(a) (1) Causes of action against a dissolved corporation, whether arising before or after the dissolution of the corporation, may be enforced against any of the following:
(A) Against the dissolved corporation, to the extent of its undistributed assets, including, without limitation, any insurance assets held by the corporation that may be available to satisfy claims.
(B) If any of the assets of the dissolved corporation have been distributed to shareholders, against shareholders of the dissolved corporation to the extent of their pro rata share of the claim or to the extent of the corporate assets distributed to them upon dissolution of the corporation, whichever is less.
A shareholder’s total liability under this section may not exceed the total amount of assets of the dissolved corporation distributed to the shareholder upon dissolution of the corporation.
(2) Except as set forth in subdivision (c), all causes of action against a shareholder of a dissolved corporation arising under this section are extinguished unless the claimant commences a proceeding to enforce the cause of action against that shareholder of a dissolved corporation prior to the earlier of the following:
(A) The expiration of the statute of limitations applicable to the cause of action.
(B) Four years after the effective date of the dissolution of the corporation.
(3) As a matter of procedure only, and not for purposes of determining liability, shareholders of the dissolved corporation may be sued in the corporate name of the corporation upon any cause of action against the corporation. This section does not affect the rights of the corporation or its creditors under Section 2009, or the rights, if any, of creditors under the Uniform Voidable Transactions Act, which may arise against the shareholders of a corporation.
(4) This subdivision applies to corporations dissolved on and after January 1, 1992. Corporations dissolved prior to that date are subject to the law in effect prior to that date.
(b) Summons or other process against such a corporation may be served by delivering a copy thereof to an officer, director, or person having charge of its assets or, if no such person can be found, to any agent upon whom process might be served at the time of dissolution. If none of those persons can be found with due diligence and it is so shown by affidavit to the satisfaction of the court, then the court may make an order that summons or other process be served upon the dissolved corporation by personally delivering a copy thereof, together with a copy of the order, to the Secretary of State or an assistant or deputy secretary of state. Service in this manner is deemed complete on the 10th day after delivery of the process to the Secretary of State.
(c) Every such corporation shall survive and continue to exist indefinitely for the purpose of being sued in any quiet title action. Any judgment rendered in any such action shall bind each and all of its shareholders or other persons having any equity or other interest in that corporation, to the extent of their interest therein, and that action shall have the same force and effect as an action brought under the provisions of Sections 410.50 and 410.60 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Service of summons or other process in any such action may be made as provided in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 413.10) of Title 5 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure or as provided in subdivision (b).
(d) Upon receipt of that process and the fee therefor, the Secretary of State forthwith shall give notice to the corporation as provided in Section 1702.
(e) For purposes of Article 4 (commencing with Section 19071) of Chapter 4 of Part 10.2 of Division 2 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the liability described in this section shall be considered a liability at law with respect to a dissolved corporation.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 143, Sec. 26. (SB 251) Effective January 1, 2020.)