Uniform Joint Obligations Act

This act governs obligations on which two or more persons are bound together, setting out how a creditor's dealings with one obligor affect the liability of the others. It provides that a judgment obtained against fewer than all the obligors does not discharge those who were not parties to it, that a release given to one obligor leaves the remaining obligors liable while protecting them against bearing more than their own share, and that amounts recovered from any obligor are credited toward the obligation so that the creditor collects no more than what is owed. It further provides that the death of an obligor does not extinguish the claim, leaving the estate answerable, and it applies prospectively rather than to obligations already in existence when it takes effect.

Editorial summary generated from the text of this act. It is not part of the statute — read the sections below for the operative language.