§ 42:2A-60 — Transacting business without certificate of authority

Transacting business without certificate of authority. a. A foreign limited partnership transacting business in this State may not maintain an action in any court of this State until it has obtained a certificate of authority to transact business in this State. b. The failure of a foreign limited partnership to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in this State does not impair the validity of any contract or act of the foreign limited partnership or prevent the foreign limited partnership from defending an action in any court of this State. c. A limited partner of a foreign limited partnership is not liable as a general partner of the foreign limited partnership solely by reason of the foreign limited partnership having transacted business in this State without having obtained a certificate of authority to transact business; provided that, on ascertaining that no certificate of authority to transact business in this State exists, he promptly: (1) Causes an appropriate certificate of authority to transact business in this State to be executed and filed; or (2) Withdraws from future equity participation in the enterprise pursuant to the laws of the state in which the limited partnership was formed. d. A foreign limited partnership, by transacting business in this State without having obtained a certificate of authority to transact business, appoints the Secretary of State as its agent for service of process with respect to claims arising out of the transaction of business in this State. e. A foreign limited partnership which transacts business in this State without a certificate of authority to transact business shall forfeit to the State a penalty of not less than $200.00, nor more than $1,000.00 for each calendar year, or part thereof, not more than five years prior thereto, in which it shall have transacted business in this State without the certificate. The penalty shall be recovered with costs in an action prosecuted by the Attorney General. The court may proceed in the action in a summary manner or otherwise. L. 1983, c. 489, s. 59; amended 1988,c.130,s.30.