Tense usage

[bertietheblue]

Below are extracts from a company's articles of association. The tense is mostly present, as used for statements of fact, but often the writer slips into the past tense and I'm not sure whether I'm right to correct him. Is the past tense in the bold below correct (or passable - I'm happy if it is since I won't have to reread the document), or is only the present tense correct, or is either possible?

Many thanks, all


'If 12 years have passed since the date on which a dividend became due for payment, the recipient is no longer entitled to that dividend.'

'If a notice is given to a shareholder in respect of shares and a transferee is entitled to those shares, the transferee is bound by the notice if it was given before the transferee's name was entered in the register of members.'

'If the chairman is unwilling to chair the meeting or is not present within ten minutes of the time at which the meeting was due to start ....'

 

[chester_100]

'If 12 years have passed since the date on which a dividend became due for payment, the recipient is no longer entitled to that dividend.'

-The dividend became due12 years ago. You are not sure about it. So to make sure, you scrutinize the Articles of Association, and find out that 12 years have passed by since the day when the dividend was due. Now (at present) the recipient doesn't have the right to claim the dividend. I believe that's right.

-'If a notice is given to a shareholder in respect of shares and a transferee is entitled to those shares, the transferee is bound by the notice if it is given before the transferee's name has been entered in the register of members.'

-This one is sort of complicated. What do you think of the changes?

'If the chairman is unwilling to chair the meeting or is not present within ten minutes of the time at which the meeting was due to start ....'
-I think this one is acceptable.

 

[2006]

Below are extracts from a company's articles of association. The tense is mostly present, as used for statements of fact, but often the writer slips into the past tense and I'm not sure whether I'm right to correct him. Is the past tense in the bold below correct (or passable - I'm happy if it is since I won't have to reread the document), or is only the present tense correct, or is either possible?

Many thanks, all


'If 12 years have passed since the date on which a dividend became due for payment, the recipient is no longer entitled to that dividend.'

'If a notice is given to a shareholder in respect of shares and a transferee is entitled to those shares, the transferee is bound by the notice if it was given before the transferee's name was entered in the register of members.'

'If the chairman is unwilling to chair the meeting or is not present within ten minutes of the time at which the meeting was due to start ....'

I would stay with the past tense for all the bold verbs.

 

[Tdol]

The past makes sense to me too.