California Code of Civil Procedure 337.15 – (a) No action may be brought to recover damages from any person, …
(a) No action may be brought to recover damages from any person, or the surety of a person, who develops real property or performs or furnishes the design, specifications, surveying, planning, supervision, testing, or observation of construction or construction of an improvement to real property more than 10 years after the substantial completion of the development or improvement for any of the following:
(1) Any latent deficiency in the design, specification, surveying, planning, supervision, or observation of construction or construction of an improvement to, or survey of, real property.
Terms Used In California Code of Civil Procedure 337.15
- action: as used in this Title is to be construed, whenever it is necessary so to do, as including a special proceeding of a civil nature. See California Code of Civil Procedure 363
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Person: includes a corporation as well as a natural person. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
- Property: includes both personal and real property. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
- State: includes the District of Columbia and the territories when applied to the different parts of the United States, and the words "United States" may include the district and territories. See California Code of Civil Procedure 17
(2) Injury to property, real or personal, arising out of any such latent deficiency.
(b) As used in this section, “latent deficiency” means a deficiency which is not apparent by reasonable inspection.
(c) As used in this section, “action” includes an action for indemnity brought against a person arising out of that person’s performance or furnishing of services or materials referred to in this section, except that a cross-complaint for indemnity may be filed pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 428.10 in an action which has been brought within the time period set forth in subdivision (a) of this section.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed as extending the period prescribed by the laws of this state for bringing any action.
(e) The limitation prescribed by this section shall not be asserted by way of defense by any person in actual possession or the control, as owner, tenant or otherwise, of such an improvement, at the time any deficiency in the improvement constitutes the proximate cause for which it is proposed to bring an action.
(f) This section shall not apply to actions based on willful misconduct or fraudulent concealment.
(g) The 10-year period specified in subdivision (a) shall commence upon substantial completion of the improvement, but not later than the date of one of the following, whichever first occurs:
(1) The date of final inspection by the applicable public agency.
(2) The date of recordation of a valid notice of completion.
(3) The date of use or occupation of the improvement.
(4) One year after termination or cessation of work on the improvement.
The date of substantial completion shall relate specifically to the performance or furnishing design, specifications, surveying, planning, supervision, testing, observation of construction or construction services by each profession or trade rendering services to the improvement.
(Amended by Stats. 1981, Ch. 88, Sec. 1.)