Can I Force My Business Partner to Sell?

No. You cannot force your business partner to sell their share of the business if they don’t want to. 

If you are in this position, and there are no procedures to follow for when a partner wants to exit the business laid out in your operating agreement, there are three routes you could consider to resolve the issue:

• Negotiate a new deal on how the business is run if you wish to stay in the business. The party unhappy with the current business practices could reduce their duties. They could also bring in an impartial, third-party negotiator to renegotiate a deal that works well for both parties. 
• If your partner doesn’t wish to sell or negotiate, you could sell your own share to exit the situation. 
• You can take the matter to court if your partner will not sell or negotiate and you wish to remain in the business. In this case, the court will decide the outcome, and one or both parties may be forced to sell. Due to legal fees, going to court may leave you in a worse position than if you decided to leave the business or sell your share.