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HomeCivil CodeDiv. 4Pt. 6Ch. 5Art. 4§ 8542 Stop Payment Notice Limits

§ 8542 Stop Payment Notice Limits

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

§ 8542 Stop Payment Notice Limits

Key Takeaways

  • •If a contractor or subcontractor tells a bank to stop paying money for a construction project, they can only get the money left after paying others who also asked for their share.
  • •The bank doesn’t have to hold more money than what’s left after paying those other claims.
  • •The bank won’t get in trouble if it doesn’t hold more money than what’s left after those deductions.

Example

A contractor building a house tells the bank to stop paying the builder because they haven’t been paid. But some workers and suppliers also say they haven’t been paid for their work on the same house.

The contractor can only get the money left after the bank pays the workers and suppliers who also asked for their share. The bank doesn’t have to hold extra money, and it won’t be in trouble if it only pays what’s left.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8542 Stop Payment Notice Limits

Notwithstanding Section 8540: (a) If funds are withheld pursuant to a stop payment notice given to a construction lender by a direct contractor or subcontractor, the direct contractor or subcontractor may recover only the net amount due the direct contractor or subcontractor after deducting any funds that are withheld by the construction lender pursuant to the claims of subcontractors and material suppliers that have given a stop payment notice for work done on behalf of the direct contractor or subcontractor. (b) In no event is the construction lender required to withhold, pursuant to a stop payment notice, more than the net amount provided in subdivision (a). Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a construction lender is not liable for failure to withhold more than that net amount on receipt of a stop payment notice. (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

stop payment noticenet amount dueconstruction lenderdirect contractorsubcontractor

Related Statutes

  • § 8544 Stop Payment Notice Priority
  • § 8506 Stop Payment Notice Requirements
  • § 8520 Stop Payment Notice Requirements
  • § 8522 Owner Stop Payment Obligations
  • § 8530 Lienholder Stop Payment Notice

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Civil Code. Section 8542.
View Official Source