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HomeCivil CodeDiv. 4Pt. 6Ch. 5Art. 3§ 8538 Claimant Notice Of Election

§ 8538 Claimant Notice Of Election

Civil Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 8538 Claimant Notice Of Election

Key Takeaways

  • •If you ask for a notice about money not being held back, you must do it in writing when you tell the lender to stop payment.
  • •The lender has 30 days to tell you if they decide not to hold back the money.
  • •If the lender forgets to include a copy of the payment bond with the notice, they won't be in trouble if it was a mistake, they have rules to avoid mistakes, and they fix it within 20 days of finding out.

Example

You're working on building a house and haven't been paid. You tell the bank to stop paying the builder until you get your money.

You also ask the bank to let you know if they decide not to stop the payment. The bank has 30 days to tell you their decision. If they forget to send a copy of the payment bond with their decision, they won't be in trouble if it was a mistake and they fix it quickly.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8538 Claimant Notice Of Election

(a) The claimant may make a written request for notice of an election by the construction lender under Section 8536 not to withhold funds. The request shall be made at the time the claimant gives the construction lender the stop payment notice and shall be accompanied by a preaddressed, stamped envelope. (b) If the construction lender elects not to withhold funds under Section 8536, the lender shall, within 30 days after making the election, give notice of that fact to a claimant who has requested notice of the election under subdivision (a). The notice shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 8100) of Title 1. If the basis of the election is the recordation of a payment bond under Section 8600, the construction lender shall include a copy of the bond with the notice. (c) A construction lender is not liable for failure to include a copy of the bond with the notice under this section if all of the following conditions are satisfied: (1) The failure was not intentional and resulted from a bona fide error. (2) The lender maintains reasonable procedures to avoid an error of that type. (3) The lender corrected the error not later than 20 days after the date the lender discovered the violation. (Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 697, Sec. 20. (SB 189) Effective January 1, 2011. Operative July 1, 2012, by Sec. 105 of Ch. 697 and by Section 8052.)

Last verified: January 21, 2026

Key Terms

claimantconstruction lenderstop payment noticepayment bondSection 8536

Related Statutes

  • § 8532 Stop Payment Notice Bond
  • § 8536 Construction Lender Payment Withholding
  • § 8530 Lienholder Stop Payment Notice
  • § 9564 Payment Bond Claim Enforcement
  • § 8502 Stop Payment Notice Requirements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Civil Code. Section 8538.
View Official Source