Section 46-3-523. Notification of actions taken by Secretary of State; appeal of Secretary of State's decision to superior court; appeal by foreign electric cooperative whose certificate is revoked; appeal of decision of superior court

   (a) If the Secretary of State refuses to grant a name certificate, revokes the reservation of a corporate name as provided in subsection (e) of Code Section 46-3-221, or refuses to file any articles of incorporation, amendment, merger, consolidation, or dissolution, or any other document required by this article to be filed by the Secretary of State, he shall, within ten days after application for the name certificate is made, or his revocation of a reservation of a corporate name, or the delivery of any of the aforesaid documents to him, give written notice of his action to the person making such application, or having made such reservation of corporate name, or delivering such document, which notice shall specify the date of and the reasons for his action.

(b) Within 40 days from the date of such action by the Secretary of State, such person may appeal to the superior court of the county in which the registered office of the electric membership corporation or foreign electric cooperative affected by such action is, or is proposed to be, situated by filing with the clerk of such court a petition setting forth a copy of such application, or of such reservation, or of the articles or other document sought to be filed, and a copy of the written notice from the Secretary of State of his action; whereupon the matter shall promptly be tried de novo by the court without a jury. The court shall either sustain the action of the Secretary of State or direct him to take such action as the court may deem proper.

(c) If the Secretary of State revokes the certificate of authority to transact business in this state of any foreign electric cooperative, pursuant to Code Sections 46-3-466 and 46-3-467, such foreign electric cooperative may appeal to the superior court of the county where the registered office of such foreign electric cooperative in this state is situated, by filing with the clerk of such court a petition setting forth a copy of its certificate of authority to transact business in this state and a copy of the notice of revocation given by the Secretary of State; whereupon the matter shall be tried de novo by the court without a jury. The court shall either sustain the action of the Secretary of State or direct him to take such action as the court may deem proper.

(d) Appeals from all final orders and judgments entered by the superior court under this Code section in review of any ruling or decision of the Secretary of State may be taken to the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court in the same manner as in other civil cases.

Code 1933, § 34C-1504, enacted by Ga. L. 1981, p. 1587, § 1.