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HomeCorporations CodeCh. 1§ 25501 Civil Liability For Misrepresentation

§ 25501 Civil Liability For Misrepresentation

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

§ 25501 Civil Liability For Misrepresentation

Key Takeaways

  • •If someone lies or hides important info when selling or buying stocks, they can be sued by the person they tricked.
  • •The person who was tricked can either cancel the deal (get their money back) or ask for money to cover their losses.
  • •If the deal is canceled, the buyer gets their money back (plus interest) minus any money they made from the stock. The seller gets their stock back if they return the money.
  • •If the person who was tricked no longer has the stock, they can ask for the difference between what they paid and what the stock was worth when they sold it, plus interest.

Example

You buy a stock because the seller said the company was doing great, but they actually knew the company was in trouble.

You can sue the seller. If you still have the stock, you can cancel the deal and get your money back. If you already sold the stock at a loss, you can ask for the difference between what you paid and what you sold it for, plus interest.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 25501 Civil Liability For Misrepresentation

Any person who violates Section 25401 shall be liable to the person who purchases a security from, or sells a security to, that person, who may sue either for rescission or for damages (if the plaintiff or the defendant, as the case may be, no longer owns the security), unless the defendant proves that the plaintiff knew the facts concerning the untruth or omission or that the defendant exercised reasonable care and did not know (or if the defendant had exercised reasonable care, would not have known) of the untruth or omission. Upon rescission, a purchaser may recover the consideration paid for the security, plus interest at the legal rate, less the amount of any income received on the security, upon tender of the security. Upon rescission, a seller may recover the security, upon tender of the consideration paid for the security plus interest at the legal rate, less the amount of any income received by the defendant on the security. Damages recoverable under this section by a purchaser shall be an amount equal to the difference between (a) the price at which the security was bought plus interest at the legal rate from the date of purchase and (b) the value of the security at the time it was disposed of by the plaintiff plus the amount of any income received on the security by the plaintiff. Damages recoverable under this section by a seller shall be an amount equal to the difference between (1) the value of the security at the time of the filing of the complaint plus the amount of any income received by the defendant on the security and (2) the price at which the security was sold plus interest at the legal rate from the date of sale. Any tender specified in this section may be made at any time before entry of judgment. In addition to the relief described above, the court shall award reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to a prevailing purchaser or seller who succeeds in establishing a right to the relief provided by this section. (Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 617, Sec. 2. (AB 511) Effective January 1, 2022.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

Section 25401rescissiondamagesconsideration paidlegal rateincome received

Related Statutes

  • § 25502 Civil Liability For Insider Trading
  • § 166 Corporate Shareholder Distributions
  • § 25500 Civil Liability For Market Manipulation
  • § 25503 Civil Liability For Securities Violations
  • § 25507 Statute Of Limitations

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 25501.
View Official Source