(a) The effect of the provisions of this division may be varied by agreement, but the parties to the agreement cannot disclaim a bank‘s responsibility for its lack of good faith or failure to exercise ordinary care or limit the measure of damages for the lack or failure. However, the parties may determine by agreement the standards by which the bank’s responsibility is to be measured if those standards are not manifestly unreasonable.

(b) Federal Reserve regulations and operating circulars, clearing house rules, and the like have the effect of agreements under subdivision (a), whether or not specifically assented to by all parties interested in items handled.

Terms Used In California Commercial Code 4103

  • agreement: means the total legal obligation that results from the parties' agreement as determined by this code and as supplemented by any other applicable laws. See California Commercial Code 1201
  • Bank: means a person engaged in the business of banking, and includes a savings bank, savings and loan association, credit union, and trust company. See California Commercial Code 1201
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Item: means an instrument or a promise or order to pay money handled by a bank for collection or payment. See California Commercial Code 4104

(c) Action or nonaction approved by this division or pursuant to Federal Reserve regulations or operating circulars is the exercise of ordinary care and, in the absence of special instructions, action or nonaction consistent with clearing house rules and the like or with a general banking usage not disapproved by this division, is prima facie the exercise of ordinary care.

(d) The specification or approval of certain procedures by this division is not disapproval of other procedures that may be reasonable under the circumstances.

(e) The measure of damages for failure to exercise ordinary care in handling an item is the amount of the item reduced by an amount that could not have been realized by the exercise of ordinary care. If there is also bad faith it includes any other damages the party suffered as a proximate consequence.

(Amended by Stats. 1992, Ch. 914, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1993.)