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§ 308B.605 Assignment Of Financial Rights

Statute text

Extracted from the Revisor of Statutes; first captured here October 15, 2026. Formatting and whitespace are normalized. Extraction can contain errors; the linked official text controls.

Subdivision 1. Assignment of financial rights permitted.

Except as provided in subdivision 3, a member's financial rights are transferable in whole or in part.

Subdivision 2. Effect of assignment of financial rights.

An assignment of a member's financial rights entitles the assignee to receive, to the extent assigned, only the share of profits and losses and the distributions to which the assignor would otherwise be entitled. An assignment of a member's financial rights does not dissolve the cooperative and does not entitle or empower the assignee to become a member, to exercise any governance rights, to receive any notices from the cooperative, or to cause dissolution. The assignment shall not allow the assignee to control the member's exercise of governance or voting rights.

Subdivision 3. Restrictions of assignment of financial rights.

(a) A restriction on the assignment of financial rights may be imposed in the articles, in the bylaws, in a member control agreement, by a resolution adopted by the members, by an agreement among or other written action by the members, or by an agreement among or other written action by the members and the cooperative. A restriction is not binding with respect to financial rights reflected in the required records before the adoption of the restriction, unless the owners of those financial rights are parties to the agreement or voted in favor of the restriction.

(b) Subject to paragraph (c), a written restriction on the assignment of financial rights that is not manifestly unreasonable under the circumstances and is noted conspicuously in the required records may be enforced against the owner of the restricted financial rights or a successor or transferee of the owner, including a pledgee or a legal representative. Unless noted conspicuously in the required records, a restriction, even though permitted by this section, is ineffective against a person without knowledge of the restriction.

(c) With regard to restrictions on the assignment of financial rights, a would-be assignee of financial rights is entitled to rely on a statement of membership interest issued by the cooperative under section 308B.611. A restriction on the assignment of financial rights, which is otherwise valid and in effect at the time of the issuance of a statement of membership interest but which is not reflected in that statement, is ineffective against an assignee who takes an assignment in reliance on the statement.

(d) Notwithstanding any provision of law, articles, bylaws, member control agreement, other agreement, resolution, or action to the contrary, a security interest in a member's financial rights may be foreclosed and otherwise enforced, and a secured party may assign a member's financial rights in accordance with chapter 336, without the consent or approval of the member whose financial rights are subject to the security interest.

History: 2003 c 105 art 1 s 55

Notes & interpretation Not part of the law

Verified against sources: October 15, 2026Last edited: October 15, 2026

In plain language#

A member's financial rights (the share of profits, losses and distributions) can be assigned, in whole or part, unless a restriction applies. An assignee gets only the economic slice assigned. The assignee does not become a member, cannot exercise governance rights, does not receive notices from the cooperative, cannot cause dissolution, and cannot control how the member votes. The assignment also does not dissolve the cooperative.

Subdivision by subdivision#

  • Subd. 1. Financial rights are transferable in whole or part, except as subd. 3 provides.
  • Subd. 2. The effect of assignment, as above.
  • Subd. 3(a) (restrictions). May be imposed in the articles, bylaws, a member control agreement, a members' resolution, an agreement among members, or an agreement between members and the cooperative. A restriction does not bind financial rights already recorded before it was adopted, unless their owners are parties to the agreement or voted for it.
  • Subd. 3(b). A written restriction that is "not manifestly unreasonable under the circumstances" and is noted conspicuously in the required records may be enforced against the owner and successors, including a pledgee or legal representative. If not conspicuously noted, it is ineffective against a person without knowledge.
  • Subd. 3(c). A would-be assignee may rely on the cooperative's statement of membership interest under § 308B.611. A valid restriction that the statement omits is ineffective against an assignee who took in reliance on the statement.
  • Subd. 3(d). Regardless of contrary provisions, a security interest in a member's financial rights may be foreclosed and enforced, and the secured party may assign them under chapter 336, without the member's consent.

How it works in practice#

  • If the cooperative wants to limit transfers of economic rights (for example to keep investors out), the restriction has to be written, noted conspicuously in the records, and reflected on each statement of interest it issues. This is how subds. 3(b) and (c) work together.
  • Board approval of transfers of membership interests is a separate requirement in § 308B.601 subd. 4.
  • Subd. 3(d) means a lender can foreclose on financial rights even if the bylaws forbid assignment; the lender gets money rights only (subd. 2).

Sources

  • P1 Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 308B (Cooperative Associations), Office of the Revisor of Statutes, State of Minnesota. revisor.mn.gov (primary; accessed October 15, 2026)

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