If I left a business partnership andused my personal cell for business, can the remaining partner demand the phone number be turned over to her?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I left a business partnership andused my personal cell for business, can the remaining partner demand the phone number be turned over to her?
The dissolution agreement that was signed specifically says “business assets”, phone numbers, fax numbers, training presentations, files, etc. She is now saying my cell phone number must be put in her name. This is my personal cell phone number that I had before even meeting my now ex-partner. She has one also, and we both made both business and personal calls with them, and they were both listed on every email, letter, website, etc. The phone and number have always been registered in my name, and not linked with the business name at all. Does she have a leg to stand on?
Asked on January 25, 2011 under Business Law, Pennsylvania
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
She probably does have a leg to stand on--business assets can include assets of the owners or partners which they had previously but in some fashion turned over to the business. If the phone number was listed on emails, letters, website, etc., a reasonable case can be made that the phone number was given to the business and became a business asset--it's part of how vendors, customers, etc. know and contact the business. This is not to say that, if push came to shove, the partner would win--but she does have a case to be made, and you now need to decide how much money and effort you are potentially willing to spend (e.g. in a lawsuit) to retain this phone number, especially when you could still lose at the end of the day.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.