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HomeCommercial CodeDiv. 10Ch. 5Art. 3§ 10527 Lessor Disposal After Default

§ 10527 Lessor Disposal After Default

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

§ 10527 Lessor Disposal After Default

This law explains what happens when someone who rents something (like a car or equipment) breaks the rental agreement. The owner can rent or sell the item to someone else and may ask the original renter to pay for any money lost.

Key Takeaways

  • •If you break a rental agreement, the owner can rent or sell the item to someone else.
  • •You might have to pay the difference between what you owed and what the new renter is paying.
  • •The owner can also ask you to cover extra costs like repairs or storage.
  • •The owner doesn’t have to share any profit they make from renting or selling the item again.

Example

You rent a car for a year but stop paying after 6 months. The car company takes the car back and rents it to someone else for less money.

The car company can ask you to pay the difference between what you owed and what the new renter is paying, plus any extra costs like towing the car.

How to Calculate

Damages = (Accrued and unpaid rent) + (Present value of remaining rent in original lease - Present value of rent in new lease for the same period) + (Incidental damages) - (Expenses saved due to default)

  1. Calculate how much rent was unpaid when the original renter stopped paying.
  2. Find the total rent left for the rest of the original lease and calculate its present value (how much it’s worth today).
  3. Find the rent from the new lease for the same period and calculate its present value.
  4. Subtract the new lease’s present value from the original lease’s present value.
  5. Add any extra costs (like storing or fixing the item) and subtract any money the owner saved because the original renter defaulted.

You rented a car for $500/month for 12 months but stopped paying after 6 months. The car company rents it to someone else for $400/month for the remaining 6 months. They also spent $200 to clean and repair the car.

Result: $2,500 + ($3,000 - $2,400) + $200 - $0 = $3,300

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 10527 Lessor Disposal After Default

(a) After a default by a lessee under the lease contract of the type described in subdivision (a) of, or paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of, Section 10523 or after the lessor refuses to deliver or takes possession of goods (Section 10525 or 10526), or, if agreed, after other default by a lessee, the lessor may dispose of the goods concerned or the undelivered balance thereof by lease, sale, or otherwise. (b) Except as otherwise provided with respect to damages liquidated in the lease agreement (Section 10504) or otherwise determined pursuant to agreement of the parties (Sections 1302 and 10503), if the disposition is by lease agreement substantially similar to the original lease agreement and the new lease agreement is made in good faith and in a commercially reasonable manner, the lessor may recover from the lessee as damages (1) accrued and unpaid rent as of the date of the commencement of the term of the new lease agreement, (2) the present value, as of the same date, of the total rent for the then remaining lease term of the original lease agreement minus the present value, as of the same date, of the rent under the new lease agreement applicable to that period of the new lease term which is comparable to the then remaining term of the original lease agreement, and (3) any incidental damages allowed under Section 10530, less expenses saved in consequence of the lessee’s default. (c) If the lessor’s disposition is by lease agreement that for any reason does not qualify for treatment under subdivision (b), or is by sale or otherwise, the lessor may recover from the lessee as if the lessor had elected not to dispose of the goods and Section 10528 governs. (d) A subsequent buyer or lessee who buys or leases from the lessor in good faith for value as a result of a disposition under this section takes the goods free of the original lease contract and any rights of the original lessee even though the lessor fails to comply with one or more of the requirements of this division. (e) The lessor is not accountable to the lessee for any profit made on any disposition. A lessee who has rightfully rejected or justifiably revoked acceptance shall account to the lessor for any excess over the amount of the lessee’s security interest (subdivision (e) of Section 10508). (Amended by Stats. 2006, Ch. 254, Sec. 71. Effective January 1, 2007.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

agreementdispositiontreatmentpossessioncontractdamagesleasecommencement

Related Statutes

  • § 10518 Lessee Cover After Default
  • § 10523 Lessee Default Remedies
  • § 10504 Lease Damage Liquidation Rules
  • § 10507 Lease Damage Rent Calculation
  • § 10511 Lessee Disposal Of Rejected Goods

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Commercial Code. Section 10527.
View Official Source