Iowa Code

Iowa Code § 554.3116 (2026)

Joint and several liability — contribution

✓ current as of July 2026
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1. Except as otherwise provided in the instrument, two or more persons who have the same liability on an instrument as makers, drawers, acceptors, endorsers who endorse as joint payees, or anomalous endorsers are jointly and severally liable in the capacity in which they sign.

2. Except as provided in section 554.3419, subsection 5, or by agreement of the affected parties, a party having joint and several liability who pays the instrument is entitled to receive from any party having the same joint and several liability contribution in accordance with applicable law.

3. Discharge of one party having joint and several liability by a person entitled to enforce the instrument does not affect the right under subsection 2 of a party having the same joint and several liability to receive contribution from the party discharged. 94 Acts, ch 1167, §25, 121, 122 \n

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3 cases, 1990–2004 · leading case: Van Lunen v. State Cent. Sav. Bank of Keokuk, Iowa, 751 F. Supp. 145 (S.D. Iowa 1990).
Van Lunen v. State Cent. Sav. Bank of Keokuk, Iowa, 751 F. Supp. 145 (S.D. Iowa 1990). · cites it 7× “Specifically, Iowa Code § 554.3116 provides: Instruments payable to two or more persons.”
Pelican Nat'l Bank v. Provident Bank, 849 A.2d 475 (Md. 2004). “Iowa 1990) (holding that the critical inquiry is not whether the drawer of the check intended to make a check containing multiple payees jointly payable and enunciating a preference to rely on the plain language of Iowa Code, § 554.3116(b) which clearly stated that “ ‘[a]n…”
Walker v. Cross, 473 N.W.2d 45 (Iowa 1991). · cites it 14× “See Iowa Code § 554.3116 (a) (instrument payable to the order of two or more persons may be “discharged or enforced by any of them who has possession of it”).”
— Iowa Code § 554.3116(a) — 1 case
Walker v. Cross, 473 N.W.2d 45 (Iowa 1991). “See Iowa Code § 554.3116 (a) (instrument payable to the order of two or more persons may be “discharged or enforced by any of them who has possession of it”).”
— Iowa Code § 554.3116(b) — 3 cases
Pelican Nat'l Bank v. Provident Bank, 849 A.2d 475 (Md. 2004). “Iowa 1990) (holding that the critical inquiry is not whether the drawer of the check intended to make a check containing multiple payees jointly payable and enunciating a preference to rely on the plain language of Iowa Code, § 554.3116(b) which clearly stated that “ ‘[a]n…”
Van Lunen v. State Cent. Sav. Bank of Keokuk, Iowa, 751 F. Supp. 145 (S.D. Iowa 1990). “Specifically, Iowa Code § 554.3116 provides: Instruments payable to two or more persons.”
Walker v. Cross, 473 N.W.2d 45 (Iowa 1991). “See Iowa Code § 554.3116 (a) (instrument payable to the order of two or more persons may be “discharged or enforced by any of them who has possession of it”).”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.