T.C.A. § 67-5-2415 Notice to Taxpayer of Suit

• Library: Tennessee Statutes
• Edition: 2023
• Currency: Current through Acts 2023-2024, ch. 488, and 2023EX1, ch. 4
• Year: 2023
• Citation: T.C.A. § 67-5-2415

(a) The court shall have jurisdiction to award personal judgment against an owner upon the claim for the debt upon determining that proper process has been served upon such owner. The court shall have jurisdiction to award a judgment enforcing the lien by a sale of the parcel upon determining that any the following actions have occurred as to each owner:

(1) That proper process has been served upon an owner;

(2) That the owner has actual notice of the proceedings by mail or otherwise; or

(3) That constructive notice by publication pursuant to §§ 21-1-203 and 21-1-204, except as modified in this section, utilizing a description of the parcel in accord with § 67-5-2502(a)(1), has been given to unborn, unfound and unknown owners and that the plaintiff has made or will make a diligent effort prior to the confirmation of the sale of the parcel to give actual notice of the proceedings to persons owning an interest in the parcel, as identified by the searches described in § 67-5-2502(c)(2).

(b) Notice shall also be sufficient if received by an owner in time to afford the owner a reasonable period to prevent the loss of owner's interest in the parcel. Such loss shall be deemed to occur upon the expiration or termination of the redemption period established by part 27 of this chapter.

(c) Notice of the pendency of the proceedings as to a parcel constitutes notice of the pending sale of the parcel and vice versa.

(d) If process is to be served upon a defendant, the defendant does not have to receive a copy of the complaint or exhibits. The plaintiff may in lieu thereof furnish to the defendant a notice identifying the proceedings sufficiently for the defendant to determine the parcel which is subject to the delinquent taxes for which the defendant is being sued.

(e) A defendant may file a pleading alleging specific facts establishing any of the following defenses:

(1) That the parcel is not subject to sale for the taxes;

(2) That the taxes have been paid; or

(3) That there has been substantial noncompliance with mandatory statutory provisions relating to the proceedings.