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HomeCommercial CodeDiv. 8Ch. 5§ 8511 Priority Of Security Entitlements

§ 8511 Priority Of Security Entitlements

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

§ 8511 Priority Of Security Entitlements

This law says that when a securities middleman doesn’t have enough assets to pay both the people who own securities and a creditor who has a claim on those assets, the creditor’s claim comes first, unless the creditor controls the assets.

Key Takeaways

  • •Creditors can get priority over owners if the middleman lacks enough assets.
  • •If the creditor actually controls the asset, their claim may be weaker.
  • •The same rule applies to clearing corporations.

Example

A bank holds stocks for its customers but also uses those stocks as collateral for a loan from another bank.

If the holding bank can’t return the stocks to the customers because it owes money to the loaning bank, the loaning bank can claim the stocks first, unless the loaning bank actually controls the stocks.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 8511 Priority Of Security Entitlements

(a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (b) and (c), if a securities intermediary does not have sufficient interests in a particular financial asset to satisfy both its obligations to entitlement holders who have security entitlements to that financial asset and its obligation to a creditor of the securities intermediary who has a security interest in that financial asset, the claims of entitlement holders, other than the creditor, have priority over the claim of the creditor. (b) A claim of a creditor of a securities intermediary who has a security interest in a financial asset held by a securities intermediary has priority over claims of the securities intermediary’s entitlement holders who have security entitlements with respect to that financial asset if the creditor has control over the financial asset. (c) If a clearing corporation does not have sufficient financial assets to satisfy both its obligations to entitlement holders who have security entitlements with respect to a financial asset and its obligation to a creditor of the clearing corporation who has a security interest in that financial asset, the claim of the creditor has priority over the claims of entitlement holders. (Added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 497, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1997.)

Last verified: January 10, 2026

Key Terms

securities intermediaryentitlement holderssecurity entitlementscreditorsecurity interestfinancial assetclearing corporationcontrol

Related Statutes

  • § 8504 Securities Intermediary Asset Maintenance
  • § 8501 Securities Account Entitlements
  • § 8503 Securities Intermediary Asset Protection
  • § 8506 Securities Intermediary Duties
  • § 9206 Security Interests Financial Assets

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Commercial Code. Section 8511.
View Official Source