Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes

15 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5981 (2026)

 Proceedings upon application of member or director.

✓ current as of May 2026
Coverage note: this corpus holds the consolidated Pa.C.S. titles only. Unconsolidated P.S. statutes (UTPCPL 73 P.S. § 201-1, Liquor Code, wage payment laws) are not included; a miss here does not mean the statute does not exist. Check palegis.us.
Find cases: SyfertCases citing this section PA-LEGpalegis.us JustiaTitle on Justia CornellLII Search CasesGoogle Scholar

 

 

SUBCHAPTER G

INVOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION AND DISSOLUTION

 

Sec.

5981.  Proceedings upon application of member or director.

5982.  Proceedings upon application of creditor.

5983.  Proceedings upon petition of superior religious organization.

5984.  Appointment of receiver pendente lite and other interim powers.

5985.  Liquidating receiver.

5986.  Qualifications of receivers.

5987.  Proofs of claims.

5988.  Discontinuance of proceedings; reorganization.

5989.  Articles of involuntary dissolution.

 

Subchapter Heading.  Subchapter G was relettered from Subchapter F December 21, 1988, P.L.1444, No.177, effective October 1, 1989.

Cross References.  Subchapter G is referred to in sections 5767, 5976, 5979 of this title.

§ 5981.  Proceedings upon application of member or director.

Upon application filed by a member or director of a nonprofit corporation, the court may entertain proceedings for the involuntary winding up and dissolution of the corporation when any of the following occur:

(1)  The objects of the corporation have wholly failed, or are entirely abandoned, or their accomplishment is impracticable.

(2)  The acts of the directors, or those in control of the corporation, are illegal, oppressive or fraudulent and it is beneficial to the interests of the members that the corporation be wound up and dissolved.

(3)  The corporate assets are being misapplied or wasted and it is beneficial to the interests of the members that the corporation be wound up and dissolved.

(4)  The directors or other body are deadlocked in the direction of the management of the business and affairs of the corporation and the members are unable to break the deadlock and irreparable injury to the corporation is being suffered or is threatened by reason thereof. The court shall not appoint a receiver or grant other similar relief under this paragraph if the members by agreement or otherwise have provided for appointment of a provisional director or member of an other body or other means for the resolution of a deadlock, but the court shall enforce the remedy provided by the members, if appropriate.

(Dec. 21, 1988, P.L.1444, No.177, eff. Oct. 1, 1989; July 9, 2013, P.L.476, No.67, eff. 60 days)

 

Cross References.  Section 5981 is referred to in section 5767 of this title.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1992–2024 · leading case: Gee v. Blue Stone Heights Hunting Club, Inc., 604 A.2d 1141 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1992).
Gee v. Blue Stone Heights Hunting Club, Inc., 604 A.2d 1141 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1992). · cites it 3× “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. 3 . In the Matter of the Judicial Dissolution of Kemp & Beatley, involved a shareholder’s petition to dissolve a New York corporation, alleging oppressive conduct in violation of New York’s involuntary dissolution statute, the Business Corporation Law, Section…”
Loveless v. Pocono Forest Sportsman Club, Inc., 972 A.2d 572 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2009). · cites it 4× “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. 4 . Section 5726(c) of the Law provides that the court may remove a director from office "in case of fraudulent or dishonest acts, or gross abuse of authority or discretion with respect to the corporation, or for any other proper cause.”
Poesnecker v. Ricchio, 631 A.2d 1097 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1993). “*474 § 5764; 15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. In fact, Ricchio has consented to the appointment of a custodian by the trial court.”
Dyle E. Bray Post No. 739 v. Dyle E. Bray Post Home Ass'n, 663 A.2d 300 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1995). “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. Initially we note that the petitioning party is not a member or director of the Association, but is a separate corporation.”
In re: Mt. Vernon Tenants Assoc., Inc. ~ App. of L.L. Lundy ~ Appeal of: Mt. Vernon Tenants Assoc., Inc. (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2024). · cites it 2× “15 Pa. C.S. § 5981. 2 The Association mistakenly filed its appeal from the trial court’s August 11, 2021 order in the Superior Court.”
In re: Indep. Fire Co. No. 1 a non profit corp. ~ Appeal of: Com. of PA (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2020). “15 Pa.C.S. §5981. 10 its responsibility to provide public supervision of charitable trusts, for “[p]roperty given to a charity is in a measure public property, and the beneficiary of charitable trusts is the general public to whom the social and economic benefits of the trusts…”
Watson v. Trs. of Conneaut Lake Park, Inc., 795 A.2d 1068 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2002). “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. 9 . Although objecting to the appointment of any new custodian, Asset Management voiced no objection to the qualifications of Mr.”
McCoy-McMahon, D. v. Godlove, J.C., II (Pa. Super. Ct. 2014). “” In addition, 15 Pa.C.S. § 5981(2) provides for the involuntary winding up and dissolution of a non-profit corporation where the acts of the directors are “illegal, oppressive or fraudulent.”
— 15 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5981(1) — 2 cases
Gee v. Blue Stone Heights Hunting Club, Inc., 604 A.2d 1141 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1992). “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. 3 . In the Matter of the Judicial Dissolution of Kemp & Beatley, involved a shareholder’s petition to dissolve a New York corporation, alleging oppressive conduct in violation of New York’s involuntary dissolution statute, the Business Corporation Law, Section…”
Loveless v. Pocono Forest Sportsman Club, Inc., 972 A.2d 572 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2009). “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. 4 . Section 5726(c) of the Law provides that the court may remove a director from office "in case of fraudulent or dishonest acts, or gross abuse of authority or discretion with respect to the corporation, or for any other proper cause.”
— 15 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5981(2) — 2 cases
Loveless v. Pocono Forest Sportsman Club, Inc., 972 A.2d 572 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2009). “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. 4 . Section 5726(c) of the Law provides that the court may remove a director from office "in case of fraudulent or dishonest acts, or gross abuse of authority or discretion with respect to the corporation, or for any other proper cause.”
McCoy-McMahon, D. v. Godlove, J.C., II (Pa. Super. Ct. 2014). “” In addition, 15 Pa.C.S. § 5981(2) provides for the involuntary winding up and dissolution of a non-profit corporation where the acts of the directors are “illegal, oppressive or fraudulent.”
— 15 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5981(3) — 2 cases
Gee v. Blue Stone Heights Hunting Club, Inc., 604 A.2d 1141 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 1992). “15 Pa.C.S. § 5981. 3 . In the Matter of the Judicial Dissolution of Kemp & Beatley, involved a shareholder’s petition to dissolve a New York corporation, alleging oppressive conduct in violation of New York’s involuntary dissolution statute, the Business Corporation Law, Section…”
In re: Mt. Vernon Tenants Assoc., Inc. ~ App. of L.L. Lundy ~ Appeal of: Mt. Vernon Tenants Assoc., Inc. (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2024). “15 Pa. C.S. § 5981. 2 The Association mistakenly filed its appeal from the trial court’s August 11, 2021 order in the Superior Court.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.