{"data":{"id":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-157-3","jurisdiction":"us-ma","citation":"Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 157, § 3","heading":"Co-operative agricultural, dairy or mercantile associations; name","body":"Section 3. Seven or more persons, residents of the commonwealth, may associate themselves as a corporation, association, society, company or exchange, to conduct within the commonwealth any agricultural, dairy or mercantile business on the co-operative plan. The word ''co-operative'' shall form a part of the name of the corporation, and, for the purposes of this and sections three A to nine, inclusive, the words ''association'', ''company'', ''exchange'', ''society'' and ''union'', shall have the same signification and shall import a corporation. The corporation shall be formed as provided in chapter one hundred and fifty-six B, with shares having par value, and shall be subject to the provisions thereof so far as consistent with said sections.","path":["Part I","Title XXII","Chapter 157"],"source_url":"https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter157/Section3","current_through":"amendments passed before May 31, 2026","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-17T05:23:42Z","sha256":"8ee8f913696ab8e995dea1a1c37dc3195814778756fb41b521ebfa9e735434fc","source_id":"us-ma","stale":false,"prev":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-157-2","next":"us-ma/mass.-gen.-laws-ch.-157-3a"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}