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HomeCorporations CodeCh. 3Art. 5§ 12443 Creditor Actions Against Members

§ 12443 Creditor Actions Against Members

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

§ 12443 Creditor Actions Against Members

This law says a creditor can't go after a member of a corporation to pay the corporation's debts unless they've already tried to get the money from the corporation and failed.

Key Takeaways

  • •Creditors must first try to get money from the corporation before going after its members.
  • •If the corporation can't pay, then creditors can ask members to pay what they owe.
  • •Members can be sued together in the same case, and any money they pay goes toward their debt to the corporation.

Example

A bank loans money to a small business, but the business can't pay it back.

The bank can't immediately ask the business owner to pay the debt. First, the bank must try to get the money from the business itself and fail before going after the owner.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 12443 Creditor Actions Against Members

(a) No action shall be brought by or on behalf of any creditor to reach and apply the liability, if any, of a member to the corporation to pay the amount due on such member’s membership or otherwise due to the corporation unless final judgment has been rendered in favor of the creditor against the corporation and execution has been returned unsatisfied in whole or in part or unless such proceedings would be useless. (b) All creditors of the corporation, with or without reducing their claims to judgment, may intervene in any such creditor’s action to reach and apply unpaid amounts due the corporation and any or all members who owe amounts to the corporation may be joined in such action. Several judgments may be rendered for and against the parties to the action or in favor of a receiver for the benefit of the respective parties thereto. (c) All amounts paid by any member in any such action shall be credited on the unpaid balance due the corporation by such member. (Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 1625, Sec. 3. Operative January 1, 1984.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

creditormembercorporationfinal judgmentexecutionunpaid amountsliability

Related Statutes

  • § 5352 Creditor Claims Against Members
  • § 9352 Creditor Claims Against Members
  • § 7353 Creditor Claims Against Members
  • § 12441 Member Dues And Fees Liability
  • § 2702 Agent Indemnification Expenses

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 12443.
View Official Source