Virginia Code 13.1-1231: Capacity to sue and be sued; process; liabilities and obligations; attachment; seizure of certain assets.
A. A business trust may sue and be sued in its own name, and service of process on one of the trustees shall be sufficient to constitute service on the business trust.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 13.1-1231
- Articles of trust: includes the original articles of trust, the original certificate of trust issued by the Commission, and all amendments to the articles of trust. See Virginia Code 13.1-1201
- 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.
- Business trust: includes , without limitation, any of the following entities that conform with subdivisions 1 and 2 of this definition:
(1) A trust of the type known at common law as a "business trust" or "Massachusetts trust";
(2) A trust qualifying as a real estate mortgage investment conduit under § 860 D of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or under any successor provision;
(3) A trust qualifying as a real estate investment trust under §§ 856 through 859 of the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or under any successor provision; or
(4) A "real estate investment trust" or "trust" created under former Chapter 9 of Title 6 or former Chapter 9 of Title 6. See Virginia Code 13.1-1201
- 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.
- Governing instrument: means a trust instrument that creates a business trust and provides for the governance of the affairs of the business trust and the conduct of its business, including, without limitation, a declaration of trust. See Virginia Code 13.1-1201
- Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
- Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
- Trust: includes a common law trust, business trust, and foreign business trust. See Virginia Code 13.1-1201
B. 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.
C. The property of a business trust is subject to attachment and execution as if the business trust was a Virginia corporation organized under Chapter 9 (§ 13.1-601 et seq.) of this title.
D. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, in the event that the governing instrument of a business trust, including a business trust that is a registered investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, creates one or more series as provided in subsection B of § 13.1-1219, 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, and if the governing instrument so provides, and notice of the limitation on liabilities of a series as referenced in this subsection is set forth in the articles 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 that series only, and not against the assets of the business trust generally or any other series, and, unless otherwise provided in the articles of trust or 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 shall be enforceable against the assets of that series.
2002, c. 621.