Subchapter II. Rights of Sureties
TITLE 18
Insurance Code
Suretyship
CHAPTER 77. SURETYSHIP
Subchapter II. Rights of Sureties
§ 7709. Assignment of obligation.
Where any persons are bound in any bond, bill or other writing made payable to any person, his executors, administrators, order or assigns, and the money due thereon or any balance thereof, shall be paid or tendered by a surety therein, the obligee shall be obliged to assign such bond, bill or other writing to such surety, and such assignee shall, by virtue of such assignment, have an action in his own name thereon against the principal debtor or his representative.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7709; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460.;
§ 7710. Joint sureties or debtors; assignment.
Where several persons are bound together in any bond, bill or other writing as joint debtors or as joint sureties, in any sum of money made payable to any person, his/her executors, administrators, order or assign and such bond, bill, or other writing shall be paid by any of such joint debtors or joint sureties, the creditor shall assign such bond, bill, or other writing, to the person paying the same; and such assignee shall, in his/her own name, as assignee, or otherwise, have such action or remedy as the creditor himself/herself might have had against the other joint debtors, or sureties, or their representatives, to recover such proportion of the money, so paid, as may be justly due from the defendants.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7710; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7711. Defense of infancy to joint sureties or debtors.
Where several persons are bound together in any bond, bill or other writing or judgment as joint debtors or as joint sureties, in any sum of money, made payable to any person or corporation, the executors, administrators, successors, order or assigns, and 1 or more of such persons was, at the time of making, signing or executing the same, or at the time of the rendition of such judgment, an infant, such fact shall be no defense in any action, proceeding or suit for the enforcement of the liability of those bound thereunder, excepting as regards the person who was an infant at the time of making, signing or executing such bond, bill or other writing, or who was an infant at the time such judgment was rendered.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7711; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7712. Rights of surety or of joint debtor on payment of judgment.
(a) If a judgment recovered against principal and surety shall be paid by the surety, the creditor shall mark such judgment to the use of the surety so paying the same; and the transferee shall, in the name of the plaintiff, have the same remedy by execution or other process against the principal debtor as the creditor could have had, the transfer by marking to the use of the surety being first filed of record in the court where the judgment is.
(b) Where there is a judgment against several debtors or sureties and any of them shall pay the whole, the creditor shall mark such judgment to the use of the persons so paying the same; and the transferee shall, in the name of the plaintiff, be entitled to an execution or other process against the other debtors or sureties in the judgment, for a proportionable part of the debt or damages paid by such transferee; but, no defendant shall be debarred of any remedy against the plaintiff or the plaintiff's representatives or assigns by any legal or equitable course of proceeding whatever.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7712; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7713. Affidavit of sum due.
Before any transferee shall have the benefit of § 7712 of this title, the transferee shall file in the court, or before the justice of the peace where such proceedings are instituted, a statement of the sum due from the defendant with an affidavit that it is wholly unpaid.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7713; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7714. Execution and effect of transfer.
Transfers, by marking to the use of the persons paying such judgment, shall be in writing, signed by the plaintiff or by the plaintiff's attorney of record, and after the date thereof, the plaintiff may not release, or discharge any of the debts or sums so paid, but such transfer shall be without recourse to the plaintiff, and shall not make the plaintiff liable to the transferee in case the latter shall not recover the same.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7714; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7715. Application of chapter.
Every provision in this chapter giving a right or remedy to, or imposing a duty upon, or referring to the act of a debtor, obligor, assignor or transferor, or a surety, obligee, assignee or transferee, creditor, or other person shall be construed to extend to or against his/her executors, administrators or assigns, when so applicable.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7715; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7716. Remedies of codebtor or cosurety.
(a) Whenever 1 or more of several codebtors or cosureties for the payment of a debt shall pay or shall have paid to the creditor or creditors the sum due, including the costs, if any, that may have been incurred by them, the person or persons so paying, if the amount paid shall exceed their proportion of liability for the demand, shall be entitled to have a transfer of the creditor's or creditors' securities for the payment of the debt, whatever the nature of such securities may be, to enable him/her or them to obtain contribution from the others, liable with himself/herself or themselves; such transfer may be made by assignment, marking to the use, or other appropriate method.
(b) When such transfer is made, the transferee or transferees shall be entitled to and shall have in his/her or their own name or names as such, or by and in the name of such creditor or creditors, for his/her or their own use as transferee or transferees, all and singular the remedy or remedies against the other debtor or debtors, surety or sureties which the creditor or creditors could have; and no such payment shall in anywise operate to discharge, impair or otherwise affect the securities held by the creditor or creditors to the prejudice of the debtor or debtors, surety or sureties, so paying; nor shall any release of such codebtor or codebtors, cosurety or cosureties, or entry of satisfaction upon any lien against him/her or them operate in any respect as a payment or discharge of the demand itself or of any of the securities therefor as against the other parties originally bound, to the end that such codebtor or codebtors, cosurety or cosureties may recover by the use of the creditor or creditors' means or remedies the proportion of the demand which the codebtor or codebtors, cosurety or cosureties ought to pay according to law and equity.
(c) The transfer to be made by the creditor or creditors shall not enable the transferee or transferees to take any legal proceedings against the codebtor or codebtors, cosurety or cosureties, unless such transferee or transferees, or some creditable person for him/her or them, shall first file in the office of the Prothonotary or justice of the peace of the county where legal proceedings are contemplated to be taken an affidavit, setting forth the amount which he/she claims his/her or their codebtor or codebtors, cosurety or cosureties is or are bound to contribute on account of such coindebtment or cosuretyship, and such amount shall be endorsed by the Prothonotary or magistrate upon the process issued.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7716; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;
§ 7717. Entry of satisfaction of judgment.
(a) Upon the payment of any judgment under and according to the provisions of this chapter, the right or power of the creditor or plaintiff therein to enter satisfaction upon the record of such judgment shall eo instanti, cease and determine, and this whether the transfer of such judgment shall have been made or not; the fact of the payment thereof shall be sufficient.
(b) If any creditor or plaintiff in such judgment, after payment of any judgment to such creditor or plaintiff shall enter or cause to be entered satisfaction of the judgment upon the record thereof, without the express consent, in writing, of the person entitled, under the provisions of this chapter, to its transfer, the court in which such judgment is recovered shall, upon application of the person so entitled and upon sufficient proof of the facts, strike from the record the entry of satisfaction, whereupon the judgment shall be and remain in full force and virtue, and as valid and binding upon the defendant therein as it was or could have been, had such entry of satisfaction never been made. The application shall be in writing, and sworn or affirmed to by the applicant, and shall contain a general statement of the facts. Nothing in this section shall be construed to divest or interfere in any way with any rights which may have been acquired by innocent third persons who, in good faith, and without notice, may have relied and acted upon the protection and security of the entry of satisfaction. No defendant shall be debarred of any remedy against the plaintiff or the plaintiff's representatives or assigns by any legal or equitable course of proceedings whatever.
18 Del. C. 1953, § 7717; 56 Del. Laws, c. 460; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;