2000 -- S 2551

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LC01613
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S  T  A  T  E     O  F     R  H  O  D  E     I  S  L  A  N  D    

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2000

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RELATING TO THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE -- BULK TRANSFERS

Introduced By:  Senators Roney and Caprio Date Introduced:  February 9, 2000 Referred To:  Committee on Judiciary

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Chapter 6A-6 of the General Laws entitled "Bulk Transfers" is hereby repealed in its entirety.

6A-6-101. Short title. -- This chapter shall be known and may be cited as Uniform Commercial Code -- Bulk Transfers.

6A-6-102. "Bulk transfer" -- Transfers of equipment -- Enterprises subject to this chapter -- Bulk transfers subject to this chapter. -- (1) A "bulk transfer" is any transfer in bulk and not in the ordinary course of the transferor's business of a major part of the materials, supplies, merchandise, or other inventory (section 6A-9-109) of an enterprise subject to this chapter.

(2) A transfer of a substantial part of the equipment (section 6A-9-109) of such an enterprise is a bulk transfer if it is made in connection with a bulk transfer of inventory, but not otherwise.

(3) The enterprises subject to this chapter are all those whose principal business is the sale of merchandise from stock, including those who manufacture what they sell.

(4) Except as limited by the following section all bulk transfers of goods located within this state are subject to this chapter.

6A-6-103. Transfers excepted from this chapter. -- The following transfers are not subject to this chapter:

(1) Those made to give security for the performance of an obligation;

(2) General assignments for the benefit of all the creditors of the transferor, and subsequent transfers by the assignee thereunder;

(3) Transfers in settlement or realization of a lien or other security interests;

(4) Sales by executors, administrators, receivers, trustees in bankruptcy, or any public officer under judicial process;

(5) Sales made in the course of judicial or administrative proceedings for the dissolution or reorganization of a corporation and of which notice is sent to the creditors of the corporation pursuant to order of the court or administrative agency;

(6) Transfers to a person maintaining a known place of business in this state who becomes bound to pay the debts of the transferor in full and gives public notice of that fact, and who is solvent after becoming so bound;

(7) A transfer to a new business enterprise organized to take over and continue the business, if public notice of the transaction is given and the new enterprise assumes the debts of the transferor and he or she receives nothing from the transaction except an interest in the new enterprise junior to the claims of creditors;

(8) Transfers of property which is exempt from execution.

6A-6-104. Schedule of property, list of creditors. -- (1) Except as provided with respect to auction sales (section 6A-6-107), a bulk transfer subject to this chapter is ineffective against any creditor of the transferor unless:

(a) The transferee requires the transferor to furnish a list of his or her existing creditors prepared as stated in this section; and

(b) The parties prepare a schedule of the property transferred sufficient to identify it; and

(c) The transferee preserves the list and schedule for six (6) months next following the transfer and permits inspection of either or both and copying therefrom at all reasonable hours by any creditor of the transferor, or files the list and schedule in the office of the secretary of state.

(2) The list of creditors must be signed and sworn to or affirmed by the transferor or his or her agent. It must contain the names and business addresses of all creditors of the transferor, with the amounts when known, and also the names of all persons who are known to the transferor to assert claims against him or her even though such claims are disputed.

(3) Responsibility for the completeness and accuracy of the list of creditors rests on the transferor, and the transfer is not rendered ineffective by errors or omissions therein unless the transferee is shown to have had knowledge.

6A-6-105. Notice to creditors. -- In addition to the requirements of the preceding section, any bulk transfer subject to this chapter, except one made by auction sale (section 6A-6-107) is ineffective against any creditor of the transferor unless at least ten (10) days before he or she takes possession of the goods or pays for them, whichever happens first, the transferee gives notice of the transfer in the manner and to the persons hereafter provided (section 6A-6-106).

6A-6-106. The notice. -- (1) The notice to creditors (section 6A-6-105) shall state:

(a) That a bulk transfer is about to be made; and

(b) The names and business addresses of the transferor and transferee, and all other business names and addresses used by the transferor within three (3) years last past so far as known to the transferee; and

(c) Whether or not all the debts of the transferor are to be paid in full as they fall due as a result of the transaction, and if so, the address to which creditors should send their bills.

(2) If the debts of the transferor are not to be paid in full as they fall due or if the transferee is in doubt on that point then the notice shall state further:

(a) The location and general description of the property to be transferred and the estimated total of the transferor's debts;

(b) The address where the schedule of property and list of creditors (section 6A-6-104) may be inspected;

(c) Whether the transfer is to pay existing debts and if so the amount of such debts and to whom owing;

(d) Whether the transfer is for new consideration and if so the amount of such consideration and the time and place of payment.

(3) The notice in any case shall be delivered personally or sent by registered mail to all the persons shown on the list of creditors furnished by the transferor (section 6A-6-104) and to all other persons who are known to the transferee to hold or assert claims against the transferor.

6A-6-107. Auction sales -- "Auctioneer". --(1) A bulk transfer is subject to this chapter even though it is by sale at auction, but only in the manner and with the results stated in this section.

(2) The transferor shall furnish a list of his or her creditors and assist in the preparation of a schedule of the property to be sold, both prepared as before stated (section 6A-6-104).

(3) The person or persons other than the transferor who direct, control, or are responsible for the auction are collectively called the "auctioneer". The auctioneer shall:

(a) Receive and retain the list of creditors and prepare and retain the schedule of property for the period stated in this chapter (section 6A-6-104);

(b) Give notice of the auction personally or by registered mail at least ten (10) days before it occurs to all persons shown on the list of creditors and to all other persons who are known to the auctioneer to hold or assert claims against the transferor.

(4) Failure of the auctioneer to perform any of these duties does not affect the validity of the sale or the title of the purchasers, but if the auctioneer knows that the auction constitutes a bulk transfer such failure renders the auctioneer liable to the creditors of the transferor as a class for the sums owing to them from the transferor up to but not exceeding the net proceeds of the auction. If the auctioneer consists of several persons their liability is joint and several.

6A-6-108. What creditors protected. -- The creditors of the transferor mentioned in this chapter are those holding claims based on transactions or events occurring before the bulk transfer, but creditors who become such after notice to creditors is given (sections 6A-6-105 and 6A-6-106) are not entitled to notice.

6A-6-109. Subsequent transfers. -- When the title of a transferee to property is subject to a defect by reason of his or her noncompliance with the requirements of this chapter, then:

(1) A purchaser of any such property from such transferee who pays no value or who takes with notice of such noncompliance takes subject to such defect; but

(2) A purchaser for value in good faith and without notice takes free of the defect.

6A-6-110. Limitation of actions and levies. -- No action under this chapter shall be brought nor levy made more than six (6) months after the date on which the transferee took possession of the goods unless the transfer has been concealed. If the transfer has been concealed, actions may be brought or levies made within six (6) months after its discovery.

SECTION 2. Section 6A-9-111 of the General Laws in Chapter 6A-9 entitled "Secured Transactions--Sales of Accounts, Contract Rights and Chattel Paper" is hereby repealed.

6A-9-111. Applicability of bulk transfer laws. -- The creation of a security interest is not a bulk transfer under chapter 6 of this title (see section 6A-6-103).

SECTION 3. Section 6A-1-105 of the General Laws in Chapter 6A-1 entitled "General Provisions" is hereby amended to read as follows:

6A-1-105. Territorial application of title 6A -- Parties' power to choose applicable law. -- (1) Except as provided hereafter in this section, when a transaction bears a reasonable relation to this state and also to another state or nation, the parties may agree that the law either of this state or of such other state or nation shall govern their rights and duties. Failing such agreement, title 6A applies to transactions bearing an appropriate relation to this state.

(2) Where one of the following provisions of this title specifies the applicable law, that provision governs and a contrary agreement is effective only to the extent permitted by the law (including the conflict of laws rules) so specified:

(a) Rights of creditors against sold goods. section 6A-2-402.

(b) Applicability of the chapter on leases. sections 6A-2.1-105 and 6A-2.1-106.

(c) Applicability of the chapter on bank deposits and collections. section 6A-4-102.

(d) Bulk transfers subject to the chapter on bulk transfers. section 6A-6-102.

(e) Applicability of the chapter on investment securities. section 6A-8-106.

(f) Perfection provisions of the chapter on secured transactions. section 6A-9-103.

(g) Governing law in the article on funds transfers. section 6A-4.1-507.

SECTION 4. Section 6A-2-403 of the General Laws in Chapter 6A-2 entitled "Sales" is hereby amended to read as follows:

6A-2-403. Power to transfer -- Good faith purchase of goods -- "Entrusting". -- (1) A purchaser of goods acquires all title which his or her transferor had or had power to transfer except that a purchaser of a limited interest acquires rights only to the extent of the interest purchased. A person with voidable title has power to transfer a good title to a good faith purchaser for value. When goods have been delivered under a transaction of purchase the purchaser has such power even though:

(a) The transferor was deceived as to the identity of the purchaser, or

(b) The delivery was in exchange for a check which is later dishonored, or

(c) It was agreed that the transaction was to be a "cash sale", or

(d) The delivery was procured through fraud punishable as larcenous under the criminal law.

(2) Any entrusting of possession of goods to a merchant who deals in goods of that kind gives him or her power to transfer all rights of the entruster to a buyer in ordinary course of business.

(3) "Entrusting" includes any delivery and any acquiescence in retention of possession, regardless of any condition expressed between the parties to the delivery or acquiescence and regardless of whether the procurement of the entrusting or the possessor's disposition of the goods have been such as to be larcenous under the criminal law.

(4) The rights of other purchasers of goods and of lien creditors are governed by the chapters on secured transactions (chapter 9), bulk transfers (chapter 6), and documents of title (chapter 7).

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect upon passage and shall apply to transfers occurring on or after the effective date, provided, however, that any rights or obligations under Sections 1 and 2 of this act before their repeal shall remain valid and may be enforced as though they had not been repealed.

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LC01613
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF

A  N     A   C   T

RELATING TO THE UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE -- BULK TRANSFERS

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This act would repeal the chapter of the general laws pertaining to bulk transfers.

This act would take effect upon passage and would apply to transfers occurring on or after the effective date provided, however, that any rights or obligations under sections 1 and 2 of this act before their repeal would remain valid and may be enforced as though they had not been repealed.


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