LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeCorporations CodeCh. 17§ 6721 Post-Dissolution Corporate Lawsuits

§ 6721 Post-Dissolution Corporate Lawsuits

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

§ 6721 Post-Dissolution Corporate Lawsuits

Key Takeaways

  • •If a company shuts down, you can still sue it for things it did before shutting down. You sue the people who got the company's stuff when it closed.
  • •You have to tell the Attorney General about the lawsuit, and they can join in if they want.
  • •If you can't find anyone from the old company, you can give the lawsuit papers to the Secretary of State, and it counts as telling the company after 10 days.
  • •Even after a company is gone, it still exists in a way so people can sue over who owns what, like property.

Example

A toy company goes out of business and gives all its money and toys to its owners. Later, someone finds out a toy they sold was dangerous and hurt a kid.

The hurt kid's family can still sue the toy company, even though it's gone. They would sue the owners who got the company's stuff. They also have to tell the Attorney General about the lawsuit.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 6721 Post-Dissolution Corporate Lawsuits

(a) In all cases where a corporation has been dissolved, any person to whom assets were distributed upon dissolution may be sued in the corporate name upon any cause of action against the corporation arising prior to its dissolution. Notice of such action shall be given to the Attorney General who may intervene. This section is procedural in nature and is not intended to determine liability. (b) Summons or other process against such a corporation may be served by delivering a copy thereof to an officer, director or person having charge of its assets or, if no such person can be found, to any agent upon whom process might be served at the time of dissolution. If none of such persons can be found with due diligence and it is so shown by affidavit to the satisfaction of the court, then the court may make an order that summons or other process be served upon the dissolved corporation by personally delivering a copy thereof, together with a copy of the order, to the Secretary of State or an assistant or deputy secretary of state. Service in this manner is deemed complete on the 10th day after the delivery of process to the Secretary of State. A copy of any summons or other process shall be served on the Attorney General. (c) Every such corporation shall survive and continue to exist indefinitely for the purpose of being sued in any quiet title action. Any judgment rendered in any such action shall bind each and every person having an interest in such corporation, to the extent of their interest therein, and such action shall have the same force and effect as an action brought under the provisions of Sections 410.50 and 410.60 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Service of summons or other process in any such action may be made as provided in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 413.10) of Title 5 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure or as provided in subdivision (b). (d) Upon receipt of such process and the fee therefor, the Secretary of State forthwith shall give notice to the corporation as provided in Section 1702. (Amended by Stats. 1979, Ch. 724.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

dissolved corporationcause of actionquiet title actionservice of process

Related Statutes

  • § 12661 Corporate Dissolution Winding Up
  • § 12662 Enforcing Claims Against Dissolved Corporations
  • § 1702 Corporate Process Service Rules
  • § 6720 Corporate Post-Dissolution Rights
  • § 8722 Corporate Dissolution Winding Up

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 6721.
View Official Source