Suit against the sureties on the bond of the contractor filed pursuant to this chapter may be brought by any claimant, or his assigns, at any time after the claimant has ceased to perform labor or furnish materials or both and until the expiration of six months after the period in which verified claims may be filed. The filing of a verified claim shall not be a condition precedent to the maintenance of such action against the sureties on the bond and an action on the bond may be maintained separately from and without the filing of an action against the city or officer by whom the contract was awarded. Upon the trial of the action, the court shall award to the prevailing party a reasonable attorney’s fee, to be taxed as costs, and to be included in the judgment therein rendered.

(Added by Stats. 1982, Ch. 465, Sec. 11.)

Terms Used In California Public Contract Code 20464

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.