Business Laws and Regulations Part 1
Business Laws and Regulations Part 1
Business Laws and Regulations Part 1
LAW ON PARTNERSHIP
1. Contract of Partnership is a contract of two or more persons who bind themselves to
contribute money, property, or industry to a common fund, with the intention of dividing the profits
among themselves. It may also be formed by two or more persons for the exercise of a common
profession.
4. Delectus Personae means that a partner has a right to choose those whom he wants to be
associated with the partnership because it is based on trust and confidence. Admission of a third
person as a partner requires unanimous consent of all the partners because being a partner is
purely personal. Thus, a purchaser or assignee of an interest of an existing partner does not
automatically become a partner in an existing partnership without the unanimous consent of all the
partners. As a consequence, partnership as a form of business organization has no right of
succession.
7. Generally, receipt by a person of share of the profits of a business is a prima facie evidence
that he is a partner. However, these are exceptional instances when the receipt by a person of
a share of the profits of a business shall not be considered a prima facie evidence that he is a
partner in a business:
a. As a debt by installment or otherwise
b. As wages of an employee
c. As rent to a landlord.
d. As an annuity to a widow or representative of a deceased partner.
e. As interest on a loan, though the amounts of payment vary with the profits of the
business.
f. As the consideration for the sale of a goodwill of a business or other property by
installment or otherwise.
8. Universal partnership of all present property is a type of universal partnership wherein all
the partners contribute all the property which actually belonged to them to the common fund, with
the intention of dividing the same among themselves, as well as the profits which they acquire
therewith.
9. Properties that shall belong to the common fund in a universal partnership of all
present property
a. Property belonging to the partners at the time of the constitution or perfection of the
partnership.
b. Profits that may be acquired from the present property.
c. Property acquired by each partner after the formation of the partnership if stipulated.
d. Profits and fruits from property acquired by each partner, even those from property
acquired by inheritance, legacy or donation after the formation of the partnership if
stipulated.
10. Universal partnership of profits is a type of universal partnership whereby the common fund
comprises all that the partners may acquire by their work or industry during the existence of the
partnership.
11. Properties that shall belong to the common fund in a universal partnership of profits
a. Profits obtained by the partners by their work or industry during the existence of the
partnership.
b. The usufruct or use of the property belonging to each partner at the time of the
constitution of the partnership.
c. The profits and fruits from the properties mentioned in letter a and b.
d. The profits and fruits, if stipulated, of the property acquired by each partner after the
constitution of the partnership.
12. Persons who cannot enter into a universal partnership but can enter into a particular
partnership
a. Husband and wife
b. Persons who were guilty of adultery or concubinage at the time of formation
c. Persons who were guilty of the same criminal offense
d. Public officer or his wife, descendants or ascendants and another person by reason of the
public officer’s position
13. In case Universal Partnership is entered into without specification of the type of
Universal Partnership, it shall be presumed to be a Universal Partnership of Profits.
Since Universal Partnership is a gratuitous contract of donation, the ambiguity shall be interpreted
in favor of least transmission of rights because Universal Partnership of Profits involves lesser
transmission of rights as compared to Universal Partnership of All Present Property.
14. Particular partnership is a partnership which has for its object determinate things, their use or
fruits, or a specified undertaking, or the exercise of a profession. Example of particular partnership
is General Professional Partnership.
23. Prescriptive period to file an action to impugn or question the manifestly inequitable
sharing of partnership profits or losses designated by a third person
a. Within 3 months from the knowledge of such designation but it must be before the said
partner executes it.
24. Rules on partnership management when a partner has been appointed manager in
the articles of co-partnership or at the time of execution of articles of co-partnership
a. The managing partner may execute all acts of administration despite the opposition of
his partners unless he acts in bad faith.
b. With just or lawful cause, the revocation of the power of the managing partner can be
made by the vote of the partners representing the controlling interest.
c. Without just or lawful cause, the revocation of the power of the managing partner can be
made only with the consent of all the partners including the managing partner.
25. Rules on partnership management when a partner has been appointed manager after
the partnership has been constituted or when the managing partners has been
appointed in a separate document other than articles of co-partnership
a. The managing partner may execute all acts of administration.
b. In case of opposition to the decision of the managing partner on acts of administration,
the partners representing the controlling interest may resort to voting for his removal as
manager.
c. He may be removed with or without just cause by the vote of the partners representing
the controlling interest.
26. Rules of management when two or more partners have been appointed as managers
a. When there is a specification of their respective duties, each managing partner shall
perform only the duties specified in his appointment.
b. When there is no specification of their respective duties and there is no stipulation that
one shall not act without the consent of the others, each one may separately execute all
acts of administration.
c. When there is no specification of their respective duties and there is no stipulation that
one shall not act without the consent of the others, the decision of the majority of the
managing partners shall prevail in case of opposition.
d. When there is no specification of their respective duties and there is no stipulation that
one shall not act without the consent of the others, the decision of the partner owning
the controlling interest (managing or nonmanaging) shall prevail in case of tie in voting.
e. When there is a stipulation that none of the managing partners shall act without the
consent of the others, the unanimous vote of all managing partners shall be necessary
for the validity of the acts. However, if there is imminent danger to the partnership
involving an act of administration, the absence of any of the managing partners may be
alleged by the present partners to justify the approval of act of administration despite the
absence of one of the managing partners.
27. Rules of management when the manner of management has not been agreed upon
a. All the partners shall be considered agents of the partnership or all of them are
managers.
b. Whatever any of the partners may do alone shall bind the partnership.
c. In case of opposition of the other partners, the decision of the majority shall prevail and
the decision of the partners owning the controlling interest shall prevail in case of tie.
28. Sale or alteration of real or immovable property not classified as inventory of the
partnership
a. As a general rule the sale of real or immovable property not classified as inventory of the
partnership cannot be validly done by the managing partner alone even if it is favorable
to the partnership unless such transaction created estoppel against the partnership.
29. Acts of the partner that bind the partnership
a. Any act of a partner (managing or nonmanaging) for the purpose of the partnership
business provided the other person acted in good faith.
b. Any act of a partner (managing or nonmanaging) including the execution in the partnership
name of any instrument, for apparently carrying on in the usual way the business of the
partnership of which he is a member provided the other person acted in good faith.
c. Any act of a partner (managing or nonmanaging) which is not apparently for the carrying
on of business of the partnership in the usual way but authorized by the other partners
31. Acts that are not considered for apparently carrying on in the usual way of business
of the partnership and may not be performed by a partner unless he is authorized by all the
other partners or these are acts which require unanimous vote of the partners because they
are considered acts of strict ownership or acts of strict dominion
a. Assignment of partnership property in trust for creditors or on the assignee’s promise to
pay the debts of the partnership.
b. Disposition of the goodwill of the business.
c. Acts which would make it impossible to carry on the ordinary business of the partnership.
d. Confession of judgment.
e. Entering into a compromise concerning a partnership’s claim or liability.
f. Submission of a partnership claim or liability to arbitration.
g. Renunciation of a claim of the partnership.
34. Nature of liability of a general partner, whether capitalist or industrial, for the
partnership debts
a. They shall be liable pro rata and subsidiarily with all their separate property and after all
the partnership assets have been exhausted.
36. Exceptional cases wherein the partnership shall be liable directly and solidarily with all
the partners and wherein all partners are liable directly and solidarily with the
partnership for everything chargeable to the partnership
a. For loss or injury caused to a third person or any penalty incurred by reason of the wrongful
act or omission of any partner acting in the ordinary course of business of the partnership
or with the authority of his co-partners.
b. Where one partner acting within the scope of his apparent authority receives money or
property of a third person and misapplies it.
c. Where the partnership in the course of business receives money or property of a third
person and such money or property is misapplied by any partner while it is in custody of
the partnership.
42. Instances wherein any partner shall have the right to a formal account of the
partnership affairs
a. If the partner is wrongfully excluded from the partnership business or possession of its
property by his co-partners.
b. If the right for formal accounting is provided under the terms of articles of co- partnership.
c. If the other partner derived profits without the consent of other partners from any
transaction connected with the formation, conduct, or liquidation of the partnership or from
any use by him of its property.
d. Whenever the circumstances render formal accounting just and reasonable.
43. The partnership shall bear the risk of loss for the following contributions of partners
a. Fungible things or those that cannot be kept without deteriorating.
b. Things contributed to be sold.
c. Things brought and appraised in the inventory unless there is a stipulation to the
contrary but the liability of the partnership is limited only to the value of the things at which
they were appraised.
46. Rules for application of payment when a person owes separate demandable debts to
the partnership and to the partner authorized to receive also known as managing
partner
a. If the claim of the partnership is not yet due but the claim of the managing partner is
already due, the payment shall be applied to the partner’s credit in its entirety.
b. If the debt owed to the managing partner is more onerous than the claim of the
partnership, the selection by the debtor of the more onerous debt as to the application of
payment shall be followed.
c. If both debts are due and demandable and the managing partner issues the receipt for the
partnership claim, payment shall be applied to the partnership credit in its entirety.
d. If both debts are due and demandable and the managing partner issues his ownpersonal
receipt, payment shall be applied to the partnership credit and partner’s credit
proportionately.
Note: The provisions of this article are understood to be without prejudice to the right granted
to the other debtor by article 1252 as regards to application of payment, but only if the personal
credit of the partner should be more onerous to him.
47. Rules for application of payment when a person owes separate demandable debts to
the partnership and to a partner not authorized to receive credit also known as non-
managing partner
a. If both debts are due and demandable and the nonmanaging partner issues his own
personal receipt, payment shall be applied to the nonmanaging partner's claim in its
entirety.
b. If both debts are due and demandable and the nonmanaging partner issues the receipt for
the partnership claim, payment shall be applied to the partnership credit in its
entirety.
49. As a general rule, notice to any partner of any matter relating to partnership affairs
binds the partnership. The following knowledge of a partner binds the partnership
a. The knowledge of a partner acting in the particular matter if he acquires the same while
already a partner.
b. The knowledge of a partner acting on a particular matter if he acquires it before his
admission to the partnership provided the same was still present on his mind.
c. The knowledge of any other partner not acting on a particular matter if he acquired the
same while already a partner and he could and should have reasonably communicated
the same to the partner acting on a particular matter.