CHAPTER 13
SENATE BILL No. 8*
An Act enacting the uniform fraudulent transfer
act.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. As used in this act:
(a) ``Affiliate'' means:
(1) A person who directly or indirectly owns, controls or
holds with
power to vote, 20% or more of the outstanding voting securities of
the
debtor, other than a person who holds the securities:
(A) As a fiduciary or agent without sole discretionary power
to vote
the securities; or
(B) solely to secure a debt, if the person has not exercised
the power
to vote;
(2) a corporation 20% or more of whose outstanding voting
securities
are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to
vote,
by the debtor or a person who directly or indirectly owns, controls
or
holds, with power to vote, 20% or more of the outstanding voting
secu-
rities of the debtor, other than a person who holds the
securities:
(A) As a fiduciary or agent without sole power to vote the
securities;
or
(B) solely to secure a debt, if the person has not in fact
exercised the
power to vote;
(3) a person whose business is operated by the debtor under a
lease
or other agreement, or a person substantially all of whose assets
are con-
trolled by the debtor; or
(4) a person who operates the debtor's business under a lease
or other
agreement or controls substantially all of the debtor's assets.
(b) ``Asset'' means property of a debtor. ``Asset'' does not
include:
(1) Property to the extent it is encumbered by a valid lien;
or
(2) property to the extent it is generally exempt under
nonbankruptcy
law.
(c) ``Claim'' means a right to payment, whether or not the
right is
reduced to judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent,
ma-
tured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured
or un-
secured.
(d) ``Creditor'' means a person who has a claim.
(e) ``Debt'' means liability on a claim.
(f) ``Debtor'' means a person who is liable on a claim.
(g) ``Insider'' includes:
(1) If the debtor is an individual:
(A) A relative of the debtor or of a general partner of the
debtor;
(B) a partnership in which the debtor is a general
partner;
(C) a general partner in a partnership described in clause
(B); or
(D) a corporation of which the debtor is a director, officer
or person
in control;
(2) if the debtor is a corporation:
(A) A director of the debtor;
(B) an officer of the debtor;
(C) a person in control of the debtor;
(D) a partnership in which the debtor is a general
partner;
(E) a general partner in a partnership described in clause
(D); or
(F) a relative of a general partner, director, officer or
person in con-
trol of the debtor;
(3) if the debtor is a partnership:
(A) A general partner in the debtor;
(B) a relative of a general partner in, a general partner of,
or a person
in control of the debtor;
(C) another partnership in which the debtor is a general
partner;
(D) a general partner in a partnership described in clause
(C); or
(E) a person in control of the debtor;
(4) an affiliate, or an insider of an affiliate as if the
affiliate were the
debtor; and
(5) a managing agent of the debtor.
(h) ``Lien'' means a charge against or an interest in property
to secure
payment of a debt or performance of an obligation, and includes a
security
interest created by agreement, a judicial lien obtained by legal or
equi-
table process or proceedings, a common-law lien or a statutory
lien.
(i) ``Person'' means an individual, partnership, corporation,
associa-
tion, organization, government or governmental subdivision or
agency,
business trust, estate, trust or any other legal or commercial
entity.
(j) ``Property'' means anything that may be the subject of
ownership.
(k) ``Relative'' means an individual related by consanguinity
within
the third degree as determined by the common law, a spouse or an
in-
dividual related to a spouse within the third degree as so
determined, and
includes an individual in an adoptive relationship within the third
degree.
(l) ``Transfer'' means every mode, direct or indirect,
absolute or con-
ditional, voluntary or involuntary, of disposing of or parting with
an asset
or an interest in an asset, and includes payment of money, release,
lease,
and creation of a lien or other encumbrance.
(m) ``Valid lien'' means a lien that is effective against the
holder of a
judicial lien subsequently obtained by legal or equitable process
or pro-
ceedings.
Sec. 2. (a) A debtor is insolvent if the sum of the
debtor's debts is
greater than all of the debtor's assets at a fair valuation.
(b) A debtor who is generally not paying such debtor's debts
as they
become due is presumed to be insolvent.
(c) A partnership is insolvent under subsection (a) if the sum
of the
partnership's debts is greater than the aggregate, at a fair
valuation, of all
of the partnership's assets and the sum of the excess of the value
of each
general partner's nonpartnership assets over the partner's
nonpartnership
debts.
(d) Assets under this section do not include property that has
been
transferred, concealed or removed with intent to hinder, delay or
defraud
creditors or that has been transferred in a manner making the
transfer
voidable under this act.
(e) Debts under this section do not include an obligation to
the extent
it is secured by a valid lien on property of the debtor not
included as an
asset.
Sec. 3. (a) Value is given for a transfer or an
obligation if, in exchange
for the transfer or obligation, property is transferred or an
antecedent
debt is secured or satisfied, but value does not include an
unperformed
promise made otherwise than in the ordinary course of the
promisor's
business to furnish support to the debtor or another person.
(b) For the purposes of subsection (a)(2) of section 4 and
section 5,
a person gives a reasonably equivalent value if the person acquires
an
interest of the debtor in an asset pursuant to a regularly
conducted, non-
collusive foreclosure sale or execution of a power of sale for the
acquisi-
tion or disposition of the interest of the debtor upon default
under a
mortgage, deed of trust or security agreement.
(c) A transfer is made for present value if the exchange
between the
debtor and the transferee is intended by them to be
contemporaneous
and is in fact substantially contemporaneous.
Sec. 4. (a) A transfer made or obligation incurred by a
debtor is
fraudulent as to a creditor, whether the creditor's claim arose
before or
after the transfer was made or the obligation was incurred, if the
debtor
made the transfer or incurred the obligation:
(1) With actual intent to hinder, delay or defraud any
creditor of the
debtor; or
(2) without receiving a reasonably equivalent value in
exchange for
the transfer or obligation, and the debtor:
(A) Was engaged or was about to engage in a business or a
transaction
for which the remaining assets of the debtor were unreasonably
small in
relation to the business or transaction; or
(B) intended to incur, or believed or reasonably should have
believed
that such debtor would incur, debts beyond such debtor's ability to
pay
as they became due.
(b) In determining actual intent under subsection (a)(1),
considera-
tion may be given, among other factors, to whether:
(1) The transfer or obligation was to an insider;
(2) the debtor retained possession or control of the property
trans-
ferred after the transfer;
(3) the transfer or obligation was disclosed or concealed;
(4) before the transfer was made or obligation was incurred,
the
debtor had been sued or threatened with suit;
(5) the transfer was of substantially all the debtor's
assets;
(6) the debtor absconded;
(7) the debtor removed or concealed assets;
(8) the value of the consideration received by the debtor was
reason-
ably equivalent to the value of the asset transferred or the amount
of the
obligation incurred;
(9) the debtor was insolvent or became insolvent shortly after
the
transfer was made or the obligation was incurred;
(10) the transfer occurred shortly before or shortly after a
substantial
debt was incurred; and
(11) the debtor transferred the essential assets of the
business to a
lienor who transferred the assets to an insider of the debtor.
Sec. 5. (a) A transfer made or obligation incurred
by a debtor is
fraudulent as to a creditor whose claim arose before the transfer
was made
or the obligation was incurred if the debtor made the transfer or
incurred
the obligation without receiving a reasonably equivalent value in
exchange
for the transfer or obligation and the debtor was insolvent at that
time or
the debtor became insolvent as a result of the transfer or
obligation.
(b) A transfer made by a debtor is fraudulent as to a creditor
whose
claim arose before the transfer was made if the transfer was made
to an
insider for an antecedent debt, the debtor was insolvent at that
time, and
the insider had reasonable cause to believe that the debtor was
insolvent.
Sec. 6. For the purposes of this act:
(a) A transfer is made:
(1) With respect to an asset that is real property other than
a fixture,
but including the interest of a seller or purchaser under a
contract for
the sale of the asset, when the transfer is so far perfected that a
good-
faith purchaser of the asset from the debtor against whom
applicable law
permits the transfer to be perfected cannot acquire an interest in
the
asset that is superior to the interest of the transferee; and
(2) with respect to an asset that is not real property or that
is a fixture,
when the transfer is so far perfected that a creditor on a simple
contract
cannot acquire a judicial lien otherwise than under this act that
is superior
to the interest of the transferee;
(b) if applicable law permits the transfer to be perfected as
provided
in paragraph (1) and the transfer is not so perfected before the
com-
mencement of an action for relief under this act, the transfer is
deemed
made immediately before the commencement of the action;
(c) if applicable law does not permit the transfer to be
perfected as
provided in paragraph (1), the transfer is made when it becomes
effective
between the debtor and the transferee;
(d) a transfer is not made until the debtor has acquired
rights in the
asset transferred;
(e) an obligation is incurred:
(1) If oral, when it becomes effective between the parties;
or
(2) if evidenced by a writing, when the writing executed by
the obligor
is delivered to or for the benefit of the obligee.
Sec. 7. (a) In an action for relief against a transfer or
obligation under
this act, a creditor, subject to the limitations in section 8, may
obtain:
(1) Avoidance of the transfer or obligation to the extent
necessary to
satisfy the creditor's claim;
(2) an attachment or other provisional remedy against the
asset trans-
ferred or other property of the transferee in accordance with the
proce-
dure prescribed by K.S.A. 60-701 et seq. and amendments
thereto or
other appropriate provision of law;
(3) subject to applicable principles of equity and in
accordance with
applicable rules of civil procedure:
(A) An injunction against further disposition by the debtor or
a trans-
feree, or both, of the asset transferred or of other property;
(B) appointment of a receiver to take charge of the asset
transferred
or of other property of the transferee; or
(C) any other relief the circumstances may require.
(b) If a creditor has obtained a judgment on a claim against
the
debtor, the creditor, if the court so orders, may levy execution on
the
asset transferred or its proceeds.
Sec. 8. (a) A transfer or obligation is not voidable
under subsection
(a)(1) of section 4 against a person who took in good faith and for
a
reasonably equivalent value or against any subsequent transferee or
ob-
ligee.
(b) Except as otherwise provided in this section, to the
extent a trans-
fer is voidable in an action by a creditor under subsection (a)(1)
of section
7, the creditor may recover judgment for the value of the asset
trans-
ferred, as adjusted under subsection (c), or the amount necessary
to satisfy
the creditor's claim, whichever is less. The judgment may be
entered
against:
(1) The first transferee of the asset or the person for whose
benefit
the transfer was made; or
(2) any subsequent transferee other than a good faith
transferee who
took for value or from any subsequent transferee.
(c) If the judgment under subsection (b) is based upon the
value of
the asset transferred, the judgment must be for an amount equal to
the
value of the asset at the time of the transfer, subject to
adjustment as the
equities may require.
(d) Notwithstanding voidability of a transfer or an obligation
under
this act, a good faith transferee or obligee is entitled, to the
extent of the
value given the debtor for the transfer or obligation to:
(1) A lien on or a right to retain any interest in the asset
transferred;
(2) enforcement of any obligation incurred; or
(3) a reduction in the amount of the liability on the
judgment.
(e) A transfer is not voidable under subsection (a)(2) of
section 4 or
section 5 if the transfer results from:
(1) Termination of a lease upon default by the debtor when the
ter-
mination is pursuant to the lease and applicable law; or
(2) enforcement of a security interest in compliance with
article 9 of
the uniform commercial code.
(f) A transfer is not voidable under subsection (b) of section
5:
(1) To the extent the insider gave new value to or for the
benefit of
the debtor after the transfer was made unless the new value was
secured
by a valid lien;
(2) if made in the ordinary course of business or financial
affairs of
the debtor and the insider; or
(3) if made pursuant to good faith effort to rehabilitate the
debtor
and the transfer secured present value given for that purpose as
well as
an antecedent debt of the debtor.
Sec. 9. A cause of action with respect to a fraudulent
transfer or
obligation under this act is extinguished unless action is
brought:
(a) Under subsection (a)(1) of section 4, within four years
after the
transfer was made or the obligation was incurred or, if later,
within one
year after the transfer or obligation was or could reasonably have
been
discovered by the claimant;
(b) under subsection (a)(2) of section 4 or subsection (a) of
section
5, within four years after the transfer was made or the obligation
was
incurred; or
(c) under subsection (b) of section 5, within one year after
the trans-
fer was made or the obligation was incurred.
Sec. 10. Unless displaced by the provisions of this act,
the principles
of law and equity, including the law merchant and the law relating
to
principal and agent, estoppel, laches, fraud, misrepresentation,
duress,
coercion, mistake, insolvency or other validating or invalidating
cause,
supplement its provisions.
Sec. 11. This act shall be applied and construed to
effectuate its gen-
eral purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of
this
act among states enacting it.
Sec. 12. This act may be cited as the uniform fraudulent
transfer act.
Sec. 13. This act shall take effect and be in force from
and after
January 1, 1999, and its publication in the statute book.
Approved February 20, 1998