The effect of consolidation or merger is as follows:

(1) The several telephone cooperatives, parties to the consolidation or merger, are a single cooperative which, in the case of a consolidation, is the new telephone cooperative provided for in the articles of consolidation and, in the case of a merger, is that telephone cooperative designated in the articles of merger as the surviving cooperative, and the separate existence of all cooperatives, parties to the consolidation or merger, except the new or surviving cooperative, ceases.

(2) The new or surviving telephone cooperative has all the rights, privileges, immunities, and powers and is subject to all the duties and liabilities of a telephone cooperative organized under the provisions of this chapter and possesses all the rights, privileges, immunities, and franchises of a public, as well as of a private nature, and all property, real and personal, applications for membership, all debts due on whatever account, and all other choses in action of each of the consolidating or merging cooperatives, and, furthermore, all and every interest of, or belonging or due to, each of the cooperatives so consolidated or merged must be taken and considered to be transferred to and vested in such new or surviving cooperative without further act or deed; and the title to any real estate or any interest therein under the laws of this State vested in any such cooperative shall not revert or be in any way impaired by reason of such consolidation or merger;

(3) The new or surviving telephone cooperative thenceforth is responsible and liable for all of the liabilities and obligations of each of the telephone cooperatives so consolidated or merged and any claim existing or action or proceeding pending by or against any of such cooperatives may be prosecuted as if such consolidation or merger had not taken place, but such new or surviving cooperative may be substituted in its place;

(4) Neither the rights of creditors nor any liens upon the property of any of such telephone cooperatives are impaired by such consolidation or merger; and

(5) In the case of a consolidation the articles of consolidation must be considered to be the articles of incorporation of the new telephone cooperative, and in the case of a merger the articles of incorporation of the surviving telephone cooperative must be considered to be amended to the extent, if any, that changes therein are provided for in the articles of merger.

HISTORY: 1994 Act No. 392, Section 1.