§ 26-2-222 — Garnishment procedure for state officers or employees

(a) In case of garnishment of officers, employees, contractors, or vendors of the state, garnishment notice may issue from any court or any court of record and shall be served upon the commissioner of that department in which such officer, employee, contractor, or vendor shall be engaged, or with which the garnishee is connected. The date of service shall be the date upon which service upon the commissioner has been accomplished. If such garnishment is not served as set forth above, such service shall be considered ineffective, and the state shall not be liable for any sums due thereunder. Such commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, is directed to make answer to such garnishment notice or summons, stating the compensation, if any, due any state officer, employee, contractor, or vendor so garnisheed. Such commissioner is directed to withhold any amounts then due the state officer, employee, contractor, or vendor up to and including the amount of the judgment and costs on which the garnishment proceedings were predicated, until the garnishment is released by the issuing court or such funds are paid into that court, as provided by law, and is directed to pay to such officer, employee, contractor, or vendor any amount or sum which may be due such officer, employee, contractor, or vendor above the amount of such judgment and costs, or if applicable, above the amount of each periodic payment made from successive pay periods. (b) In addition to the amount of the disposable earnings subject to garnishment, the state department of finance and administration shall be entitled to retain an administrative fee of five dollars ($5.00) due from the judgment debtor at the time of each payment made to the court as a result of the garnishment. The five dollar ($5.00) fee will be retained from the balance of the judgment debtor's earnings remaining after deducting the payment made to the garnishing court. If the maximum garnishable amount has been reached prior to retaining the five dollar ($5.00) fee, then such amount due shall remain owing to the state until paid. (c) The time at which the garnishment lien attaches to the amounts due the state officer, employee, contractor, or vendor shall be seven (7) business days from the date of service of the garnishment. (d) If the commissioner in the department in which the officer, employee, contractor, or vendor works, or the commissioner's duly authorized agent or attorney, fails to appear and answer such garnishment, it shall be presumed that the state is indebted to the officer, employee, contractor, or vendor to the full amount of the judgment creditor's demand, and thereupon a conditional judgment may be entered against the state for the judgment to the extent of the garnishable funds paid out by the state which were due the debtor during the period the garnishment was effective. (e) After the entry of such conditional judgment a scire facias shall issue to the commissioner of the department in which the garnisheed officer, employee, contractor, or vendor works, returnable to the next term of the court or to a day and place fixed by the court, to show cause why final judgment should not be entered against the state. (f) Upon the return of such scire facias, fully served upon the commissioner of the department in which the garnisheed officer, employee, contractor, or vendor works, and upon the failure of the state to appear and show cause, the conditional judgment against the state shall be made final. In such event, the commissioner is directed to pay any such judgment and deduct the amount thereof from wages, salaries, or other compensation owing to such officer, employee, contractor, or vendor garnisheed under this part. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in any case in which judgment is obtained under this section, if there is no compensation due such officer, employee, contractor, or vendor so garnisheed during the period such garnishment was effective, such judgment against the state shall be void and unenforceable. (g) Any process required to be served under this section may be served, pursuant to the Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure, by a private process server.

Legislative History

Acts 1978, ch. 915, §§ 41-44; T.C.A., §§ 26-251 -- 26-254; Acts 2001, ch. 412, § 2.