Landlord Judgment Collection in Tennessee: Collecting Unpaid Rent After Court

After the Eviction: Getting Your Money

Getting a money judgment against a tenant in Tennessee General Sessions Court is one thing. Getting the money is another. The court does not collect on your behalf — that part falls entirely on you.

Whether your judgment came from a detainer action for back rent or a separate civil warrant for damages, the enforcement tools are the same. Here is what landlords need to know about collecting after the tenant is gone.

Wait the 10 Days

No enforcement action can begin until the 10-day appeal window under T.C.A. § 27-5-108 expires without an appeal or a timely motion to set aside or for a new trial. If the tenant files an appeal with the required cost bond or poverty affidavit, the judgment transfers to Circuit Court for a de novo trial and collection is stayed. Once the 10 days pass without an appeal or such motion, the judgment is final.

Check with the General Sessions Clerk before filing any garnishment application — make sure no appeal or motion to set aside is on the docket.

The Practical Problem With Tenant Judgments

Many landlord judgments are difficult to collect immediately because the debtor's circumstances have changed. The tenant who skipped out on $3,000 in rent may have moved to a new address, changed jobs, or left the state. This creates a common pattern for landlord creditors:

1. If you know where the tenant works — file a wage garnishment. Tennessee allows withholding up to 25% of disposable earnings (the lesser of 25% or the amount exceeding 30 × $7.25/week). One garnishment creates a continuing lien for six months.

2. If you have the tenant's bank information — file a non-wage garnishment targeting the bank account. You might have this from prior rent payments, especially if the tenant paid by check or direct deposit. A bank levy captures whatever is in the account at the moment the sheriff serves the bank.

3. If you don't know the tenant's assets — file for a debtor examination under T.C.A. § 26-2-115. The clerk issues a subpoena compelling the tenant to appear in court, under oath, and disclose their employer, bank accounts, and property. Service costs $50 through the sheriff.

Forcible Entry and Detainer Judgments

Landlords who obtained their money judgment through a Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) action have one notable advantage: General Sessions Courts have unlimited monetary jurisdiction in FED cases (T.C.A. § 16-15-501(d)(1)). The $25,000 cap that applies to ordinary civil warrants does not apply to judgments for back rent and damages entered in a detainer action.

The enforcement tools — garnishment, execution, liens — work exactly the same regardless of whether the judgment came from an FED or a civil warrant. The difference is only that the judgment amount might be higher.

Recording a Lien Against the Tenant's Property

If the tenant owns real estate in Tennessee, you can record a judgment lien by filing a certified copy of the judgment with the County Register of Deeds where the property is located (T.C.A. § 25-5-101(b)). The lien lasts 10 years and prevents the tenant from selling or refinancing without satisfying your judgment first.

This is most useful when the tenant owns a home or other real property — not common for tenants who were renting, but it happens, especially with commercial tenants or tenants who subsequently buy property during the 10-year judgment life.

Tenant Moved Out of County or State

If the tenant relocated to another Tennessee county, you can transfer the judgment by obtaining a certified transcript from the issuing General Sessions Clerk and filing it in the tenant's new county. Writs of garnishment or execution can then issue from the new county.

If the tenant left Tennessee entirely, you would need to domesticate the judgment in the new state under that state's law. Tennessee's Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act (T.C.A. § 26-6-101 et seq.) covers enforcement in Tennessee of judgments from other states.

What Tenants Can Protect

Even a tenant who works and earns a regular paycheck has some protection:

• Wage garnishment cap: No more than 25% of disposable earnings, reduced by $2.50/week per dependent child under 16 (T.C.A. § 26-2-107)
• Personal property exemption: $10,000 in personal property is exempt from execution under T.C.A. § 26-2-103 — including cash in a bank account
• Federal benefits: Social Security, VA benefits, and other federal payments are fully exempt from garnishment under federal law
• Slow-pay motion: The tenant can petition the court for installment payments under T.C.A. § 26-2-216, which stays wage garnishments and executions while payments are current

These exemptions reduce what you can collect but do not eliminate it. Most working tenants have enough non-exempt income to produce meaningful garnishment proceeds over time.

The Long Game

Tennessee judgments last 10 years and can be renewed for another 10 (T.C.A. § 28-3-110). A tenant who is judgment-proof today may get a job, open a bank account, or buy property tomorrow. Recording the judgment as a lien and renewing it before expiration protects your position for the long term.

Our Tennessee judgment collection guide walks landlords and other creditors through every enforcement tool — garnishment applications, bank levies, debtor exams, lien recording, and satisfaction filing — with the forms, fees, and timelines specific to Tennessee General Sessions Court.

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