(a) The officer may summon, in writing, any person as garnishee, to appear at the court from which the execution is issued, or before any other court to whom the execution is returnable, as the case may be and answer the garnishment, at a time set by the clerk of the court not less than ten (10) business days after date of service, except that such ten-day requirement shall not apply when the execution was issued from a court and either the officer or the clerk of the court shall set the time when such garnishee shall appear.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 26-2-203

  • Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
  • Clerk: means a clerk of a court of general sessions, the courts of record or any other courts duly established under the laws of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 26-2-201
  • Court: means the court of general sessions, the courts of record or any other courts duly established under the law of Tennessee. See Tennessee Code 26-2-201
  • Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
(b) The summons to the garnishee shall notify the garnishee as follows:

NOTICE – Although you have a longer time in which to answer the court concerning this garnishment, you must do the following on the same day you receive the garnishment, or on the next working day. Determine if you possess or control money or property of the judgment debtor. If so, within that same time period, you shall furnish a copy of the garnishment summons and Notice to Judgment Debtor by mailing them first class, postage prepaid, to the judgment debtor’s last known address as shown by your records, or by actual delivery to the judgment debtor. If the address shown by your records differs from that shown on this execution form, you shall also mail a copy of the garnishment and notice to the latter address.

(c) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, “business day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or a day when the clerk’s office is closed.
(d) If the service of the summons is made upon an employee of the garnishee rather than the garnishee, and such employee is also the judgment debtor, such summons is voidable by the court by reason of improper service. If the court so voids the summons for this reason, it shall not be effective as to the garnishee.
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