§3913 — Title 50 War and National Defense | U.S. Code

Summary

When a court delays, pauses, or cancels enforcement or legal actions under this law, it can do the same for people who promised to pay or guarantee someone else’s debt — for example, a surety, guarantor, endorser, co‑maker, or similar person. If the court sets aside or cancels a judgment, it can also set it aside or cancel it for those people. A court cannot enforce a bail bond while the person named on the bond is in military service if that service stops the person who promised the bond from getting the named person to court. The court may free the guarantor and cancel the bail during or after the military service, as fairness requires. A guarantor can give up these protections in writing, but the waiver must be a separate document. If someone who signed such a waiver (or their dependent) later enters military service, the waiver is not valid after service begins unless it was signed during the period allowed by section 3917.

Title 50, §3913

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Whenever pursuant to this chapter a court stays, postpones, or suspends (1) the enforcement of an obligation or liability, (2) the prosecution of a suit or proceeding, (3) the entry or enforcement of an order, writ, judgment, or decree, or (4) the performance of any other act, the court may likewise grant such a stay, postponement, or suspension to a surety, guarantor, endorser, accommodation maker, comaker, or other person who is or may be primarily or secondarily subject to the obligation or liability the performance or enforcement of which is stayed, postponed, or suspended.

(b)When a judgment or decree is vacated or set aside, in whole or in part, pursuant to this chapter, the court may also set aside or vacate, as the case may be, the judgment or decree as to a surety, guarantor, endorser, accommodation maker, comaker, or other person who is or may be primarily or secondarily liable on the contract or liability for the enforcement of the judgment or decree.

(c)A court may not enforce a bail bond during the period of military service of the principal on the bond when military service prevents the surety from obtaining the attendance of the principal. The court may discharge the surety and exonerate the bail, in accordance with principles of equity and justice, during or after the period of military service of the principal.

(d)(1)This chapter does not prevent a waiver in writing by a surety, guarantor, endorser, accommodation maker, comaker, or other person (whether primarily or secondarily liable on an obligation or liability) of the protections provided under subsections (a) and (b). Any such waiver is effective only if it is executed as an instrument separate from the obligation or liability with respect to which it applies.

(2)If a waiver under paragraph (1) is executed by an individual who after the execution of the waiver enters military service, or by a dependent of an individual who after the execution of the waiver enters military service, the waiver is not valid after the beginning of the period of such military service unless the waiver was executed by such individual or dependent during the period specified in section 3917 of this title.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 513 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Prior Provisions

A prior section 103 of acts Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, art. I, 54 Stat. 1179; Oct. 6, 1942, ch. 581, §§ 2, 3, 56 Stat. 769; Pub. L. 102–12, § 9(3), Mar. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 39, related to protection of persons secondarily liable, prior to the general amendment of this Act by Pub. L. 108–189.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section applicable to any case not final before Dec. 19, 2003, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–189, set out as a note under section 3901 of this title.

§3913 Protection of persons secondarily liable