(1) Subject to subsection (2), a director may be removed from office pursuant to procedures provided in the articles of incorporation or the bylaws, which shall provide the following, and if they do not do so, shall be deemed to include the following:
(a) Any member of the board of directors may be removed from office with or without cause by:
1. Except as provided in paragraph (i), a majority of all votes of the directors, if the director was elected or appointed by the directors; or
2. A majority of all votes of the members, if the director was elected or appointed by the members.
(b) If a director is elected by a class, chapter, or other organizational unit, or by region or other geographic grouping, the director may be removed only by the members of that class, chapter, unit, or grouping. However:
1. A director may be removed only if the number of votes cast to remove the director would be sufficient to elect the director at a meeting to elect directors, except as provided in subparagraphs 2. and 3.
2. If cumulative voting is authorized, a director may not be removed if the number of votes sufficient to elect the director under cumulative voting is voted against the removal of the director.
3. If at the beginning of the term of a director the articles of incorporation or bylaws provide that the director may be removed for missing a specified number of board meetings, the board may remove the director for failing to attend the specified number of meetings. The director may be removed only if a majority of the directors then in office vote for the removal.
(c) The notice of a meeting to recall a member or members of the board of directors shall state the specific directors sought to be removed.
(d) A proposed removal of a director at a meeting shall require a separate vote for each director whose removal is sought. Where removal is sought by written consent, a separate consent is required for each director to be removed.
(e) If removal is effected at a meeting, any vacancies created shall be filled by the members or directors eligible to vote for the removal.
(f) Any director who is removed from the board is not eligible to stand for reelection until the next annual meeting at which directors are elected.
(g) Any director removed from office shall turn over to the board of directors within 72 hours any and all records of the corporation in his or her possession.
(h) If a director who is removed does not relinquish his or her office or turn over records as required under this section, the circuit court in the county where the corporation’s principal office is located may summarily order the director to relinquish his or her office and turn over corporate records upon application of any member.
(i) A director elected or appointed by the board may be removed without cause by a vote of two-thirds of the directors then in office or such greater number as is set forth in the articles of incorporation or bylaws.
(2) A director of a corporation described in s. 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code may be removed from office pursuant to procedures provided in the articles of incorporation or the bylaws, and the corporation may provide in the articles of incorporation or the bylaws that it is subject to the provisions of subsection (1).
(3) This section does not apply to any corporation that is an association, as defined in s. 720.301, or a corporation regulated under chapter 718 or chapter 719.
History.—s. 42, ch. 90-179; s. 56, ch. 93-281; s. 65, ch. 95-274; s. 85, ch. 97-102; s. 1, ch. 97-230; s. 28, ch. 2009-205; s. 3, ch. 2010-174.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XXXVI - Business Organizations
Chapter 617 - Corporations Not for Profit
617.0102 - Reservation of Power to Amend or Repeal.
617.01201 - Filing Requirements.
617.0122 - Fees for Filing Documents and Issuing Certificates.
617.0123 - Effective Date of Document.
617.0124 - Correcting Filed Document.
617.0125 - Filing Duties of Department of State.
617.0126 - Appeal From Department of State’s Refusal to File Document.
617.0127 - Evidentiary Effect of Copy of Filed Document.
617.0128 - Certificate of Status.
617.01301 - Powers of Department of State.
617.0202 - Articles of Incorporation; Content.
617.0204 - Liability for Preincorporation Transactions.
617.0205 - Organizational Meeting of Directors.
617.0301 - Purposes and Application.
617.0403 - Registered Name; Application; Renewal; Revocation.
617.0501 - Registered Office and Registered Agent.
617.0502 - Change of Registered Office or Registered Agent; Resignation of Registered Agent.
617.0503 - Registered Agent; Duties; Confidentiality of Investigation Records.
617.0504 - Service of Process, Notice, or Demand on a Corporation.
617.0505 - Distributions; Exceptions.
617.0601 - Members, Generally.
617.0604 - Liability of Members.
617.0605 - Transfer of Membership Interests.
617.0606 - Resignation of Members.
617.0607 - Termination, Expulsion, and Suspension.
617.0608 - Purchase of Memberships.
617.07401 - Members’ Derivative Actions.
617.0801 - Duties of Board of Directors.
617.0802 - Qualifications of Directors.
617.0803 - Number of Directors.
617.0806 - Staggered Terms for Directors.
617.0807 - Resignation of Directors.
617.0808 - Removal of Directors.
617.08101 - Compensation of Directors.
617.0821 - Action by Directors Without a Meeting.
617.0822 - Notice of Meetings.
617.0825 - Board Committees and Advisory Committees.
617.0830 - General Standards for Directors.
617.0831 - Indemnification and Liability of Officers, Directors, Employees, and Agents.
617.0832 - Director Conflicts of Interest.
617.0833 - Loans to Directors or Officers.
617.0835 - Prohibited Activities by Private Foundations.
617.0841 - Duties of Officers.
617.0842 - Resignation and Removal of Officers.
617.0843 - Contract Rights of Officers.
617.1001 - Authority to Amend the Articles of Incorporation.
617.1002 - Procedure for Amending Articles of Incorporation.
617.1006 - Contents of Articles of Amendment.
617.1007 - Restated Articles of Incorporation.
617.1008 - Amendment Pursuant to Reorganization.
617.1009 - Effect of Amendment.
617.1102 - Limitation on Merger.
617.1103 - Approval of Plan of Merger; Abandonment of Plan Thereafter.
617.1105 - Articles of Merger.
617.1107 - Merger of Domestic and Foreign Corporations.
617.1108 - Merger of Domestic Corporation and Other Eligible Entities.
617.1301 - Prohibited Distributions.
617.1302 - Authorized Distributions.
617.1401 - Voluntary Dissolution of Corporation Prior to Conducting Its Affairs.
617.1402 - Dissolution of Corporation.
617.1403 - Articles of Dissolution.
617.1404 - Revocation of Dissolution.
617.1405 - Effect of Dissolution.
617.1406 - Plan of Distribution of Assets.
617.1407 - Unknown Claims Against Dissolved Corporation.
617.1408 - Known Claims Against Dissolved Corporation.
617.1420 - Grounds for Administrative Dissolution.
617.1421 - Procedure for and Effect of Administrative Dissolution.
617.1422 - Reinstatement Following Administrative Dissolution.
617.1423 - Appeal From Denial of Reinstatement.
617.1430 - Grounds for Judicial Dissolution.
617.1431 - Procedure for Judicial Dissolution.
617.1432 - Receivership or Custodianship.
617.1433 - Judgment of Dissolution.
617.1440 - Deposit With Department of Financial Services.
617.1501 - Authority of Foreign Corporation to Conduct Affairs Required.
617.1502 - Consequences of Conducting Affairs Without Authority.
617.1503 - Application for Certificate of Authority.
617.1504 - Amended Certificate of Authority.
617.1505 - Effect of Certificate of Authority.
617.1506 - Corporate Name of Foreign Corporation.
617.1507 - Registered Office and Registered Agent of Foreign Corporation.
617.1508 - Change of Registered Office and Registered Agent of Foreign Corporation.
617.1509 - Resignation of Registered Agent of Foreign Corporation.
617.1510 - Service of Process, Notice, or Demand on a Foreign Corporation.
617.1520 - Withdrawal of Foreign Corporation.
617.1530 - Grounds for Revocation of Authority to Conduct Affairs.
617.1531 - Procedure for and Effect of Revocation.
617.1532 - Appeal From Revocation.
617.1533 - Reinstatement Following Revocation.
617.1602 - Inspection of Records by Members.
617.1603 - Scope of Inspection Right.
617.1604 - Court-Ordered Inspection.
617.1605 - Financial Reports for Members.
617.1622 - Annual Report for Department of State.
617.1701 - Application to Existing Domestic Corporation.
617.1702 - Application to Qualified Foreign Corporations.
617.1703 - Application of Chapter.
617.1711 - Application to Foreign and Interstate Commerce.
617.1803 - Domestication of Foreign Not-for-Profit Corporations.
617.1805 - Corporations for Profit; When May Become Corporations Not for Profit.
617.1806 - Conversion to Corporation Not for Profit; Petition and Contents.
617.1807 - Conversion to Corporation Not for Profit; Authority of Circuit Judge.
617.1808 - Application of Act to Corporation Converted to Corporation Not for Profit.
617.1809 - Limited Agricultural Association; Conversion to a Domestic Corporation Not for Profit.
617.1907 - Effect of Repeal or Amendment of Prior Acts.
617.1908 - Applicability of Florida Business Corporation Act.
617.2002 - Corporation Not for Profit Organized Pursuant to S. 2, Ch. 87-296; Requirements.
617.2003 - Proceedings to Revoke Articles of Incorporation or Charter or Prevent Its Use.
617.2004 - Extinct Churches and Religious Societies; Property.
617.2005 - Extinct Churches and Religious Societies; Dissolution.
617.2006 - Incorporation of Labor Unions or Bodies.
617.2007 - Sponge Packing and Marketing Corporations.
617.2101 - Corporation Authorized to Act as Trustee.
617.2102 - Fines and Penalties Against Members.
617.2104 - Florida Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act.