Missing Shareholder – What Do We Do?

What happens if you can't contact a shareholder of your company? What does the disappearance of that shareholder mean for the operation of your company? Have the gears of your company ground to a halt as a result of the missing shareholder throwing a spanner in the works? Fear not, there are remedial actions and practical precautions that you can take to ensure the smooth operation of your company.

Let's start with the assumption that you answered 'Yes' to all three of the questions above. This may not have many practical consequences when the percentage of shareholding of the missing shareholder is small or insignificant. The issue arises when the missing shareholder's shareholding awards them a degree of significant control over the company, particularly when considering voting rights and the payment of dividends.