A business trust may sue and be sued, and service of process upon one of the trustees is sufficient. A business trust may be sued for debts and other obligations or liabilities contracted or incurred by the trustees, or by the duly authorized agents of such trustees, in the performance of their respective duties under the governing instrument of the business trust, and for any damages to persons or property resulting from the negligence of such trustees or agents acting in the performance of such respective duties. The property of a business trust is subject to attachment and execution as if it were a corporation. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, in the event that the governing instrument of a business trust, including a business trust which is a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (15 U.S.C. § 80a-1 et seq.), creates one or more series as provided in subdivision 47-14A-25(2), and if separate and distinct records are maintained for any such series and the assets associated with any such series are held and accounted for separately from the other assets of the business trust, or any other series thereof, and if the governing instrument so provides, and notice of the limitation on liabilities of a series as referenced in this sentence is set forth in the certificate of trust of the business trust, then the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to a particular series shall be enforceable against the assets of such series only, and not against the assets of the business trust generally or any other series thereof, and, unless otherwise provided in the governing instrument, none of the debts, liabilities, obligations, and expenses incurred, contracted for or otherwise existing with respect to the business trust generally or any other series thereof shall be enforceable against the assets of such series.

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Terms Used In South Dakota Codified Laws 47-14A-9

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Property: includes property, real and personal. See South Dakota Codified Laws 2-14-2
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.

Source: SL 2001, ch 245, § 9.