the proceedings of such meetings, made by the secretaries thereof, respectively, shall be presumptive evidence of the holding and actions of such meetings. A certificate of such sale and purchase or lease, or of such consolidation and merger, shall be made by the president of each of the companies, under the seal of the company, and verified by his affidavit, and shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State, and of the recorder in the county where such companies carry on their business, whereupon the agreement or agreements aforesaid shall be in full force and effect. The companies, parties to the agreement or agreements, which provide for consolidation and merger, shall thereupon be and are hereby declared to be consolidated and merged into the one corporation specified in such agreement or agreements. Upon the purchase or lease or consolidation and merger hereby authorized being perfected, a notice thereof shall be published in some newspaper in the county in which the principal office of such corporation is located, for three successive weeks. (Source: P.A. 83-358.)

(805 ILCS 30/9) (from Ch. 32, par. 407)     Sec. 9. Any corporation purchasing or leasing the real and personal property of any other company or companies, as provided for in section 1, or any consolidated corporation, as authorized by section 2, shall be subject to and shall perform, for each of the companies so entering into said agreement or agreements, the legal obligations now resting upon each of them, respectively, under their respective charters and ordinances, except where the provisions thereof conflict with the exercise of the powers herein granted, in the same manner and to the same extent as if the companies had remained individual and distinct; and such performance by said corporation so purchasing or leasing, or by such consolidated corporation, shall be held and considered as the performance by each of the respective companies so selling, leasing or consolidating of the legal obligations theretofore resting upon each of them respectively: Provided, however, That nothing in this act shall be construed as extinguishing said companies entering into the agreement or agreements mentioned in this act, or annulling or impairing any of their respective franchises, licenses or privileges, but they shall severally be regarded as still subsisting, so far as their continuance for the purpose of upholding any right, title or interest, power, privilege or immunity ever exercised or enjoyed by any of them be necessary for the protection of their respective creditors or mortgagees, or any of them; the separate exercise of their respective powers, and the separate enjoyment of their separate privileges and immunities being suspended until the protection of such creditors or mortgagees shall require their resumption, when such suspension shall cease, so far as, and for such time as, the protection of such creditors or mortgagees may require. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/10) (from Ch. 32, par. 408)     Sec. 10. The purchase and sale or lease, or the consolidation and merger authorized by this act, shall not be held or construed as a violation of the provisions of any ordinance or bond given thereunder, and shall in no way affect suits pending in which such company or companies shall be parties, and shall not affect causes of action or rights of individuals in any particular. In case the property sold and purchased or leased, or acquired through consolidation and merger, under this act, is subject to mortgage or other lien, such mortgage or other lien shall be and remain a lien upon all properties so sold and purchased or leased, or acquired as aforesaid, so that the same shall be liable for and respond to the payment of such mortgage or other lien existing at the time of such sale or lease, or consolidation and merger, before being liable for the payment of the debts and liabilities of the company so purchasing or leasing such property, or acquiring the same as aforesaid. Any corporation purchasing or leasing the real and personal property of any other company or companies as provided for in section 1, or any consolidated corporation, as authorized by section 2, shall pay and discharge all debts and liabilities of each of the companies so entering into said agreement or agreements, and actions may be brought and maintained and recovery had therefor against the company so purchasing or leasing, or against such consolidated corporation. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/11) (from Ch. 32, par. 409)     Sec. 11. Any corporation purchasing or leasing the property of any company or companies, or into which any company or companies are consolidated and merged under this act, shall be, at the time of availing itself of or accepting the benefits of this act, in the actual business of furnishing gas to consumers; and shall be subject to the following provisions:     Such corporation shall not increase the price charged by it for gas of the quality furnished to consumers during any part of the year immediately preceding such purchase or lease, or such consolidation and merger.     Such corporation shall furnish gas to consumers as good in quality as it furnished previous to such purchase or lease, or such consolidation and merger. (Source: Laws 1897, p. 177.)

(805 ILCS 30/12) (from Ch. 32, par. 410)     Sec. 12. Any company violating either of the provisions of Section 11 shall be liable in damages therefor to the person aggrieved, and shall, for each offense, forfeit $200, to be recovered in a civil action, in the name of the People of the State of Illinois, or by any person who may sue for the same. Such company shall also be subject to proceedings in quo warranto, for violation of either of the provisions, and if adjudged guilty, the court may enter judgment of ouster from its franchises, unless the company shall cease and discontinue such violation as and when determined by the court.     Any director or directors, officer or officers, or agent or agents, of such company who shall willfully and knowingly violate, or be concerned in the willful violation of either of the provisions of Section 11, shall for each offense, forfeit $1,000, to be recovered in a civil action, in the name of the People of the State of Illinois. (Source: P.A. 84-547.)