Subchapter VII. Assignment of Partnership Interests
TITLE 6
Commerce and Trade
SUBTITLE II
Other Laws Relating to Commerce and Trade
CHAPTER 17. LIMITED PARTNERSHIPS
Subchapter VII. Assignment of Partnership Interests
§ 17-701. Nature of partnership interest.
A partnership interest is personal property. A partner has no interest in specific limited partnership property.
6 Del. C. 1953, § 1718; 59 Del. Laws, c. 105, § 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1.;
§ 17-702. Assignment of partnership interest.
(a) Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement:
(1) A partnership interest is assignable in whole or in part;
(2) An assignment of a partnership interest does not dissolve a limited partnership or entitle the assignee to become or to exercise any rights or powers of a partner;
(3) An assignment of a partnership interest entitles the assignee to share in such profits and losses, to receive such distribution or distributions, and to receive such allocation of income, gain, loss, deduction, or credit or similar item to which the assignor was entitled, to the extent assigned; and
(4) A partner ceases to be a partner and to have the power to exercise any rights or powers of a partner upon assignment of all partnership interests. Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, the pledge of, or granting of a security interest, lien or other encumbrance in or against, any or all of the partnership interest of a partner shall not cause the partner to cease to be a partner or to have the power to exercise any rights or powers of a partner.
(b) Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement, a partner's interest in a limited partnership may be evidenced by a certificate of partnership interest issued by the limited partnership. A partnership agreement may provide for the assignment or transfer of any partnership interest represented by such a certificate and make other provisions with respect to such certificates. A limited partnership shall not have the power to issue a certificate of partnership interest in bearer form.
(c) Unless otherwise provided in a partnership agreement and except to the extent assumed by agreement, until an assignee of a partnership interest becomes a partner, the assignee shall have no liability as a partner solely as a result of the assignment.
(d) Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, a limited partnership may acquire, by purchase, redemption or otherwise, any partnership interest or other interest of a partner in the limited partnership. Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, any such interest so acquired by the limited partnership shall be deemed canceled.
6 Del. C. 1953, § 1719; 59 Del. Laws, c. 105, § 1; 59 Del. Laws, c. 442, § 2; 63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 316, § 57; 67 Del. Laws, c. 348, § 22; 69 Del. Laws, c. 258, §§ 39, 40; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 73 Del. Laws, c. 73, § 26; 76 Del. Laws, c. 104, § 34.;
§ 17-703. Partner's partnership interest subject to charging order.
(a) On application by a judgment creditor of a partner or of a partner's assignee, a court having jurisdiction may charge the partnership interest of the judgment debtor to satisfy the judgment. To the extent so charged, the judgment creditor has only the right to receive any distribution or distributions to which the judgment debtor would otherwise have been entitled in respect of such partnership interest.
(b) A charging order constitutes a lien on the judgment debtor's partnership interest.
(c) This chapter does not deprive a partner or partner's assignee of a right under exemption laws with respect to the judgment debtor's partnership interest.
(d) The entry of a charging order is the exclusive remedy by which a judgment creditor of a partner or of a partner's assignee may satisfy a judgment out of the judgment debtor's partnership interest.
(e) No creditor of a partner or of a partner's assignee shall have any right to obtain possession of, or otherwise exercise legal or equitable remedies with respect to, the property of the limited partnership.
(f) The Court of Chancery shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine any matter relating to any such charging order.
6 Del. C. 1953, § 1722; 59 Del. Laws, c. 105, § 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 72 Del. Laws, c. 386, § 23; 75 Del. Laws, c. 31, §§ 10-16.;
§ 17-704. Right of assignee to become limited partner.
(a) An assignee of a partnership interest, including an assignee of a general partner, may become a limited partner:
(1) As provided in the partnership agreement; or
(2) Unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, upon the affirmative vote or written consent of all partners.
(b) An assignee who has become a limited partner has, to the extent assigned, the rights and powers, and is subject to the restrictions and liabilities, of a limited partner under the partnership agreement and this chapter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, unless otherwise provided in the partnership agreement, an assignee who becomes a limited partner is liable for the obligations of his or her assignor to make contributions as provided in § 17-502 of this title, but shall not be liable for the obligations of the assignor under subchapter VI of this chapter. However, the assignee is not obligated for liabilities, including the obligations of the assignor to make contributions as provided in § 17-502 of this title, unknown to the assignee at the time the assignee became a limited partner and which could not be ascertained from the partnership agreement.
(c) Whether or not an assignee of a partnership interest becomes a limited partner, the assignor is not released from liability to the limited partnership under subchapters V and VI of this chapter.
63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 66 Del. Laws, c. 316, §§ 58, 59; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 77 Del. Laws, c. 288, § 24.;
§ 17-705. Powers of estate of deceased or incompetent partner.
If a partner who is an individual dies or a court of competent jurisdiction adjudges the partner to be incompetent to manage the partner's person or property, the partner's personal representative may exercise all of the partner's rights for the purpose of settling the partner's estate or administering the partner's property, including any power under the partnership agreement of an assignee to become a limited partner. If a partner is a corporation, trust or other entity and is dissolved or terminated, the powers of that partner may be exercised by its personal representative.
6 Del. C. 1953, § 1721; 59 Del. Laws, c. 105, § 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 420, § 1; 65 Del. Laws, c. 188, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 78, § 38.;