Surety Bond

Contract by which one party agrees to make good the default or debt of another. Actually, three parties are involved: the principal, who has primary responsibility to perform the obligation (after which the bond becomes void); the surety, the individual with the secondary responsibility of performing the obligation if the principal fails to perform. (After the surety performs, recourse is against the principal for reimbursement of expenses incurred by the surety in the performance of the obligation, known as surety's right of exoneration); and the obligee, to whom the right of performance (obligation) is owed.