AN ACTION AGAINST A NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION FOR BREACH OF A FIDUCIARY DUTY MUST ALLEGE THE FAILURE TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATION OR ITS MEMBERS, NOT, AS HERE, THE FAILURE TO ACT IN A MEMBER’S PERSONAL BEST INTEREST (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department noted that an action against a not for profit corporation (here a yacht club) for breach of a fiduciary duty must allege the failure to act in good faith on behalf of the corporation or its members, not the failure to act in good faith in a member’s (plaintiff’s) personal best interest. The board had excluded plaintiff’s domestic partner, who was not a member, from the club:
The elements of a cause of action to recover damages for breach of fiduciary duty are (1) the existence of a fiduciary relationship, (2) misconduct by the defendant, and (3) damages directly caused by the defendant’s misconduct … . The directors of a not-for-profit corporation like the Club “have the fiduciary obligation to act on behalf of the corporation in good faith and with reasonable care so as to protect and advance its interests” … . Here, however, the complaint did not allege that the Club defendants failed to act in good faith on behalf of the Club or its members’ collective interests, but merely alleged that they failed to act in [plaintiff’s] personal best interest … . Accordingly, the complaint did not state a cause of action to recover damages for breach of fiduciary duty. Nachbar v Cornwall Yacht Club, 2018 NY Slip Op 02795, Second Dept 4-25-18
CORPORATION LAW (AN ACTION AGAINST A NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION FOR BREACH OF A FIDUCIARY DUTY MUST ALLEGE THE FAILURE TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATION OR ITS MEMBERS, NOT, AS HERE, THE FAILURE TO ACT IN A MEMBER’S PERSONAL BEST INTEREST (SECOND DEPT))/NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION (AN ACTION AGAINST A NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION FOR BREACH OF A FIDUCIARY DUTY MUST ALLEGE THE FAILURE TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATION OR ITS MEMBERS, NOT, AS HERE, THE FAILURE TO ACT IN A MEMBER’S PERSONAL BEST INTEREST (SECOND DEPT))/YACHT CLUB (CORPORATION LAW, AN ACTION AGAINST A NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION FOR BREACH OF A FIDUCIARY DUTY MUST ALLEGE THE FAILURE TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATION OR ITS MEMBERS, NOT, AS HERE, THE FAILURE TO ACT IN A MEMBER’S PERSONAL BEST INTEREST (SECOND DEPT)/FIDUCIARY DUTY (CORPORATION LAW, AN ACTION AGAINST A NOT FOR PROFIT CORPORATION FOR BREACH OF A FIDUCIARY DUTY MUST ALLEGE THE FAILURE TO ACT IN GOOD FAITH ON BEHALF OF THE CORPORATION OR ITS MEMBERS, NOT, AS HERE, THE FAILURE TO ACT IN A MEMBER’S PERSONAL BEST INTEREST (SECOND DEPT))