Title CIV, California Civ. Code

The seller shall deliver to the buyer at the time of the buyer’s signature a legible copy of the contract or of any other document which the seller has required or requested the buyer to sign, and which he has signed, during the contract negotiation. In addition to the penalties …

Retail installment sales negotiated and entered into by mail or telephone without personal solicitation by a salesman or other representative of the seller, where the seller’s cash and deferred payment prices and other terms are clearly set forth in a catalog or other printed sol…

If it is explicitly understood between the seller and the buyer that all or any part of the cash price will be paid from the proceeds of a loan to be obtained by the buyer from a third party, the contract of sale or purchase order may be rescinded at the election of the buyer, an…

An agent represents his principal for all purposes within the scope of his actual or ostensible authority, and all the rights and liabilities which would accrue to the agent from transactions within such limit, if they had been entered into on his own account, accrue to the princ…

A principal is bound by an incomplete execution of an authority, when it is consistent with the whole purpose and scope thereof, but not otherwise. (Enacted 1872.)

As against a principal, both principal and agent are deemed to have notice of whatever either has notice of, and ought, in good faith and the exercise of ordinary care and diligence, to communicate to the other. (Enacted 1872.)

When an agent exceeds his authority, his principal is bound by his authorized acts so far only as they can be plainly separated from those which are unauthorized. (Enacted 1872.)

A principal is bound by acts of his agent, under a merely ostensible authority, to those persons only who have in good faith, and without want of ordinary care, incurred a liability or parted with value, upon the faith thereof. (Amended by Stats. 1905, Ch. 457.)

If exclusive credit is given to an agent by the person dealing with him, his principal is exonerated by payment or other satisfaction made by him to his agent in good faith, before receiving notice of the creditor’s election to hold him responsible. (Enacted 1872.)

One who deals with an agent without knowing or having reason to believe that the agent acts as such in the transaction, may set off against any claim of the principal arising out of the same, all claims which he might have set off against the agent before notice of the agency. (E…

An instrument within the scope of his authority by which an agent intends to bind his principal, does bind him if such intent is plainly inferable from the instrument itself. (Enacted 1872.)

Unless required by or under the authority of law to employ that particular agent, a principal is responsible to third persons for the negligence of his agent in the transaction of the business of the agency, including wrongful acts committed by such agent in and as a part of the …

A principal is responsible for no other wrongs committed by his agent than those mentioned in the last section, unless he has authorized or ratified them, even though they are committed while the agent is engaged in his service. (Enacted 1872.)

Notwithstanding an agreement to the contrary, a lien, or a contract for a lien, transfers no title to the property subject to the lien. (Enacted 1872.)

All contracts for the forfeiture of property subject to a lien, in satisfaction of the obligation secured thereby, and all contracts in restraint of the right of redemption from a lien, are void. (Enacted 1872.)

The creation of a lien does not of itself imply that any person is bound to perform the act for which the lien is a security. (Enacted 1872.)

The existence of a lien upon property does not of itself entitle the person in whose favor it exists to a lien upon the same property for the performance of any other obligation than that which the lien originally secured. (Enacted 1872.)

One who holds property by virtue of a lien thereon, is not entitled to compensation from the owner thereof for any trouble or expense which he incurs respecting it, except to the same extent as a borrower, under Sections 1892 and 1893. (Enacted 1872.)

(a) In an action for the breach of an obligation not arising from contract, where it is proven by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant has been guilty of oppression, fraud, or malice, the plaintiff, in addition to the actual damages, may recover damages for the sake o…

(a) The court may, for good cause, grant any defendant a protective order requiring the plaintiff to produce evidence of a prima facie case of liability for damages pursuant to Section 3294, prior to the introduction of evidence of: (1) The profits the defendant has gained by vir…

(a) Whenever a judgment for punitive damages is entered against an insurer or health care service plan licensed pursuant to Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code, the plaintiff in the action shall, within 10 days of entry of judgme…

(a) For the purpose of this title, completion of a work of improvement occurs upon the occurrence of any of the following events: (1) Actual completion of the work of improvement. (2) Occupation or use by the owner accompanied by cessation of labor. (3) Cessation of labor for a c…

(a) An owner may record a notice of completion on or within 15 days after the date of completion of a work of improvement. (b) The notice of completion shall be signed and verified by the owner. (c) The notice shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 2 (commencing with Secti…

A notice of completion in otherwise proper form, verified and containing the information required by this title, shall be accepted by the recorder for recording and is deemed duly recorded without acknowledgment. (Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 697, Sec. 20. (SB 189) Effective January…

If a work of improvement is made pursuant to two or more direct contracts, each covering a portion of the work of improvement: (a) The owner may record a notice of completion of a direct contract for a portion of the work of improvement. On recordation of the notice of completion…

(a) An owner may record a notice of cessation if there has been a continuous cessation of labor on a work of improvement for at least 30 days prior to the recordation that continues through the date of the recordation. (b) The notice shall be signed and verified by the owner. (c)…

(a) An owner that records a notice of completion or cessation shall, within 10 days of the date the notice of completion or cessation is filed for record, give a copy of the notice to all of the following persons: (1) A direct contractor. (2) A claimant that has given the owner p…

(a) If the time within which an interest in real property expires pursuant to this title depends upon recordation of a notice of intent to preserve the interest, a person may preserve the person’s interest from expiration by recording a notice of intent to preserve the interest b…

A notice of intent to preserve an interest in real property may be recorded by any of the following persons: (a) A person who claims the interest. (b) Another person acting on behalf of a claimant if the person is authorized to act on behalf of the claimant or if the claimant is …

Subject to all statutory requirements for recorded documents: (a) A notice of intent to preserve an interest in real property shall be in writing and signed and verified by or on behalf of the claimant. If the notice is made on behalf of a claimant, the notice shall include a sta…

Subject to all statutory requirements for recorded documents, a notice of intent to preserve an interest in real property shall be in substantially the following form: RECORDING INFORMATION Recording requested by: FOR USE OF COUNTY RECORDER After recording return to: Indexing ins…

(a) A notice of intent to preserve an interest in real property shall be recorded in the county in which the real property is situated. (b) The county recorder shall index a notice of intent to preserve an interest in real property in the index of grantors and grantees. The index…

A person shall not record a notice of intent to preserve an interest in real property for the purpose of slandering title to the real property. If the court in an action or proceeding to establish or quiet title determines that a person recorded a notice of intent to preserve an …

If the period prescribed by statute during which a notice of intent to preserve an interest in real property must be recorded expires before, on, or within five years after the operative date of the statute, the period is extended until five years after the operative date of the …

Section Ten Hundred and Fifty-three. A transfer in writing is called a grant, or conveyance, or bill of sale. The term “grant,” in this and the next two Articles, includes all these instruments, unless it is specially applied to real property. (Amended by Code Amendments 1873-74,…

Grants are to be interpreted in like manner with contracts in general, except so far as is otherwise provided in this Article. (Enacted 1872.)

A clear and distinct limitation in a grant is not controlled by other words less clear and distinct. (Enacted 1872.)

If the operative words of a grant are doubtful, recourse may be had to its recitals to assist the construction. (Enacted 1872.)

A grant is to be interpreted in favor of the grantee, except that a reservation in any grant, and every grant by a public officer or body, as such, to a private party, is to be interpreted in favor of the grantor. (Enacted 1872.)

If several parts of a grant are absolutely irreconcilable, the former part prevails. (Enacted 1872.)

Words of inheritance or succession are not requisite to transfer a fee in real property. (Enacted 1872.)

No contract or obligation shall contain any provision by which: (a) The buyer agrees not to assert against a seller a claim or defense arising out of the sale or agrees not to assert against an assignee such a claim or defense other than as provided in Section 1804.2. (b) In the …

(a) An assignee of the seller’s rights is subject to all equities and defenses of the buyer against the seller arising out of the sale, notwithstanding an agreement to the contrary, but the assignee’s liability may not exceed the amount of the debt owing to the assignee at the ti…

(a) No contract other than one for services shall provide for a security interest in any goods theretofore fully paid for or which have not been sold by the seller. (b) Any contract for goods which provides for a security interest in real property where the primary goods sold are…

Any provision in a contract which is prohibited by this chapter shall be void but shall not otherwise affect the validity of the contract. (Added by Stats. 1959, Ch. 201.)

One who assumes to act as an agent thereby warrants, to all who deal with him in that capacity, that he has the authority which he assumes. (Enacted 1872.)