Subchapter XII. Miscellaneous Provisions
TITLE 6
Commerce and Trade
SUBTITLE II
Other Laws Relating to Commerce and Trade
CHAPTER 15. DELAWARE REVISED UNIFORM PARTNERSHIP ACT
Subchapter XII. Miscellaneous Provisions
§ 15-1201. Uniformity of application and construction.
This chapter shall be applied and construed to effectuate its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this chapter among states enacting it. The rule that statutes in derogation of the common law are to be strictly construed shall have no application to this chapter. Action validly taken pursuant to one provision of this chapter shall not be deemed invalid solely because it is identical or similar in substance to an action that could have been taken pursuant to some other provision of this chapter but fails to satisfy one or more requirements prescribed by such other provision.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 59, § 16.;
§ 15-1202. Short title.
This chapter may be cited as the Delaware Revised Uniform Partnership Act.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1.;
§ 15-1203. Severability clause.
If any provision of this chapter or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this chapter which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this chapter are severable.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1.;
§ 15-1204. Effective date.
This chapter takes effect January 1, 2000.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1.;
§ 15-1205. Repeals.
Except with respect to limited partnerships (see 6 Del. C. § 17-1105), effective January 1, 2002, the Delaware Uniform Partnership Law, 6 Del. C. § 1501 -- § 1553 is repealed.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1.;
§ 15-1206. Applicability.
(a) Before January 1, 2002, this chapter governs only a partnership formed:
(1) after the effective date of this chapter, except a partnership that is continuing the business of a dissolved partnership under 6 Del. C. § 1541; and
(2) before the effective date of this chapter, that elects, as provided by subsection (c), to be governed by this chapter.
(b) On and after January 1, 2002, this chapter governs all partnerships.
(c) Before January 1, 2002, a partnership voluntarily may elect, in the manner provided in its partnership agreement or by law for amending the partnership agreement, to be governed by this chapter. The provisions of this chapter relating to the liability of the partnership's partners to third parties apply to limit those partners' liability to a third party who had done business with the partnership within one year before the partnership's election to be governed by this chapter only if the third party knows or has received a notification of the partnership's election to be governed by this chapter.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1.;
§ 15-1207. Fees.
(a) No document required to be filed under this chapter shall be effective until the applicable fee required by this section is paid. The following fees shall be paid to and collected by the Secretary of State for the use of the State of Delaware:
(1) Upon the receipt for filing of any statement or certificate, a fee in the amount of $200.
(2) Upon the receipt for filing of an application for reservation of name, an application for renewal of reservation or a notice of transfer or cancellation of reservation pursuant to Section 15-109 of this chapter, a fee in the amount of $75.
(3) Upon the receipt for filing of a statement of qualification, a statement of foreign qualification or an annual report for a limited liability partnership or a foreign limited liability partnership, a fee in the amount of $200 for each partner, but in no event shall the fee payable for any year with respect to a limited liability partnership or a foreign limited liability partnership under this section be more than $120,000.
(4) For certifying copies of any paper on file as provided for by this chapter, a fee in the amount of $50 for each copy certified.
(5) The Secretary of State may issue photocopies or electronic image copies of instruments on file, as well as instruments, documents and other papers not on file, and for all such photocopies or electronic image copies, whether certified or not, a fee of $10 shall be paid for the first page and $2 for each additional page. The Secretary of State may also issue microfiche copies of instruments on file as well as instruments, documents and other papers not on file, and for each such microfiche a fee of $2 shall be paid therefor. Notwithstanding the State of Delaware's Freedom of Information Act [Chapter 100 of Title 29] or other provision of this Code granting access to public records, the Secretary of State shall issue only photocopies, microfiche or electronic image copies of records in exchange for the fees described above.
(6) Upon the receipt for filing of a certificate under Section 15-111(b) of this chapter, a fee in the amount of $200, upon the receipt for filing of a certificate under Section 15-111(c) of this chapter, a fee in the amount of $200, and upon the receipt for filing of a certificate under Section 15-111(d) of this chapter, a fee in the amount of $2.00.
(7) For preclearance of any document for filing, a fee in the amount of $250.
(8) For preparing and providing a written report of a record search, a fee in the amount of $50.
(9) For issuing any certificate of the Secretary of State, including but not limited to a certificate of good standing, other than a certification of a copy under paragraph (2) of this subsection, a fee in the amount of $50, except that for issuing any certificate of the Secretary of State that recites all of a partnership's filings with the Secretary of State, a fee of $175 shall be paid for each such certificate.
(10) For receiving and filing and/or indexing any certificate, affidavit, agreement or any other paper provided for by this chapter, for which no different fee is specifically prescribed, a fee in the amount of $100.
(11) The Secretary of State may in the Secretary of State's discretion charge a fee of $60 for each check received for payment of any fee that is returned due to insufficient funds or the result of a stop payment order.
(b) In addition to those fees charged under subsection (a) of this section, there shall be collected by and paid to the Secretary of State the following:
(1) For all services described in subsection (a) of this section that are requested to be completed within 30 minutes on the same day as the day of the request, an additional sum of up to $7,500 and for all services described in subsection (a) of this section that are requested to be completed within 1 hour on the same day as the day of the request, an additional sum of up to $1,000 and for all services described in subsection (a) of this section that are requested to be completed within 2 hours on the same day as the day of the request, an additional sum of up to $500;
(2) For all services described in subsection (a) of this section that are requested to be completed within the same day as the day of the request, an additional sum of up to $300; and
(3) For all services described in subsection (a) of this section that are requested to be completed within a 24-hour period from the time of the request, an additional sum of up to $150.
The Secretary of State shall establish (and may from time to time amend) a schedule of specific fees payable pursuant to this subsection.
(c) The Secretary of State may in the Secretary of State's discretion permit the extension of credit for the fees required by this section upon such terms as the Secretary of State shall deem to be appropriate.
(d) The Secretary of State shall retain from the revenue collected from the fees required by this section a sum sufficient to provide at all times a fund of at least $500, but not more than $1,500, from which the Secretary of State may refund any payment made pursuant to this section to the extent that it exceeds the fees required by this section. The funds shall be deposited in a financial institution which is a legal depository of State of Delaware moneys to the credit of the Secretary of State and shall be disbursable on order of the Secretary of State.
(e) Except as provided in this section, the fees of the Secretary of State shall be as provided in Section 2315 of Title 29.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 52, §§ 5-11; 77 Del. Laws, c. 78, §§ 3-11.;
§ 15-1208. Annual tax of partnership.
(a) Every partnership that has filed a statement of partnership existence shall pay an annual tax, for the use of the State of Delaware, in the amount of $250.
(b) The annual tax shall be due and payable on the first day of June following the close of the calendar year or upon the cancellation of a statement of partnership existence. The Secretary of State shall receive the annual tax and pay over all taxes collected to the Department of Finance of the State of Delaware. If the annual tax remains unpaid after the due date established by subsection (d) of this section, the tax shall bear interest at the rate of 1 1/2% for each month or portion thereof until fully paid.
(c) The Secretary of State shall, at least 60 days prior to the first day of June of each year, cause to be mailed to each partnership required to comply with the provisions of this section in care of its registered agent in the State of Delaware an annual statement for the tax to be paid hereunder.
(d) In the event of neglect, refusal or failure on the part of any partnership to pay the annual tax to be paid hereunder on or before the first day of June in any year, such partnership shall pay the sum of $200 to be recovered by adding that amount to the annual tax, and such additional sum shall become a part of the tax and shall be collected in the same manner and subject to the same penalties.
(e) In case any partnership shall fail to pay the annual tax due within the time required by this section, and in case the agent in charge of the registered office of any partnership upon whom process against such partnership may be served shall die, resign, refuse to act as such, remove from the State of Delaware or cannot with due diligence be found, it shall be lawful while default continues to serve process against such partnership upon the Secretary of State. Such service upon the Secretary of State shall be made in the manner and shall have the effect stated in Section 15-113 of this chapter in the case of a partnership and shall be governed in all respects by said sections.
(f) The annual tax shall be a debt due from a partnership to the State of Delaware, for which an action at law may be maintained after the same shall have been in arrears for a period of one month. The tax shall also be a preferred debt in the case of insolvency.
(g) A partnership that neglects, refuses or fails to pay the annual tax when due shall cease to be in good standing as a partnership in the State of Delaware.
(h) A partnership that has ceased to be in good standing by reason of the failure to pay an annual tax shall be restored to and have the status of a partnership in good standing in the State of Delaware upon the payment of the annual tax and all penalties and interest thereon for each year for which such partnership neglected, refused or failed to pay an annual tax.
(i) The Attorney General, either on his own motion or upon request of the Secretary of State, whenever any annual tax due under this chapter from any partnership shall have remained in arrears for a period of 3 months after the tax shall have become payable, may apply to the Court of Chancery, by petition in the name of the State of Delaware, on 5 days' notice to such partnership, which notice may be served in such manner as the Court may direct, for an injunction to restrain such partnership from the transaction of any business within the State of Delaware or elsewhere, until the payment of the annual tax, and all penalties and interest due thereon and the cost of the application, which shall be fixed by the Court. The Court of Chancery may grant the injunction, if a proper case appears, and upon granting and service of the injunction, such partnership thereafter shall not transact any business until the injunction shall be dissolved.
(j) A partnership that has ceased to be in good standing by reason of its neglect, refusal or failure to pay an annual tax shall remain a partnership formed under this chapter. The Secretary of State shall not accept for filing any certificate (except a certificate of resignation of a registered agent when a successor registered agent is not being appointed) required or permitted by this chapter to be filed in respect of any partnership which has neglected, refused or failed to pay an annual tax, and shall not issue any certificate of good standing with respect to such partnership, unless and until such partnership shall have been restored to and have the status of a partnership in good standing in the State of Delaware.
(k) A partnership that has ceased to be in good standing in the State of Delaware by reason of its neglect, refusal or failure to pay an annual tax may not maintain any action, suit or proceeding in any court of the State of Delaware until such partnership has been restored to and has the status of a partnership in good standing in the State of Delaware. An action, suit or proceeding may not be maintained in any court of the State of Delaware by any successor or assignee of such partnership on any right, claim or demand arising out of the transaction of business by such partnership after it has ceased to be in good standing in the State of Delaware until such partnership, or any person that has acquired all or substantially all of its assets, has paid any annual tax then due and payable, together with penalties and interest thereon.
(l) The neglect, refusal or failure of a partnership to pay an annual tax shall not impair the validity of any contract, deed, mortgage, security interest, lien or act of such partnership or prevent such partnership from defending any action, suit, or proceeding in any court of the State of Delaware.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 74 Del. Laws, c. 52, § 12; 76 Del. Laws, c. 287, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 78, § 12.;
§ 15-1209. Cancelation of statement of partnership existence for failure to pay annual tax.
(a) The statement of partnership existence of a partnership shall be canceled if the partnership shall fail to pay the annual tax due under § 15-1208 of this title for a period of 3 years from the date it is due, such cancellation to be effective on the third anniversary of such due date.
(b) A list of those partnerships whose statement of partnership existence were canceled on June 1 of such calendar year pursuant to § 15-1209(a) of this title shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. On or before October 31 of each calendar year, the Secretary of State shall publish such list on the Internet or on a similar medium for a period of 1 week and shall advertise the website or other address where such list can be accessed in at least 1 newspaper of general circulation in the State of Delaware.
(c) A partnership whose statement of partnership existence has been canceled and has not been revived pursuant to § 15-1210 of this title shall be deemed, from the date such cancellation became effective, to be a partnership that has not filed a statement of partnership existence.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 296, § 9; 75 Del. Laws, c. 50, § 38; 76 Del. Laws, c. 106, § 21.;
§ 15-1210. Revival of statement of partnership existence.
(a) A statement of partnership existence that has been canceled pursuant to § 15-111(d) or § 15-111(i)(4) or § 15-1209(a) of this chapter may be revived by filing in the office of the Secretary of State a certificate of revival accompanied by the payment of the fee required by § 15-1207 of this chapter and payment of the annual tax due under § 15-1208 of this chapter and all penalties and interest thereon due at the time of the cancellation of its statement of partnership existence. The certificate of revival shall set forth:
(1) The name of the partnership at the time its statement of partnership existence was canceled and, if such name is not available at the time of revival, the name under which the partnership is to be revived;
(2) The date of filing of the original statement of partnership existence of the partnership;
(3) The address of the partnership's registered office in the State of Delaware and the name and address of the partnership's registered agent in the State of Delaware;
(4) A statement that the certificate of revival is filed by one or more partners of the partnership authorized to execute and file the certificate of revival to revive the partnership; and
(5) Any other matters the partner or partners executing the certificate of revival determine to include therein.
(b) The certificate of revival shall be deemed to be an amendment to the statement of partnership existence of the partnership, and the partnership shall not be required to take any further action to amend its statement of partnership existence under Section 15-105 of this chapter with respect to the matters set forth in the certificate of revival.
(c) Upon the filing of a certificate of revival, the statement of partnership existence of the partnership shall be revived with the same force and effect as if its statement of partnership existence had not been canceled pursuant to § 15-111(d) or § 15-111(i)(4) or § 15-1209(a) of this chapter.
72 Del. Laws, c. 151, § 1; 75 Del. Laws, c. 50, §§ 39-41; 75 Del. Laws, c. 416, §§ 35, 36; 77 Del. Laws, c. 78, § 13.;