Building Societies Act 1986

24 (1) A member of a building society who is entitled to attend and vote at a meeting of the society— U.K.

(a) may appoint another person (whether a member of the society or not) as his proxy, to attend and, subject to sub-paragraph (3) below, to vote at the meeting instead of him, and

(b) may direct the proxy how to vote at the meeting.

[F1 (1A) A form for the appointment of a proxy—

(a) may be sent electronically to a member if it is sent to an electronic address notified by that member to the society for the purpose;

(b) is to be treated as having been sent electronically to a member, where the conditions in sub-paragraph (1B) below are satisfied.

(1B) The conditions are that—

(a) the society and the member have agreed that a form may instead be accessed by the member on a website;

(b) F2 ... the member is notified of—

(i) the publication of the form on a website;

(ii) the address of that website; and

(iii) the place on that website where the form may be accessed, and how it may be accessed; and

(c) the form is published on the website throughout the period beginning with the day on which the member is notified in accordance with paragraph (b) above and ending with the last day specified for the return of appointments of proxies.

(1C) If the form is absent from the website for part of the period referred to in sub-paragraph (1B)(c), the absence is to be disregarded if it is wholly attributable to circumstances that it would not be reasonable to have expected the society to prevent or avoid.

(1D) Where a form for the appointment of a proxy is made available by a society on a website in accordance with subsection (1A)(b), the society may also make available on the website a facility for completing the form and returning the appointment in an electronic communication (but see paragraph 34).]

(2) Where the society, under its rules, specifies a final date for the receipt of [F3 appointments of] proxies to vote at a meeting, a person appointed a proxy by a member who at that date is entitled to attend and vote at the meeting may act as his proxy at the meeting whether or not the member ceases to be so entitled after that date.

(3) A proxy is entitled to vote on a poll but, subject to any provision in the rules of the building society, not otherwise.

(4) In every notice calling a meeting of a building society there shall appear with reasonable prominence a statement—

(a) that a member entitled to attend and vote may appoint a proxy (or, where it is allowed, one or more proxies) to attend and vote at the meeting instead of him;

(b) that the proxy need not be a member of the society; and

(c) that the member may direct the proxy how to vote at the meeting.

[F4 (4A) Every form for the appointment of a proxy sent by a building society to persons entitled to notice of a meeting of the society must contain provision enabling that person to direct the proxy how to vote at the meeting.]

(5) If default is made in complying with sub-paragraph (4) above in respect of a meeting of a building society, [F5 or in complying with sub-paragraph (4A) above in respect of a form of appointment of a proxy,] the society shall be liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale, and so shall any officer who is also guilty of the offence.

(6) Any provision contained in the rules of a building society shall be void in so far as it would have the effect of requiring [F6 the appointment of a proxy, or any] document necessary to show the validity of, or otherwise relating to, the appointment of a proxy, to be received by the society or any other person more than seven days before a meeting or adjourned meeting in order that the appointment may be effective at the meeting or adjourned meeting.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 2 para. 24(1A)-(1D) substituted for Sch. 2 para. 24(1A)(1B) (12.4.2011) by The Mutual Societies (Electronic Communications) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/593), arts. 1(1), 2(1)

F2 Words in Sch. 2 para. 24(1B)(b) omitted (18.2.2014) by virtue of Financial Services (Banking Reform) Act 2013 (c. 33), s. 148(2), Sch. 9 para. 12(4)

F3 Words in Sch. 2 para. 24(2) substituted (20.3.2003) by The Building Societies Act 1986 (Electronic Communications) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/404), arts. 1(1), 29(3)(d)

F4 Sch. 2 Pt. III para. 24(4A) inserted (1.12.1997 in specified cases and for specified purposes and otherwise in accordance with art. 2(2)(3)(5) of S.I. 1997/2668) by 1997 c. 32, ss. 43, 47(3), Sch. 7 para. 57(5); S.I. 1997/2668, art. 2, Sch. Pt. II(w)(z)(xxxiv)

F5 Words in Sch. 2 Pt. III para. 24(5) inserted (1.12.1997 in specified cases and for specified purposes and otherwise in accordance with art. 2(2)(3)(5) of S.I. 1997/2668) by 1997 c. 32, ss. 43, 47(3), Sch. 7 para. 57(6); S.I. 1997/2668, art. 2, Sch. Pt. II(w)(z)(xxxiv)

F6 Words in Sch. 2 para. 24(6) substituted (20.3.2003) by The Building Societies Act 1986 (Electronic Communications) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/404), arts. 1(1), 29(4)