R8 Flashcards
Surety
one who is liable for the debt or obligation of another
Parties in Suretyship
creditor, principal, surety
Surety vs. Guarantor
*surety is directly liable whereas the guarantor is only secondarily liable
Is suretyship covered by the Statute of Frauds?
Yes
Gratuitous Surety vs. Compensated Surety
Gratuitous
- any variation of risk releases surety
- promise must be made before the loan; after doesn’t count
Compensated
- any variation of material risk releases surety
- consideration is compensation
Another term for compensated surety
bonding company
Creditor’s Rights when Debtor Defaults
- immediately demand payment from the surety
- immediately demand payment from the debtor
- immediately go after collateral, if there is any
*guarantors have the right to require a proceeding against the debtor or collateral first
Surety’s Rights against Debtor
- exoneration (suit to compel payment)
- subrogation (enforcement of creditor’s right against principal)
- reimbursement (suit against principal after payment)
Surety’s Rights against Co-Sureties
- exoneration (before surety pays; each pays pro rata fair share)
- contribution
* *not specified: split equally
* *varying amounts: pro rata contribution reimbursement
* *co-surety discharged: eliminate from total calculation; will get nothing from them
Defenses of Surety
C reditor bad faith
P ayment and tender of payment
R elease of principal debtor
S urety’s incapacity or bankruptcy
Loss of Security and Release of Co-surety
- release of security held by the creditor discharges the surety in the amount of the value of the security released
- a release of a co-surety without the other’s consent means that the remaining surety is discharged to the extent that the surety could have recovered
No Defense Situations for Suretyship
- principal’s fraud or duress upon surety
- incapacity of principal
- bankruptcy of principal
Creditor’s Rights outside of Suretyship
- Creditor’s Composition (pays less than full claims in full satisfaction)
- Assignment for the Benefit of Creditors (debtor releases property to trustee who sells property and uses proceeds to pay creditors)
Judicial Liens
*specific property owned and possessed by the debtor
Garnishment
*property in the hands of a third party that is due to the debtor
Exemptions for Judicial Liens and Garnishment
- homestead exemption
- limit on wages
- protect personal injury awards
Mechanic’s Lien
*automatic lien on property for the price of the repairs so long as it is in the lienor’s possession
Indications of Fraudulent Conveyances for Suretyship
- transfer to insider
- debtor retained possession or control
- not disclosed or concealed
- value received for the asset was not reasonable
Remedies for Suretyship and Fraudulent Conveyances
- void or voidable
- requires legal process to repossess fraudulently transferred property
- no-self help
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act
- does not apply to creditor attempting to collect its own debts
- prohibits contacting at inconvenient times, abusive language, contacting directly when there is an attorney, making false claims
- can terminate contracts by submitting IN WRITING that they will not pay the debt
- sue for actual damages and 1,000 statutory damage award
Requisites for Principle and Agent Relationship
Principle: capacity and consent
Agent: consent
*writing is required for over one-year contracts and sale of land
Power of Attorney
*individual has power to act on behalf of the principal
Duties of Agent to Principal
- fiduciary
- duty of loyalty
- duty of obedience
- duty of reasonable care
- duty to account
- can hire a subagent
Principal’s Remedies
- tort damages
- contract damages
- recovery of secret profits into CONSTRUCTIVE TRUST
- withhold compensation
Duties of Principal to Agent
Implied
- compensation
- reimbursement
*can bring action for damages caused
Power to Terminate Relationship is _______
at will; have power but not necessarily the right
Power, but no right =
breach of contract
Major exception to Power to Terminate Relationship
*principal has no power or right to terminate relationship when agent is a creditor
How can agency power arise?
- actual authority (power and right)
- implied authority or estoppel (power but no right)
- ratification (power but no right)
Implied Actual Authority
- authority to do things reasonably necessary to carry out the agency
- i.e. a manager
Termination of Actual Authority
- agent quits or gets fired at will
2. accomplishment of objective or expiration of stated period
Termination of Actual Authority by Operation of Law
- death
- incapacity
- discharge
- failure to acquire license
- destruction of the subject manner
- subsequent illegality
Apparent Authority
- “holding out” by the PRINCIPAL that the individual is an agent for the principal
- this cannot be established by the agent
- based on a third party’s reasonable belief that the agent has the power to bind the principal
Common Apparent Authority Situations
- position or title
* secret limiting instructions are not effective (will still have apparent; not actual)
General vs Special Agent
general = continuity of service special = one or more transactions
Notice Generally Required to Terminate Apparent Authority
- old customers = actual notice
2. new customers = constructive notice
Termination of Apparent Authority by Operation of Law
*terminates all authority (actual and implied)
Ratification
- no actual or apparent authority
- principal must ratify the ENTIRE transaction
- only a DISCLOSED principal may ratify
- cannot ratify if it is illegal or third party withdraws prior to ratification
Agency and Contractual Liability
- principal liable if agent had authority (actual or apparent) or principal ratified
- agent liable if undisclosed or partially disclosed
- undisclosed principal only liable to third party if agent has ACTUAL authority
Agent’s Liability
- not liable if disclosed principal and authorized
- liable if principal is partially disclosed or undisclosed an undisclosed principal
- *third party can hold either principal or the agent liable if the principal was undisclosed or partially disclosed
- *no apparent authority with
Principal’s Liability
- actual authority
- apparent authority
- ratification
Tort Liability and Agency
GR: principal is not liable for the torts committed by agents
*exception for employers - respondeat superior
Step 1: employer-employee relationship (not contractors)
Step 2: within scope of employment
**exception for intentional torts
Sole Proprietorship
- personal liability
- life of entity is restricted to life of proprietor
- flow through tax treatment
- free to transfer interest in sole proprietorship
Formation of General Partnership/JV
- papers need not be drawn up to form
- do not need to file with state
- express agreement is not required, agreement can be implied
*JV is limited in scope
When is writing necessary for a general partnership?
*partnership is to last more than one year (Statute of Frauds)
Act that presumes partnership existence
sharing of profits
Operation of a General Partnership
*management rights and voting power are not based on the amount contributed
Items Requiring Unanimous Approval for General Partnership
- admitting new partners
- confessing a judgment or submitting a claim to arbitration
- making a fundamental change in the partnership business
- changing the partnership agreement
- assigning partnership property to others
- unanimous and thus no apparent authority
- EXCEPTION: can be dissolved by just one person
Agency Law and General Partnership
- every partner is an agent of the partnership and acts as both an agent and principle in business transactions
- actual authority in agreement
- apparent authority in title in ordinary course of business transactions
Rights of Partners in General Partnership
- partners do not own partnership property
- partner has a personal property interest in the partnership consisting of the right to share in the profits and surplus
* interest is assignable but the assignee does not become a partner
* charging order: creditor’s may attach a partner’s interest
* heirs are entitled to equity only; no property - right to indemnification and contribution
- right to inspect books and records
- right to bring legal action against partnership
Duties and Legal Obligations of Partners
- fiduciary duty owed to other partners
2. each partner is personally liable for all partnership obligations (joint and several)
Two Ways for a General Partnership to Terminate
- dissociation
2. dissolution
Dissociation of General Partnership
- partner gives notice of withdrawal, dies, becomes bankrupt, expelled
- right to participate in management ceases but apparent authority continues until notification
* remains liable for debts prior to dissociation unless there has been novation or release
* can be liable for debts after dissociation if not notice is given
* new partner is not liable for old debts
Dissolution of General Partnership
- at will, gives notice of withdrawal, partners agree to dissolution, court order
- can continue until its business is wound up
Distribution of Assets from Partnership - Accounting
- creditors
- partners’ contributions (capital)
- divide profit or loss
Limited Liability Partnership Differences from General Partnership
- personal liability, not liable for other partners, only lose up to investment
- LLP must file with the state
Limited Partnership
- need at least one general partner
- no perpetual life
- filing with the state
- limited partners are very much like shareholders