SECTIONS 18000-18035 - California Statutes

CORPORATIONS CODE

SECTION 18000-18035

18000. Unless the provision or context otherwise requires, the
definitions in this chapter govern the construction of this title.

18003. "Board" means the board of directors or other governing body
of an unincorporated association.

18005. "Director" means a natural person serving as a member of the
board or other governing body of the unincorporated association.

18008. "Governing document" means a constitution, articles of
association, bylaws, or other writing that governs the purpose or
operation of an unincorporated association or the rights or
obligations of its members.

18010. "Governing principles" means the principles stated in an
unincorporated association's governing documents. If an association
has no governing documents or the governing documents do not include
a provision governing an issue, the association's governing
principles regarding that issue may be inferred from its established
practices. For the purpose of this section, "established practices"
means the practices used by an unincorporated association without
material change or exception during the most recent five years of its
existence, or if it has existed for less than five years, during its
entire existence.

18015. (a) If the governing principles of an unincorporated
association define the membership of the association, "member" has
the meaning provided by the governing principles.
(b) If the governing principles of an unincorporated association
do not define the membership of the association, "member" means a
person who, pursuant to the governing principles of the
unincorporated association, has a right to participate in the
selection of persons authorized to manage the affairs of the
unincorporated association or in the development of policy of the
unincorporated association, but does not include a person who
participates solely as director, officer, or agent of the
association.

18020. (a) "Nonprofit association" means an unincorporated
association with a primary common purpose other than to operate a
business for profit.
(b) A nonprofit association may carry on a business for profit and
apply any profit that results from the business activity to any
activity in which it may lawfully engage.

18025. "Officer" means a natural person serving as an
unincorporated association's chair, president, secretary, chief
financial officer, or other position of authority that is established
pursuant to the association's governing principles.

18030. "Person" includes a natural person, corporation,
partnership, or other unincorporated organization, government, or
governmental subdivision or agency, or any other entity.

18035. (a) "Unincorporated association" means an unincorporated
group of two or more persons joined by mutual consent for a common
lawful purpose, whether organized for profit or not.
(b) Joint tenancy, tenancy in common, community property, or other
form or property tenure does not by itself establish an
unincorporated association, even if coowners share ownership of the
property for a common purpose.
(c) Marriage or creation of a registered domestic partnership does
not by itself establish an unincorporated association.