Title 20, Civil Procedure

Sheriffs or constables having process in their hands in civil actions pending in magistrate's court or courts of record, if it appears to their satisfaction that parties to be sued are leaving the county or state, have the right to execute the process on Sunday.

With the exceptions contained in §§ 20-2-104 and 20-2-105, civil process shall not be executed on Sunday.

Process in local actions may run to any county.

(a) Where there are two (2) or more defendants in any suit in courts of law or equity or before judges of the courts of general sessions, the plaintiff may cause a counterpart summons or subpoena to be issued to any county where any of the defendants is most likely to be found, t…

In joint actions on negotiable paper, service of a counterpart writ on the drawer or maker shall not be sufficient service to hold the drawer or maker to answer the action, unless the original writ was executed on a joint drawer or maker.

(a) Sheriffs, constables and all officers are required to make their returns upon all processes issued to them with pen and ink or some other nonerasable material or fluid; but the failure of the officer to make the officer's return as required shall in no case vitiate the return…

(a) Where a wrongful death action has been instituted by any person other than an executor, executrix, administrator or administratrix of a decedent's estate, the estate may be made a party defendant to any civil action arising out of the same facts, happenings, or circumstances …

(a) If service is to be effected upon a party in a foreign country, service of the summons and complaint may be made:(1) In the manner prescribed by the law of the foreign country for service in that country in an action in any of its courts of general jurisdiction;(2) As directe…

(a) Any corporation claiming existence under the laws of the United States or any other state or of any country foreign to the United States, or any business trust found doing business in this state, shall be subject to suit here to the same extent that corporations of this state…

(a) Any unincorporated association or organization, whether resident or nonresident, including nonresident partnerships and nonresident trusts, doing or desiring to do business in this state by performing any of the acts for which it was formed, shall, before any such acts are pe…

(a) (1) Any owner, chauffeur or operator of any motor vehicle that is not licensed under the laws of this state, or any nonresident who, acting in behalf of the owner of any such vehicle, uses or causes to be used any such motor vehicle in this state, or any nonresident of this s…

(a) The owner, chauffeur or operator of any motor vehicle that is not licensed under the laws of this state or any nonresident of this state who hires or procures the use of a motor vehicle licensed under the laws of this state for temporary use in this state, and who makes use o…

(a) Service of process under § 20-2-203 shall be made by lodging, by the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney, the original summons and a copy certified by the clerk of the court in which action is brought, with a fee of twenty dollars ($20.00), with the secretary of state, who …

The original process, endorsed as provided in this section, an affidavit of the secretary of state setting forth the secretary of state's compliance with the requirements of § 20-2-205, and the return receipt signed by, or duly in behalf of, the defendant, shall be attached toget…

The court of action shall grant such continuance or continuances as may be necessary or proper to afford the defendant so served reasonable opportunity to make defense.

(a) All persons, resident and nonresident of this state, running and operating steamboats in any of the rivers in or bordering on this state as common carriers, may be sued in law or equity in any county where the boat or boats of such person lands, for any cause of action or sui…

(a) The operation, navigation or maintenance by a nonresident or nonresidents of a boat, ship, barge or other watercraft in this state, either in person or through others, and the acceptance thereby by the nonresident or nonresidents of the protection of the laws of this state fo…

(a) The nonresident who, under § 20-2-209, is deemed to have appointed the secretary of state as the nonresident's agent for process, shall further be deemed to have consented that the appointment of the secretary of state as the nonresident's agent for the purposes set forth in …

The manner of service of process under §§ 20-2-209, 20-2-210, this section and §§ 20-2-212 and 20-2-213 shall be the same as is provided by § 20-2-205, and the manner of evidencing such service through the secretary of state shall be the same as provided in § 20-2-206.

The court of action shall grant such continuance or continuances as may be necessary or proper to afford the defendant so served reasonable opportunity to make defense.

Nothing in §§ 20-2-209 — 20-2-212 and this section shall be construed as affecting other methods of process against nonresidents as provided by existing laws.

(a) Persons who are nonresidents of this state and residents of this state who are outside the state and cannot be personally served with process within this state are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of this state as to any action or claim for relief arising from:(1) Th…

(a) Service of process pursuant to § 20-2-214 shall be made by lodging, by the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney, the original summons and a copy certified by the clerk of the court in which the action is brought, with a fee of twenty dollars ($20.00), with the secretary of s…

The original process, endorsed as described in this section, an affidavit of the secretary of state setting forth the secretary of state's compliance with the requirements of § 20-2-215, and the return receipt signed by, or duly in behalf of, the defendant, shall be attached toge…

(a) In addition to service of process on the secretary of state as set forth in this part, personal service of process may be made upon any party outside the state by any person over eighteen (18) years of age and not a party to the action. No order of court shall be required to …

Only causes of action arising hereafter or heretofore from past or future transactions as set forth in § 20-2-214 may be asserted against the defendant in an action in which jurisdiction over the defendant is based upon §§ 20-2-214 — 20-2-217, this section and § 20-2-219.

(a) Nothing contained in §§ 20-2-214 — 20-2-218 and this section shall limit or affect the service of process in any other manner now provided by law. (b) Subsection (a) is in the nature of remedial legislation and it is the legislative intent that it be given a liberal construct…

An act of a deputy or regular assistant of the secretary of state in the secretary of state's behalf under this part shall be deemed the equivalent of the act of the secretary of state; provided, that the deputy or assistant signs the name of the secretary of state by the secreta…

As used in §§ 20-2-222 — 20-2-225, “person” includes an individual, executor, administrator or other personal representative, or a corporation, partnership, association or any other legal or commercial entity, whether or not a citizen or domiciliary of this state and whether or n…

(1) A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over:(1) A person domiciled in, organized under the laws of, or maintaining the person's principal place of business in, the state as to any claim for relief; or(2) A person who is a party to an action of divorce, annulment or separa…

(a) A court may exercise personal jurisdiction over a person, who acts directly or indirectly, as to a claim for relief arising from the person's:(1) Transacting any business in this state;(2) Contracting to supply services or things in this state;(3) Causing tortious injury by a…

When the exercise of personal jurisdiction is authorized by §§ 20-2-221 — 20-2-223, this section and § 20-2-225, service may be made outside this state in the manner provided by the Tennessee rules of civil procedure or as otherwise provided by law.

(1) A court of this state may exercise jurisdiction:(1) On any other basis authorized by law; or(2) On any basis not inconsistent with the constitution of this state or of the United States. (1) On any other basis authorized by law; or (2) On any basis not inconsistent with the c…

The secretary of state shall collect a fee of twenty dollars ($20.00) each time process is served on the secretary of state under this chapter, or pursuant to the convention on the service abroad of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters, signed at Th…