I think your title contains the answer.

The investment was made to buy into the partnership and adjusts your basis in the partnership. Any recovery of that will be offset by the value of the partnership when IT sells or terminates. As the partnership sells off it's assets, the client will be stuck with paying tax on the gains reported by the partnership. In all likelihood the partnership will have zero assets and zero cash when it terminates and that will likely mean a large capital loss on the termination of the partnership. Welcome to $3,000 a year write off for the rest of the client's life.