(a)  A transfer or obligation is not voidable under § 6-16-4(a)(1) against a person who took in good faith and for a reasonably equivalent value given the debtor or against any subsequent transferee or obligee.

Terms Used In Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-8

  • Asset: means property of a debtor, but the term does not include:

    (i)  Property to the extent it is encumbered by a valid lien;

    (ii)  Property to the extent it is generally exempt under nonbankruptcy law; or

    (iii)  An interest in property held in tenancy by the entireties to the extent it is not subject to process by a creditor holding a claim against only one tenant. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1

  • Claim: means a right to payment, whether or not the right is reduced to judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured, or unsecured. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1
  • Creditor: means a person who has a claim. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1
  • Debt: means liability on a claim. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1
  • Debtor: means a person who is liable on a claim. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Insider: includes :

    (i)  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 subsection (8)(i)(B); or

    (D)  A corporation of which the debtor is a director, officer, or person in control;

    (ii)  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 subsection (8)(ii)(D); or

    (F)  A relative of a general partner, director, officer, or person in control of the debtor;

    (iii)  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 subsection (8)(iii)(C); or

    (E)  A person in control of the debtor;

    (iv)  An affiliate, or an insider of an affiliate as if the affiliate were the debtor; and

    (v)  A managing agent of the debtor. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1

  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • 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 equitable process or proceedings; a common-law lien; or a statutory lien. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: means an individual, estate, partnership, association, trust, business or nonprofit entity, public corporation, government or governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality, or other legal or commercial entity. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1
  • Transfer: means every mode, direct or indirect, absolute or conditional, voluntary or involuntary, of disposing of or parting with an asset or an interest in an asset, and includes payment of money, release, lease, license, and creation of a lien or other encumbrance. See Rhode Island General Laws 6-16-1
  • Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC

(b)  To the extent a transfer is voidable in an action by a creditor under § 6-16-7(a)(1), the following rules apply:

(1)  Except as otherwise provided in this section, the creditor may recover judgment for the value of the asset transferred, as adjusted under subsection (c) of this section, or the amount necessary to satisfy the creditor’s claim, whichever is less. The judgment may be entered against:

(i)  The first transferee of the asset or the person for whose benefit the transfer was made; or

(ii)  An immediate or mediate transferee of the first transferee, other than:

(A)  A good-faith transferee that took for value; or

(B)  An immediate or mediate good-faith transferee of a person described in subsection (b)(1)(ii)(A) of this section.

(2)  Recovery pursuant to § 6-16-7(a)(1) or (b) or from the asset transferred or its proceeds, by levy or otherwise, is available only against a person described in subsection (b)(1)(i) or (ii) of this section.

(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 chapter, a good-faith transferee or obligee, to the extent of the value given the debtor for the transfer or obligation, is entitled to:

(1)  A lien on or a right to retain an interest in the asset transferred;

(2)  Enforcement of an obligation incurred; or

(3)  A reduction in the amount of the liability on the judgment.

(e)  A transfer is not voidable under § 6-16-4(a)(2) or § 6-16-5 if the transfer results from:

(1)  Termination of a lease upon default by the debtor when the termination 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, other than acceptance of collateral in full or partial satisfaction of the obligation it secures.

(f)  A transfer is not voidable under § 6-16-5(b):

(1)  To the extent the insider gave new value to or for the benefit of the debtor after the transfer was made except to the extent 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 a 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.

(g)  The following rules determine the burden of proving matters referred to in this section:

(1)  A party that seeks to invoke subsection (a), (d), (e), or (f) has the burden of proving the applicability of that subsection.

(2)  Except as otherwise provided in subsections (g)(3) and (g)(4), the creditor has the burden of proving each applicable element of subsection (b) or (c) of this section.

(3)  The transferee has the burden of proving the applicability to the transferee of subsection (b)(1)(ii)(A) or (B) of this section.

(4)  A party that seeks adjustment under subsection (c) of this section has the burden of proving the adjustment.

(h)  Proof of matters referred to in this section is sufficient if established by a preponderance of the evidence.

History of Section.
P.L. 1986, ch. 438, § 2; P.L. 2018, ch. 141, § 2; P.L. 2018, ch. 236, § 2.