Abstract

The problem of joint co-ownership in a Polish civil law partnership constitutes one of the most complex and contentious problems in Polish civil law. On one hand, there are many reasons why a civil law partnership should have legal capacity, capacity to be a party in civil cases, bankruptcy capacity and a status of an entrepreneur. On the other hand, the system of joint co-ownership precludes the partnership from being accorded that status. Recognising the legal capacity of a partnership would mean that it is a carrier of rights and obligations. This, however, would be defied by the system of joint co-ownership, since in that case it would be the partners, as coowners, that would be the carriers of rights and obligations. It is not possible that a partnership and its partners are both carriers of the same property rights; particularly, the right to the property of partnership. Even if the legislature de-cided that a civil law partnership is not just a civil law obligation, but also an organisa-tional unit and that the legal capacity should be accorded to it, then the system of joint co-ownership in a civil law partnership would also have to be waived. Numerous provi-sions of public law, including in particular tax law, suggest such a solution. They already treat a civil law partnership as a legal entity. Accordance of” as the act of granting civil law capacity would unify its status in all areas of law. Furthermore, there are cases from foreign law that speak for the above-presented solution. In France and Scotland a civil law partnership has legal personality. In Germany the equivalent partnership was granted legal capacity. In the latter country, this was possible without the need to resign from the system of community of joint co-ownership (Gesamthand). Contrary to the Polish joint co-ownership, the German Gesamthand is not a type of co-ownership, but a type of legal community of personal rather than property nature. In countries in which a civil law partnership has not been granted legal capacity, problems similar to those that occur in Polish law arise. The postulate of granting legal capacity to a civil law partnership is justified. However, it should be limited to partnerships that operate business activity. Ordinary external partnerships do not require legal capacity; therefore they can still retain the system of joint co-ownership.

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