Section § 817

Explanation

This law defines what a limited-equity housing cooperative or a workforce housing cooperative trust is. It outlines the requirements, such as being organized as a nonprofit or holding property titles under certain conditions. The articles of incorporation or bylaws must control the sale and purchase of memberships and stocks, keeping prices within limits, and must allow the housing cooperative to use its 'corporate equity' for improvements, acquisitions, or public purposes. A significant member vote is needed to change the rules in the bylaws or articles of incorporation.

“Limited-equity housing cooperative” or a “workforce housing cooperative trust” means a corporation organized on a cooperative basis that, in addition to complying with Section 817.1 as may be applicable, meets all of the following requirements:
(a)CA Civil Law Code § 817(a) The corporation is any of the following:
(1)CA Civil Law Code § 817(a)(1) Organized as a nonprofit public benefit corporation pursuant to Part 2 (commencing with Section 5110) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code.
(2)CA Civil Law Code § 817(a)(2) Holds title to real property as the beneficiary of a trust providing for distribution for public or charitable purposes upon termination of the trust.
(3)CA Civil Law Code § 817(a)(3) Holds title to real property subject to conditions that will result in reversion to a public or charitable entity upon dissolution of the corporation.
(4)CA Civil Law Code § 817(a)(4) Holds a leasehold interest, of at least 20 years’ duration, conditioned on the corporation’s continued qualification under this section, and provides for reversion to a public entity or charitable corporation.
(b)Copy CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)
(1)Copy CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(1) The articles of incorporation or bylaws require the purchase and sale of the stock or membership interest of resident owners who cease to be permanent residents, at no more than a transfer value determined as provided in the articles or bylaws, and that shall not exceed the aggregate of the following:
(A)CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(1)(A) The consideration paid for the membership or shares by the first occupant of the unit involved, as shown on the books of the corporation.
(B)CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(1)(B) The value, as determined by the board of directors of the corporation, of any improvements installed at the expense of the member or a prior member with the prior approval of the board of directors.
(C)CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(1)(C) Accumulated simple interest, an inflation allowance at a rate that may be based on a cost-of-living index, an income index, or market-interest index, or compound interest if specified in the articles of incorporation or bylaws. For newly formed corporations, accumulated simple interest shall apply. Any increment pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed a 10-percent annual increase on the consideration paid for the membership or share by the first occupant of the unit involved.
(2)Copy CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(2)
(A)Copy CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), for purposes of a return of transfer value, both of the following are prohibited:
(i)CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(2)(A)(i) A board of directors returning transfer value, either full or partial, to a member while he or she still remains a member.
(ii)CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(2)(A)(ii) An existing member accepting the return of his or her transfer value, either full or partial.
(B)CA Civil Law Code § 817(b)(2)(A)(B) A board of directors may return to an existing member and the existing member may accept return of his or her transfer value in the event that the member moves within the cooperative from a category of unit initially valued at a higher price to a different category of unit valued at a lower price.
(c)CA Civil Law Code § 817(c) The articles of incorporation or bylaws require the board of directors to sell the stock or membership interest purchased as provided in subdivision (b) to new member-occupants or resident shareholders at a price that does not exceed the “transfer value” paid for the unit.
(d)CA Civil Law Code § 817(d) The “corporate equity,” that is defined as the excess of the current fair market value of the corporation’s real property over the sum of the current transfer values of all shares or membership interests, reduced by the principal balance of outstanding encumbrances upon the corporate real property as a whole, shall be applied as follows:
(1)CA Civil Law Code § 817(d)(1) So long as any such encumbrance remains outstanding, the corporate equity shall not be used for distribution to members, but only for the following purposes, and only to the extent authorized by the board, subject to the provisions and limitations of the articles of incorporation and bylaws:
(A)CA Civil Law Code § 817(d)(1)(A) For the benefit of the corporation or the improvement of the real property.
(B)CA Civil Law Code § 817(d)(1)(B) For expansion of the corporation by acquisition of additional real property.
(C)CA Civil Law Code § 817(d)(1)(C) For public benefit or charitable purposes.
(2)CA Civil Law Code § 817(d)(2) Upon sale of the property, dissolution of the corporation, or occurrence of a condition requiring termination of the trust or reversion of title to the real property, the corporate equity is required by the articles, bylaws, or trust or title conditions to be paid out, or title to the property transferred, subject to outstanding encumbrances and liens, for the transfer value of membership interests or shares, for use for a public or charitable purpose.
(e)CA Civil Law Code § 817(e) Amendment of the bylaws and articles of incorporation requires the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the resident-owner members or shareholders.

Section § 817.1

Explanation

This section explains what a "workforce housing cooperative trust" is and how it should be set up and run. The board of this trust has two types of members: those elected by residents and those appointed by sponsor organizations like businesses or nonprofits. Resident-elected members must have the majority. At first, only sponsor members are on the board, but residents start electing members after one year of living there; they take the majority by the third year. Sponsor-appointed members can only be removed for specific reasons. The trust can issue special shares to sponsors with limited returns. To change the trust’s rules, most resident members and board members must agree. The trust can operate in different places and either own or lease land to create affordable housing. It can also be formed if most residents in a foreclosed property support an effort to buy it.

(a)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(a) A “workforce housing cooperative trust” is an entity organized pursuant to this section that complies with Section 817 and with all of the following:
(1)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(a)(1) Allows the governing board to be composed of two classes of board members. One class is elected by the residents, and one class is appointed by sponsor organizations, including employer and employee organizations, chambers of commerce, government entities, unions, religious organizations, nonprofit organizations, cooperative organizations, and other forms of organizations. Resident members shall elect a majority of the board members. However, sponsor organizations may appoint up to one less than a majority of the board members. The numerical composition and class of the sponsor and resident board members shall be set in the articles of incorporation and in the bylaws.
(2)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(a)(2) Requires the charter board of a workforce housing cooperative trust to be composed of only sponsor board members, to remain in place for one year after the first resident occupancy. One year after the first resident occupancy, the resident members shall elect a single board member. Three years after the first resident occupancy, resident members shall elect a majority of the board members.
(3)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(a)(3) Prohibits the removal of the appointees of sponsor organizations, except for cause.
(4)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(a)(4) Allows for the issuance of separate classes of shares to sponsor organizations or support organizations. These shares shall be denominated as “workforce housing shares” and shall receive a rate of return of no more than 10 percent simple interest pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (b) of Section 817.
(5)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(a)(5) Requires, in order to amend the bylaws or articles of incorporation of a workforce housing cooperative trust, the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the resident-owner members or shareholders and a majority of each class of board members. The rights of the sponsor board members or the sponsors shall not be changed without the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the sponsor board members.
(b)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(b) A workforce housing cooperative trust shall be entitled to operate at multiple locations in order to sponsor limited-equity housing cooperatives. A workforce housing cooperative trust may either own or lease land for the purpose of developing limited-equity housing cooperatives.
(c)CA Civil Law Code § 817.1(c) A workforce housing cooperative trust may be created when at least 51 percent of the occupied units in a multifamily property that is in foreclosure support efforts to buy the building or property.

Section § 817.2

Explanation

This law outlines the steps for dissolving a limited-equity housing cooperative or workforce housing cooperative trust that received public funding. First, the local city or county must hold a public hearing, which the cooperative pays for. Next, notice of the hearing must be given 120 days in advance to interested parties, including nearby cooperatives, to explore potential mergers. If a merger is possible, it should happen with the closest cooperative. If no merger happens, the local authorities must approve the dissolution plan to ensure it's legal and fair, forwarding all information to the Attorney General for review.

The procedure for the dissolution of a limited-equity housing cooperative or workforce housing cooperative trust that receives or has received a public subsidy shall be as follows:
(a)CA Civil Law Code § 817.2(a) The city, or the county for any unincorporated area, in which the limited-equity housing cooperative or workforce housing cooperative trust is located, shall hold a public hearing. The cooperative or trust shall pay for all costs associated with the public hearing.
(b)CA Civil Law Code § 817.2(b) The city or county shall provide notice to all interested parties. The notice shall be given at least 120 days prior to the date of the hearing. The city or county shall obtain a list of all other limited-equity housing cooperatives and cooperative development organizations in the state from the California Center for Cooperative Development, if the list exists, and provide notice to all of the entities on the list in an effort to create a merger with an existing limited-equity housing cooperative or workforce housing cooperative trust. The notice shall be mailed first class, postage prepaid, in the United States mail.
(c)CA Civil Law Code § 817.2(c) If the dissolving limited-equity housing cooperative or workforce housing cooperative trust merges with an existing cooperative or trust, to the extent possible, the merger shall be with the geographically closest cooperative or trust.
(d)CA Civil Law Code § 817.2(d) If the dissolving limited-equity housing cooperative or workforce housing cooperative trust does not merge with an existing cooperative or trust, both of the following shall occur:
(1)CA Civil Law Code § 817.2(d)(1) Upon completion of the public hearing required pursuant to subdivision (a), the city or county shall adopt a resolution approving of the dissolution and make a finding that the dissolution plan meets the requirements of state and federal law, meets the donative intent standards of the United States Internal Revenue Service, and is free of private inurement, which includes, but is not limited to, a prohibition on any member receiving any payment in excess of the transfer value to which he or she is entitled pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 817.
(2)CA Civil Law Code § 817.2(d)(2) The city or county shall forward all of the information and written testimony from the hearing to the Office of the Attorney General for the Attorney General to consider as part of his or her ruling on the dissolution.

Section § 817.3

Explanation

This law states that any organization that is listed as a sponsor for a workforce housing cooperative trust automatically becomes a member of that trust, unless the organization chooses to withdraw its sponsorship by providing written notice.

Each entity named as a sponsor organization of a workforce housing cooperative trust formed pursuant to Section 817 shall have the legal standing of a member unless it revokes, in writing, its sponsorship.

Section § 817.4

Explanation

This law states that if someone sues a board of directors for not doing their job properly or breaking rules, and they win, the person who sued can get their legal fees paid. Also, if an organization that uses public money tries to stop following the rules or dissolve in a way that benefits its members unfairly, they can’t use their corporate funds to make that happen.

(a)CA Civil Law Code § 817.4(a) In any action instituted on or after January 1, 2010, against a board of directors and its members based upon a breach of corporate or fiduciary duties or a failure to comply with the requirements of this chapter, a prevailing plaintiff may recover reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.
(b)CA Civil Law Code § 817.4(b) If an organization formed under this chapter uses public funds, it shall not use any corporate funds to avoid compliance with this chapter or to pursue dissolution if the intent or outcome is for some or all of the members to receive any payment in excess of the transfer value to which he or she is entitled pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 817.