partnership law. section 3(1) partnership act 1961 partnership is the relation which subsists...
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PARTNERSHIP LAW
SECTION 3(1) PARTNERSHIP ACT 1961
• Partnership is the relation which subsists between persons carrying on business in common with a view of profit.
It means:
• *Relationship between person
• *Carried on business in common(intention)
• *With a view of profit
• *In common
• Business – defined in section 2 as ‘including every trade, occupation or profession”
NATURE OF PARTNERSHIP
A partnership business must be registered under the Registration of Business Act 1956.
However the mere failure to register the partnership under these statute would not mean that the partners cannot enforce their rights againts each other if on the facts a partnership exists
A partnership need not have to be created by a formal deed or written agreement. May be created orally or in writing.
SECTION 4: LAYS DOWN THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THERE
ARE NO PRIMA FACIE PARTNERSHIPS
Situation which are not partnership:
Sec.4(a) :
Joint tenancy, tenancy in common, joint property
Davis v Davis
French v Strying
SECTION 4: LAYS DOWN THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THERE
ARE NO PRIMA FACIE PARTNERSHIPS
Sec. 4(b)Sharing of gross return
Cox v Coulson
Lyons v Knowles
TO BE A PARTNER
Sec 4(c)
As a general rule, a person who receives a share of a profits is deemed to be a partner.
However there are special cases whereby the receipt of the share of the profits does not quality the person to be a partner
EXCEPTION
Sec. 4(c)(i):
Payments by instalments Cox v Hickman Badeley v Consolidated Bank
Sec. 4(c)(ii):
Payment of servant or agent Walker v Hircsh Abdul Gaffoor v Mohamed Kassim
EXCEPTION
Sec. 4(c)(iii):
Annuity to the widow or children of a deceased partner
I.R.C. v Lebus’s Trustees
Sec. 4(c)(iv):
Loan given with a rate of interest varying with profits
Re Young
Sec. 4(c)(v):
Sale of goodwill Pratt v Strick
TYPES OF PARTNER
General Partner
Active Partner
Dormant(sleeping/passive) Partner
Quasi-partner
Salaried partner
POWER OF PARTNER TO BIND THE FIRM
• The general rule is that as partners are agents of the partnership firm, any act or omission committed by one partner binds the rest of the partners if it is carried out within the ordinary scope of the firm’s business.
• The authority of each partner may be either actual(express or implied) or apparent(ostensible)
• Sec. 7 of Partnership Act
AUTHORITY OF EACH PARTNER
Actual Autority
Express authority
May be given in writing or orally
Implied autority
is inferred from the conduct of the parties
Apparent Autority
arises when the partner holds out to others that he had such authority(section 8, Partnership Act)
S.7: 4 RELEVANT FACTORS THAT HAVE TO PROVEN IN ORDER TO DETERMINED THE
EXTEND OF LIABILITY OF PARTNERS:
1. The particular partner who did the act and done it under the name of the firm.
S.8: Partners bound by act of firm
An act@instrument relating to the business in the firm’s name showing the intention to bind the firm by any person authorized.(a partner or not) is binding on the firm and all partners.
S.10:
If the party knows that the person has no authority but ignores the fact.. .The firm exclude liability.
2. The particular partner who did the act done it within the ordinary course of business.
This factor is supported by S 9
’within the ordinary scope of business’ appears
3. The particular partner commit the act in usual way of making business
4.The third party has no knowledge
If the third party knows that the particular partner whom he is dealing with has no implied nor express authority to do the act then the rest of the other partners or the firm can be excluded from being bound by the act of that one particular partner
CASES:
Mercantile Credit Co v Garrod
Osman b. Haji Mohamed Usop v Chan kang Swi
Chettinad Bank v Chop Haw Lee & Chop Lee Chan
Chan King Yue v Lee & Wong
Sithambaran Chetty v Hong Hing and others
Chan Yin Tee v William Jacks & Co
LIABILITY OF PARTNERS Contractual Liability
Sec. 11 of Partnership Act :
that all partners in a firm are jointly liable for all contractual and others debts and liabilities including tax and judgement debts which are incurred while each is a partner
After his death his estate is also severally liable in due course of administration for such debts and obligations , so far as they remain unsatisfied but subject to the prior payment of his separate debts.
Osman b. Mohamed Usop v Chan Kang Sim
Kendall v Hamilton
Bagel v Miller
LIABILITY OF PARTNERS
Ordinary Torts
Sec.12 of Partnership Act
In order to make a firm liable, the tortious act must be committed by a partner either in the ordinary course of the business of the firm or with the authority of his co-partner
Hamlyn v Houstan & Co
LIABILITY OF PARTNERS
Misappropriation
S.15 of Partnership Act
• It means that if a partner acting in his individual capacity, improperly makes use of trust property in the business of the firm, as a general rule, his other partners are not liable to the beneficiaries.
• However, if the trust money is still in the firm’s possession or under its control, the beneficiaries can recover the same from the firm.
• Ex parte Heaton
LIABILITY OF PARTNERS
Liability of Persons for Holding Out
S.16 of Partnership Act
Provides that persons may be liable by ‘holding out’
Tower Cabinet v Ingram
Re Buchanan & Co
Bevan v the National Bank Limited
LIABILITY OF PARTNERS
Duration of Liability
S.19 (1) of Partnership Act :
A new partner who has been admitted into a firm is not liable for the debt
S.19 (2) of Partnership Act :
A partner who retires from a firm does not thereby cease to be liable for partnership debts or obligations incurred before his retirement.
LIABILITY OF PARTNERS
Duration of Liability
S.19 (3) of Partnership Act :
A retiring partner may be dicharge from any existing liabilities by an agreement to the effect between himself and the members of the firm as newly constituted and the creditors, and this agreement may either express or inferred as afact from the course of dealing between the creditors and the firm as newly constituted
LIABILITY OF RETIRED PARTNERS
S.38(1) of Partnership Act :
After retirement, a partner is still liable to person who deal with the firm after a change in its constitution unless he had given notice to such persons that he is no longer a partner.
RELATIONS BETWEEN PARTNERS
The relations between partners to one another are determined by their partnership agreement
The partnership agreement normally provides for the rights and duties of the partners, the conduct and management of the firm, the capital and their profit sharing arrangement.
RIGHTS OF PARTNER
The Partnership Act 1961 applies in the absence of provisions being made under the agreement.
The interests and duties of partners in the absence of agreements to the contrary are provided for in section 26 of the Partnership Act 1961
S.26 OF PARTNERSHIP ACT :
S26(a): Capital & Profits
All the partners are entitled to share equally in the capital and profits of business and must contribute equally towards the losses, whether of capital or otherwise.
26(b): Indemnification of partner
S.26 OF PARTNERSHIP ACT :
26(c): Advanced/actual payment beyond the amount agreed to be subscribed.
26(d): Partner not entitled to interest on capital subscribed by him, before ascertainment of profit.
26(e): Every partner may take part in management of partnership business
26(f): No partner shall be entitled to remuneration for acting in the partnership business.
S.26 OF PARTNERSHIP ACT :
26(g): no person may be introduced as a partner without the consent of all existing partners
26(h): Majority of partners may be decide if there is any difference arising to ordinary matters connecting
to the partnership business, it must be made with consent of all existing partner.
26(i): Access and inspect to partnership book.
DUTY OF PARTNERS/DUTY OF GOOD FAITH
• Duty of Partners of Render Accounts
• S. 30 of Partnership Act :
“ Partners are bound to render true accounts and full information of all things affecting the partnership to any partner or his legal representatives”
• Law v Law
DUTY OF PARTNERS/DUTY OF GOOD FAITH
Accountability of Partners for Private Profits
S.31 of Partnership Act : He must reveal the benefit to the partnership:
If a partner received any benefit without consent of other partner and
The benefit derived by using the partnership property, name, business connection or anything relevant to the partnership
S.31 OF PARTNERSHIP ACT
Even though the transaction happen after a partnership has been dissolved by death of a partner. But it must be before process of wound up is complete.
• Aas v Benham
• Bentley v Craven
• Pathirana v Ariya Pathirana
DUTY OF PARTNERS/DUTY OF GOOD FAITH
S.32 of Partnership Act :
Duty of Partner not to complete with firm/partnership
No partner can carries on any business of the same nature as and therefore complete with his partnership without consent of the other person
If he does so he must account for and pay over to the firm all profits made by him in that business.
Trimble v Goldberg
Ass v Benham
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By Agreement: S.34(1) of Partnership Act
If the duration of the partnership has been specified in the particular agreement, the partnership is terminated on the expiry of that period
If the partners mutually agree to dissolve the partnership
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By operation of Law : S.34(1) of Partnership Act
S.34(1)(a): If the partnership was entered into a fixed term and the term expires
S.34(1)(b): If the partnership is working on a project or work, the termination of such partnership is assumed as soon as the project/work is completed
S.34(1)(c): any partner may give notice to other
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By notice: S.34(1)(c) of Partnership Act
any partner may give notice to other partners to terminate the partnership on the date mentioned in the notice. If there is no date mentioned, then according to the date when the notice is delivered.
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By Death or Bankruptcy :
S.35(1) of Partnership Act
Every partnership is dissolved as regards all the partners by death or bankruptcy of any partner
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By charging on shares:
S.35(2) of Partnership Act
A partnership may , at the option of the other partners, be dissolved if any partners suffers his shares of the partnership property to be charged under this Act for his separate debt
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By supervening illegality
S.36 of Partnership Act
Every partnership is dissolved by the happening of any event which makes it unlawful for the business of the firm to be carried on or
For the members of the firm to carry it on in partnership
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By Court Order : S.37 of Partnership Act
The court on application of any partner, may declare a partnership to be dissolved under the following reasons:
i) when any partner is confirm to have become insane
ii) any member loose the capability of working totally or permanently
DISSOLUTION OF PARTNERSHIP
By Court Order : S.37 of Partnership Act
iii) any partner threaten the partnership with any of his act without any reasonable cause
iv) There is breach of promises continuously
v) The continuance of partnership will only renders a lost
vi) Exist any situation where the court thinks fit and fair to terminate the partnership