48-242-101 - Loans, guarantees and suretyship.
48-242-101. Loans, guarantees and suretyship.
(a) Prerequisites. Unless otherwise provided in chapters 201-248 of this title or the articles or operating agreement, an LLC may lend money to, guarantee an obligation of, become a surety for, or otherwise financially assist a person:
(1) In the usual and regular course of business of the LLC;
(2) With, or for the benefit of, a related LLC, an organization in which the LLC has a financial interest, an organization with which the LLC has a business relationship, or an organization to which the LLC has the power to make donations; or
(3) With, or for the benefit of, a manager or other employee of the LLC or a subsidiary, including a manager or employee who is a member but not a governor of the LLC or a subsidiary, and may reasonably be expected, in the judgment of the body giving the requisite approval, to benefit the LLC. In the case of a loan or guarantee which is with, or for the benefit of, a person who is a governor, approval by a majority of the membership interests of disinterested members entitled to vote is required.
(b) Interest and Security. A loan, guaranty, surety contract, or other financial assistance under subsection (a) may be with or without interest and may be unsecured or may be secured in any manner, including, without limitation, a grant of a security interest in a member's financial rights in the LLC.
(c) Banking Authority not Granted. This section does not grant any authority to act as a bank or to carry on the business of banking.
(d) Requisite Approval.
(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, for purposes of this section, requisite approval means:
(A) If the LLC is board-managed, an action taken at a duly held meeting and approved by a majority of the disinterested governors or by a majority of the disinterested members at a duly held meeting of the members; or
(B) If the LLC is member-managed, an action taken at a duly held meeting and approved by a majority of the voting interest of members entitled to vote which are held by disinterested persons.
(2) For purposes of this section, a disinterested person is a person other than:
(A) A person who receives a direct or indirect benefit from receipt of the loan or guarantee;
(B) The spouse, parents, children and spouses of children, brothers and sisters, other lineal descendants and spouses of brothers and sisters of such person; or
(C) Any entity in which any of the people, or any combination of the people, in subdivisions (d)(2)(A) and (B) have a material financial interest.
(e) Validity of Obligation of Borrower. The fact that a loan or guarantee is made in violation of this section does not affect the borrower's liability on the loan.
(f) Exception for Sales on Credit. A sale on credit in the ordinary course of business shall not be subject to the restrictions of this section.
[Acts 1994, ch. 868, § 1; 1995, ch. 403, §§ 66, 67.]