Cal. Civ. Code § 44-7-103
Illegal sale by cropper; refusal of landlord to deliver cropper’s share; penalties.
Operative Text
(a) Any cropper who sells or otherwise disposes of any part of the crop grown by him without the consent of the landlord before the landlord has received his part of the crop and payment in full for all advances made to the cropper in the year the crop was raised for the purpose of raising such crop shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. (b) Any landlord who fails or refuses, on demand, to deliver to the cropper the part of the crop or its value to which the cropper is entitled after payment for all advances made to him as provided in subsection (a) of this Code section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-103, Georgia law establishes mutual obligations between croppers and landlords regarding the division of crops. A cropper who sells or disposes of any portion of the crop without the landlord's consent—before the landlord has received their share and been repaid for all advances made that year—commits a misdemeanor. Conversely, a landlord who refuses or fails, upon demand, to deliver to the cropper their rightful share of the crop (or its equivalent value) after all advances have been settled also commits a misdemeanor.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under O.C.G.A. § 44-7-103(b), a landlord operating a cropping arrangement is generally expected to deliver the cropper's entitled share of the crop, or its fair value, promptly upon demand once all advances have been accounted for. Failure or refusal to do so exposes the landlord to misdemeanor criminal liability under Georgia law. Landlords who maintain clear, contemporaneous records of all advances and crop yields are generally better positioned to demonstrate compliance with this provision.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
O.C.G.A. § 44-7-103(b) provides croppers with a legal right to receive their share of the crop—or its monetary value—after all advances have been settled, and a landlord's refusal to deliver that share constitutes a misdemeanor under Georgia law. Croppers who believe a landlord has wrongfully withheld their crop share may have grounds to raise this provision in a legal proceeding or to report the conduct to local law enforcement or a Georgia prosecutor's office. Consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid service familiar with Georgia agricultural tenancy law can help a cropper understand the options available under this provision.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 28, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.