Partnership 2018 Flashcards
What is a partnership?
An association of 2 or more persons to carry on as co-owners a business for profit.
When is a partnership formed?
when the elements are met, there is no filing requirement and it doesn’t require a written agreement.
can form partnership even if you don’t intend to.
Is there any liability for the partners of a general partnership?
No, all general partners are not protected from liability. Each partner is liable for the other partners and the partnership.
What is the relationship between the partners?
each partner is an agent and principal of the other partners and the partnership. an act by a partner binds the other partners and the partnership
What is required to form a limited liability entity?
- file a certificate of formation with SOS
- pay SOS fee
- file annual reports
What entities are required to file a certificate of formation?
corporations, limited partnership, limited liability company, professional association, cooperative, or real estate investment trust
when does a limited liability entity begin to exist?
when the SOS files the certificate of formation.
What is a business?
trade, occupation, profession or commercial activity
What is a partnership agreement and what effect does it have?
it regulates the operation and management of the partnership. It binds the partners but it is not binding on people who are not parties to the agreement.
What are the restrictions or limitations of partnership agreements?
- can’t restrict partners access to books and records
- can’t eliminate duty of loyalty
- can’t eliminate duty of care
- can’t eliminate obligation of good faith
- can’t vary the power to withdraw
- can’t prevent a court from expelling partner
- can’t restrict rights of third parties
- can’t select a governing law that is not permitted
What are the elements of a partnership?
- association - must be voluntary
- 2 or more persons - can be corporation or person
- as co-owners - each must have true ownership
- in business for profit - has to be for profit but they don’t have to be profitable
How are new partners added?
with consent of all partners unless they have agreed to a different procedure in partnership agreement.
What is the key to ownership?
- control - it’s the biggest ownership right (prima facie evidence in UPA, only factor in TBOC)
- share profits
- express intent of partners
- agreements to share losses or liabilities
- agreement to contribute money
don’t need all factors and no factor is dispositive
what is the key to business
series of acts directed towards an end, passive ownership of property or asset not enough
Is a partnership an aggregate entity?
UPA - yes, a partnership is an aggregate of the partners
TBOC - no, a partnership is a separate entity
How are partnerships taxed?
pass through taxation, the partners are taxed individually the partnership is not.
what is partnership property?
- property brought into the partnership or acquired by the partnership
- property acquired with partnership funds
- real estate can be acquires and sold in the partnership name
- does not include partner’s property even if partner allows it to be used for partnership business.
What law governs the partnership?
state of formation or it’s central district.
how are profits distributed?
evenly between partners unless otherwise provided in partnership agreement
How do you determine if a partner’s property belongs to the partnership or is just being used by the partnership?
UPA - use facts to determine intent
TBOC - if title not transferred to partnership the default is it belongs to the partner
What is paid first when dissolving a partnership?
- debts of the partnership
partnership creditors - partnership interests is returned to partners
- residual is distributed to partners based on ownership percentage or agreement
- losses are shared equally if there is no profit
What is a partner’s right to partnership property
- owns it with other partners, not individually
- can use for partnership purposes
- can’t assign without consent from partners
- can’t attach unless debt is for partnership
- partners interest in the partnership is separate individual property
Does owning an interest the partnership give the partner an interest in the partnership property?
no, it belongs to the partnership and must be used for partnership purposes. even if the partner gave it to the partnership.
Can a partner transfer his interest in the partnership?
yes, he can transfer his interest but not his management rights. Needs consent of the partners to transfer management rights.
What is the difference between majority of partners and majority of interest?
Majority of partners consists of over 50% of the partners, majority of interest consists of over 50% of partnership interest. They can be the same if there equal ownership but different when there is unequal ownership distribution.
How can a partnership agreement be amended?
by consent of all the partners unless otherwise provided for in the partnership agreement.
what is required to make decisions on behalf of the partnership?
majority consent for normal decisions, decisions outside the scope of business require unanimous consent.
Are the other partners and the partnership bound by all acts of a partner?
yes, if the partners is acting within the scope of authorization or the third party has reason to believe the partner has the authority to act on behalf of the partnership and the act is part of the ordinary course of the partnership’s business.
Who decides a partner’s authority to conduct the partnership’s business in the usual way?
A partner can decide because he is a principal and an agent. As a principal he gives himself authority and as an agent he uses the authority to conduct business on behalf of the partnership. Doesn’t require additional consent if it is the normal course of business.
What happens when partners disagree on partnership business or scope of authority?
TBOC - majority in interest prevail
UPA - majority of partners prevail
What is required to go against the partnership agreement or do something outside the scope of the partnership business?
unanimous consent of the partners.
What is considered extraordinary business?
not party of usual scope of business, includes selling property or major assets, requires consent of all partners unless provided for in partnership agreement.
How is apparent authority applied to partners?
Under UPA - Partners have apparent authority to conduct business with third parties if it is the usual course of business and third party has no reason to believe partner does not have the authority.
How is power of position applied to partners?
TBOC - to determine authority courts look at:
- the way the partnership operated in the past
- the way similar partnerships in that industry operate
How is partnership by estoppel applied?
partner believes he has authority
third party believes he has authority
they have done this before
both rely on past authority to enter transaction
transaction is valid even if other partners object after the fact.
can the partners remove or override a managing partner?
most partnership agreements allow for partners to remove or override a managing partner by vote. a unanimous vote is required if not provided for in partnership agreement.
Test for partnership by estoppel
if A
represents that A&B are partners or consents to someone representing A&B are partners
if T
hears representation and gives credit based on it
or
the representation is made in public and T gives credit based on it
Does a partnership dissolve if the partners end the partnership but do not finish winding it down?
no, it continues to exist as long as they continue to use the partnership name. It terminates when they finish winding it down.