South Carolina § 33-19-250 - Court action to appraise shares.

§ 33-19-250. Court action to appraise shares.

(a) If the selling shareholder does not accept the professional corporation's offer under Section 33-19-240(b) within the thirty-day period, the shareholder during the following thirty-day period may deliver a written notice to the corporation demanding that it commence a proceeding to determine the fair value of the shares. The corporation may commence a proceeding at any time during the sixty days following the effective date of its offer notice. If it does not do so, the shareholder may commence a proceeding against the corporation to determine the fair value of his shares.

(b) The corporation or selling shareholder shall commence the proceeding in the circuit court of the county where the corporation's principal office or, if none in this State, its registered office is located. The corporation shall make the selling shareholder a party to the proceeding as in an action against his shares. The jurisdiction of the court in which the proceeding is commenced is plenary and exclusive.

(c) The court may appoint appraisers to receive evidence and recommend decisions on the question of fair value. The appraisers have the power described in the order appointing them or in any amendment to it.

(d) The selling shareholder is entitled to judgment for the fair value of his shares determined by the court as of the date of death, disqualification, or transfer or termination together with interest from that date at a rate found by the court to be fair and equitable.

(e) The court may specify the terms of the purchase in the order of judgment including, if appropriate, terms for installment payments, subordination of the purchase obligation to the rights of the corporation's other creditors, security for a deferred purchase price, a covenant not to compete or other restriction on the selling shareholder, and release or indemnification from any guarantees of obligations of the professional corporation made by the selling shareholder or his predecessor in interest.

(f) The court shall require the selling shareholder to deliver all his shares to the purchaser upon receipt of the purchase price or, if an installment purchase is ordered, upon receipt of the first installment of the purchase price.

(g) After the purchase order is entered, any party may petition the court to modify the terms of the purchase and the court may do so if it finds that changes in the financial or legal ability of the professional corporation or other purchases to complete the purchase justify a modification.

HISTORY: 1988 Act No. 444, SECTION 2.