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HomeCorporations CodeCh. 1§ 25503 Civil Liability For Securities Violations

§ 25503 Civil Liability For Securities Violations

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

§ 25503 Civil Liability For Securities Violations

Key Takeaways

  • •If someone breaks the rules when selling stocks or investments, the buyer can sue to get their money back plus interest and lawyer fees.
  • •If the buyer still has the stock, they can return it and get their money back minus any money they made from it.
  • •If the buyer sold the stock, they can get the difference between what they paid and what they sold it for, plus interest and lawyer fees.
  • •If the buyer can't return what they paid (like if they traded something else), they can still get money back based on what they gave up.

Example

You buy a stock from a company, but later find out they lied about how good the stock was. You sold the stock for less than you paid.

You can sue the company to get back the difference between what you paid and what you sold it for, plus interest and lawyer fees.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 25503 Civil Liability For Securities Violations

Any person who violates Section 25110, 25130, or 25133, or a condition of qualification under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 25110) of this part, imposed pursuant to Section 25141, or an order suspending trading issued pursuant to Section 25219, shall be liable to any person acquiring from them the security sold in violation of that section, who may sue to recover the consideration they paid for that security with interest thereon at the legal rate, and reasonable attorney’s fees, less the amount of any income received therefrom, upon the tender of that security, or for damages, if they no longer own the security, or if the consideration given for the security is not capable of being returned. Damages, if the plaintiff no longer owns the security, shall be equal to the difference between (a) the purchase price plus interest at the legal rate from the date of purchase, plus reasonable attorney’s fees, and (b) the value of the security at the time it was disposed of by the plaintiff plus the amount of any income received therefrom by the plaintiff. Damages, if the consideration given for the security is not capable of being returned, shall be equal to the value of that consideration plus interest at the legal rate from the date of purchase, provided the security is tendered, plus reasonable attorney’s fees; and if the plaintiff no longer owns the security, damages in that case shall be equal to the difference between (a) the value of the consideration given for the security plus interest at the legal rate from the date of purchase, plus reasonable attorney’s fees; and (b) the value of the security at the time it was disposed of by the plaintiff plus the amount of any income received therefrom by the plaintiff. Any person who violates Section 25120 or a condition of qualification under Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 25120) of this part imposed pursuant to Section 25141, shall be liable to any person acquiring from them the security sold in violation of that section who may sue to recover the difference between (a) the value of the consideration received by the seller and (b) the value of the security at the time it was received by the buyer, with interest thereon at the legal rate from the date of purchase, plus reasonable attorney’s fees. Any person on whose behalf an offering is made and any underwriter of the offering, whether on a best efforts or a firm commitment basis, shall be jointly and severally liable under this section, but in no event shall any underwriter (unless that underwriter shall have knowingly received from the issuer for acting as an underwriter some benefit, directly or indirectly, in which all other underwriters similarly situated did not share in proportion to their respective interest in the underwriting) be liable in any suit or suits authorized under this section for damages in excess of the total price at which the securities underwritten by them and distributed to the public were offered to the public. Any tender specified in this section may be made at any time before entry of judgment. No person shall be liable under this section for violation of Section 25110, 25120 or 25130 if the sale of the security is qualified prior to the payment or receipt of any part of the consideration for the security sold, even though an offer to sell or a contract of sale may have been made or entered into without qualification. (Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 617, Sec. 3. (AB 511) Effective January 1, 2022.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

violationliabilityconsiderationinterestattorney’s feesdamagestender of the security

Related Statutes

  • § 31303 Franchise Violation Lawsuit Deadlines
  • § 31304 Franchise Violation Lawsuit Deadlines
  • § 6338 Membership List Use Restrictions
  • § 12213 Correction Of Corporate Filings
  • § 12313 Optional Corporate Articles Provisions

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Corporations Code. Section 25503.
View Official Source