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HomePublic Utilities CodeDiv. 4Ch. 1Art. 4§ 7578 Equipment Ownership Contract Requirements

§ 7578 Equipment Ownership Contract Requirements

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

§ 7578 Equipment Ownership Contract Requirements

Key Takeaways

  • •If you sell, lease, or rent out a car or train engine, the deal must be written down and signed properly, like a big official paper.
  • •The car or train must have the owner's name and the word 'owner,' 'lessor,' or 'bailor' written on both sides in big letters (at least 1 inch tall).
  • •If you don’t do these things, the deal might not count if someone else later buys the car or if the owner owes money to someone.

Example

You sell your car to someone but forget to write your name on the car or sign the papers the right way.

If the person who bought your car doesn’t pay their bills, the people they owe money to might take the car from them. The sale might not count because you didn’t follow the rules.

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

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 7578 Equipment Ownership Contract Requirements

No contract of the type provided for in this article shall be valid as against any subsequent judgment creditor or any subsequent bona fide purchaser for value and without notice, unless all of the following conditions are met: (a) The contract is evidenced by an instrument executed by the parties and duly acknowledged by the vendee, lessee, or bailee, as the case may be, or duly proved before some person authorized by law to take acknowledgments of deeds, and in the same manner as deeds are acknowledged or proved. (b) Each car or locomotive engine so sold, leased, or hired, or contracted to be sold, leased, or hired has the name of the vendor, lessor, or bailor plainly marked in letters not less than one inch in size on each side thereof, followed by the word “owner,” or “lessor,” or “bailor,” as the case may be. (Amended by Stats. 1998, Ch. 829, Sec. 49. Effective January 1, 1999.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

ownerlessorjudgmentcontractdeedvehiclebaillease

Related Statutes

  • § 7577 Railroad Equipment Lease Sales
  • § 212 Common Carrier Water Exemptions
  • § 30005 Rapid Transit Passenger Service
  • § 6002 Franchise Additional Terms Authority
  • § 7529 Railroad Lease Agreements

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Public Utilities Code. Section 7578.
View Official Source