Corporations Act 2001

CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTORY  

PART 1.5 - SMALL BUSINESS GUIDE  

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11   Disagreements within the company  

11.1   Special problems faced by minority shareholders.  

There are remedies available to a shareholder of a company if:

• the affairs of the company are being conducted in a way that is unfair to that shareholder or to other shareholders of the company; or

• the affairs of the company are being conducted in a way that is against the interests of the company as a whole.

A Court may, for example, order the winding up of a company or the appointment of a receiver.

[ sections 232 - 235 , 461 ]

11.2   Buy-back of shares.  

A company may buy back the shares of a shareholder who wants to sever their relationship with the company.

[ sections 257A - 257J ]

11.3   Selling shares.  

A shareholder in a company who wants to sever their relationship with the company may decide to sell their shares. However, the shareholder may not be able to sell their shares readily - particularly if they want to sell their shares to someone who is not an existing shareholder. Some of the difficulties they may face in that case are:

• under the replaceable rules the directors have a discretion to refuse to transfer the shares; and

• restrictions in the company's constitution (if any) on transferring shares.

[ sections 707 , 1041H , 1091D - 1091E]