OR Art. 509 -
Einleitung zur Rechtsnorm OR:
The Swiss Code of Obligations is a central code of Swiss civil law that regulates the legal relationships between private individuals. It includes five books that cover various aspects of contract law, law of obligations and property law, including the formation, content and termination of contracts, as well as liability for breach of contract and tort. The Code of Obligations is an important code of law for business and everyday life in Switzerland, as it forms the basis for many legal relationships and contracts and has been in force since 1912, whereby it is regularly adapted to social and economic developments.
Art. 509 OR from 2025
Art. 509 Termination of the contract of surety I. By operation of law
1 The surety is released as soon as the principal obligation is extinguished for whatever reason.
2 Where the same person is both principal debtor and surety, the creditor retains the special privileges conferred by the contract of surety.
3 Any surety given by a natural person is extinguished once twenty years have elapsed from the date on which the contract was entered into. This does not apply to contracts of surety in favour of the Confederation or its public institutions or in favour of a canton for the performance of public law obligations such as customs duties, taxes and the like, and for freight charges, or to contracts of surety for the performance of official and civil service obligations and for periodic, recurrent obligations.
4 During the final year of this period, the creditor may resort to the surety even where a longer duration was agreed for the contract of surety, unless the surety has previously extended the contract or replaced it with a new one.
5 The contract of surety may be extended by means of a written declaration by the surety for an additional period of no more than ten years. However, the written declaration is valid only if done no earlier than one year before the contract expires.
6 Where the principal obligation becomes payable less than two years before the contract of surety expires and the creditor was unable to give notice to terminate it sooner, under a contract of surety of any type the creditor is entitled to resort to the surety without prior recourse to the principal debtor or the pledges. However, the surety has a right of recourse against the principal debtor even before the principal obligation becomes payable.
Es besteht kein Anspruch auf Aktualität und Vollständigkeit/Richtigkeit.
