Tenn. Code Ann. § 26-2-214

This is the official text of Tenn. Code Ann. § 26-2-214, part of Tennessee’s Code Ann — part of the compiled statutory law of Tennessee, published by the state as "Code Ann." Browse the sections below, each linked to its official government source.

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Garnishment of compensation due from garnishee

Official statutory text

(a) Upon the garnishment of earnings due from a garnishee, the garnishee shall: (1) Pay the judgment debtor the amount of such debtor's exempt earnings; (2) Submit as a part of the judgment debtor's answer to the garnishment a statement of the judgment debtor's dependent children under sixteen (16) years of age who are residents of this state; and (3) Furnish the judgment debtor with a copy of the garnishment summons containing the notice of the judgment debtor's right to the exemptions from wage garnishment specified in federal law and in §§ 26-2-106 and 26-2-107 of the right to apply to the court for an order staying further garnishment and allowing the judgment debtor to pay the judgment in installments, and of procedures the judgment debtor can follow to contest the garnishment. (b) (1) To the extent of the amount due upon the judgment and costs, the garnishee shall hold, subject to the order of the court, any nonexempt earnings due or that subsequently become due. The judgment or balance due is a lien on earnings due at the time of the service of the execution. The lien shall continue as to subsequent earnings until the total amount due upon the judgment and costs is paid or satisfied, or until the expiration of the payment period immediately prior to six (6) calendar months after service of the execution, whichever occurs first. The lien on subsequent earnings shall terminate sooner if the relationship between judgment debtor and garnishee is terminated or if the underlying judgment is vacated or modified. (2) A lien obtained under this section shall have priority over any subsequent liens obtained under this section. (c) Nothing in this section with respect to the relationship between the judgment debtor and the garnishee shall be construed to affect the underlying relationship of the parties, including, but not limited to, the relationship of employer-employee or the independent contractor relationship as otherwise provided by law. Amended by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 851,s 1, eff. 9/1/2016. Acts 1978, ch. 915, § 33; T.C.A., § 26-243; Acts 1988, ch. 934, § 14; 1993, ch. 258, §§ 1, 2; 1994, ch. 827, § 1.
(a) Upon the garnishment of earnings due from a garnishee, the garnishee shall: (1) Pay the judgment debtor the amount of such debtor's exempt earnings; (2) Submit as a part of the judgment debtor's answer to the garnishment a statement of the judgment debtor's dependent children under sixteen (16) years of age who are residents of this state; and (3) Furnish the judgment debtor with a copy of the garnishment summons containing the notice of the judgment debtor's right to the exemptions from wage garnishment specified in federal law and in §§ 26-2-106 and 26-2-107 of the right to apply to the court for an order staying further garnishment and allowing the judgment debtor to pay the judgment in installments, and of procedures the judgment debtor can follow to contest the garnishment.
(1) Pay the judgment debtor the amount of such debtor's exempt earnings;
(2) Submit as a part of the judgment debtor's answer to the garnishment a statement of the judgment debtor's dependent children under sixteen (16) years of age who are residents of this state; and
(3) Furnish the judgment debtor with a copy of the garnishment summons containing the notice of the judgment debtor's right to the exemptions from wage garnishment specified in federal law and in §§ 26-2-106 and 26-2-107 of the right to apply to the court for an order staying further garnishment and allowing the judgment debtor to pay the judgment in installments, and of procedures the judgment debtor can follow to contest the garnishment.
of the garnishment summons containing the notice of the judgment debtor's right to the exemptions from wage garnishment specified in federal law and in §§ 26-2-106 and 26-2-107 of the right to apply to the court for an order staying further garnishment and allowing the judgment debtor to pay the judgment in installments, and of procedures the judgment debtor can follow to contest the garnishment.
(b) (1) To the extent of the amount due upon the judgment and costs, the garnishee shall hold, subject to the order of the court, any nonexempt earnings due or that subsequently become due. The judgment or balance due is a lien on earnings due at the time of the service of the execution. The lien shall continue as to subsequent earnings until the total amount due upon the judgment and costs is paid or satisfied, or until the expiration of the payment period immediately prior to six (6) calendar months after service of the execution, whichever occurs first. The lien on subsequent earnings shall terminate sooner if the relationship between judgment debtor and garnishee is terminated or if the underlying judgment is vacated or modified. (2) A lien obtained under this section shall have priority over any subsequent liens obtained under this section.
(1) To the extent of the amount due upon the judgment and costs, the garnishee shall hold, subject to the order of the court, any nonexempt earnings due or that subsequently become due. The judgment or balance due is a lien on earnings due at the time of the service of the execution. The lien shall continue as to subsequent earnings until the total amount due upon the judgment and costs is paid or satisfied, or until the expiration of the payment period immediately prior to six (6) calendar months after service of the execution, whichever occurs first. The lien on subsequent earnings shall terminate sooner if the relationship between judgment debtor and garnishee is terminated or if the underlying judgment is vacated or modified.
(2) A lien obtained under this section shall have priority over any subsequent liens obtained under this section.
(c) Nothing in this section with respect to the relationship between the judgment debtor and the garnishee shall be construed to affect the underlying relationship of the parties, including, but not limited to, the relationship of employer-employee or the independent contractor relationship as otherwise provided by law.
Amended by 2016 Tenn. Acts, ch. 851,s 1, eff. 9/1/2016.
Acts 1978, ch. 915, § 33; T.C.A., § 26-243; Acts 1988, ch. 934, § 14; 1993, ch. 258, §§ 1, 2; 1994, ch. 827, § 1.

Status: in_force

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About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the Open US Law dataset (Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine (Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.