35-18-326. Trustee or officer conflict of interest. - Montana Statutes

     35-18-326. Trustee or officer conflict of interest. (1) A conflict of interest transaction is a transaction with the cooperative in which a trustee of the cooperative has a direct or indirect interest. A conflict of interest transaction is not voidable and may not be the basis for imposing liability on the trustee or officer if the transaction was fair at the time the transaction was entered into.
     (2) If a trustee or officer has a conflict of interest relating to a transaction, the trustee or officer:
     (a) shall disclose to the trustees or members voting on the transaction the existence and nature of the conflict of interest and all facts known to the trustee with respect to the subject matter of the transaction that an ordinarily prudent person would reasonably believe to be material to a judgment about whether or not to proceed with the transaction; and
     (b) may not participate, directly or indirectly, in the vote on the transaction.
     (3) For the purposes of this section, a trustee or officer of a cooperative has an indirect interest in a transaction if:
     (a) another entity in which the trustee or officer has a material interest or in which the trustee or officer is a general partner is a party to the transaction; or
     (b) another entity, other than a cooperative or corporation of which the cooperative is a member or shareholder, of which the trustee or officer is a director, officer, or trustee is a party to the transaction.
     (4) (a) Except as provided in subsection (4)(b), a conflict of interest transaction is authorized, approved, or ratified if the transaction receives the affirmative vote of a majority of the trustees or officers on the board or committee who do not have a direct or indirect interest in the transaction.
     (b) A transaction may not be authorized, approved, or ratified by a single trustee or officer.
     (c) If a majority of the trustees or officers on the board or committee who do not have a direct or indirect conflict of interest in the transaction vote to authorize, approve, or ratify the transaction, a quorum is present for the purpose of taking action on the transaction.
     (d) The presence of or vote cast by a trustee with a direct or indirect interest in the transaction does not affect the validity of any action taken under this section if the transaction is authorized, approved, or ratified as provided in this section.
     (5) The articles or bylaws of the cooperative may impose additional requirements on conflict of interest transactions.

     History: En. Sec. 2, Ch. 173, L. 2001.