Tennessee § 20-4-101 - Transitory actions.

§ 20-4-101. Transitory actions.

In all civil actions of a transitory nature, unless venue is otherwise expressly provided for, the action may be brought in the county where the cause of action arose or in the county where the individual defendant resides. If, however, the plaintiff and defendant both reside in the same county in this state, then the action shall be brought either in the county where the cause of action arose or in the county of their residence. Where the action is brought either in the county where the cause of action arose or in the county where the defendant resides, process may be sent to another county as in local action, and it shall not be necessary nor required that the defendant be in the county of action either when the action is commenced or during the time between the commencement of the action and service of process. Code 1858, §§ 2808, 2809 (deriv. Acts 1809 (Sept.), ch. 126, § 3); Shan., §§ 4513, 4514; Code 1932, §§ 8640, 8641; Acts 1967, ch. 55, § 1; 1971, ch. 51, § 1; 1972, ch. 446, § 1; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 20-401; Acts 2011, ch. 510, § 3. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2011, ch. 510, § 1 provided that the act shall be known and cited as the “Tennessee Civil Justice Act of 2011.” Acts 2011, ch. 510, § 24 provided that the act, which amended subsection (a), shall apply to all liability actions for injuries, deaths and losses covered by the act which accrue on or after October 1, 2011. Amendments. The 2011 amendment substituted “individual defendant resides” for “defendant resides or is found” at the end of (a). Effective Dates. Acts 2011, ch. 510, § 24. October 1, 2011. Cross-References. Divorce action, § 36-4-105 . Venue of chancery courts, § 16-11-114 . Textbooks. Gibson's Suits in Chancery (7th ed., Inman), § 121. Tennessee Forms (Robinson, Ramsey and Harwell), Nos. 1-8-4.1, 1-8-2, 1-8-12. Tennessee Jurisprudence, 1 Tenn. Juris., Actions, § 5; 3 Tenn. Juris., Attorney and Client, § 12; 4 Tenn. Juris., Automobiles, § 36; 7 Tenn. Juris., Corporations, § 118; 11 Tenn. Juris., Equity, § 47; 24 Tenn. Juris., Venue, §§ 3, 4; 26 Tenn. Juris., Workers' Compensation, § 47. Law Reviews. Abolishing Local Action Rules: A First Step toward Modernizing Jurisdiction and Venue in Tennessee, 34 U. Mem. L. Rev. 251 (2004). Jurisdiction, Venue and “Localized Actions” in Tennessee (June F. Entman), 39 No. 4 Tenn. B.J. 33 (2003). Tennessee Workers' Compensation — Where Is the Proper Venue? (D. Andrew Byrne, Ted C. Raynor), 20 Mem. St. U.L. Rev. 189 (1990). Comparative Legislation. Venue: Ala. Code § 6-3-1 et seq. Ark. Code § 16-60-101 et seq. Ga. O.C.G.A. § 9-10-30 et seq. Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 452.400 et seq. Miss. Code Ann. § 11-11-1 et seq. Mo. Rev. Stat. § 508.010 et seq. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-76 et seq. Va. Code § 8.01-257 et seq. Cited: Flowers v. Aetna Casualty & Surety Co., 186 Tenn. 603, 212 S.W.2d 595, 1948 Tenn. LEXIS 587 (1948); Williams v. Williams, 193 Tenn. 133, 244 S.W.2d 995, 1951 Tenn. LEXIS 336 (1951); White v. Garner, 192 Tenn. 429, 241 S.W.2d 518, 1951 Tenn. LEXIS 425 (1951); Parker v. Reddick, 196 Tenn. 472, 268 S.W.2d 357, 1954 Tenn. LEXIS 408, 45 A.L.R.2d 1096 (1954); Beckham v. Johnson, 220 Tenn. 572, 421 S.W.2d 94, 1967 Tenn. LEXIS 439 (1967); Romines v. K & S Engineering & Contracting Co., 556 S.W.2d 85, 1977 Tenn. LEXIS 610 (Tenn. 1977); Turpin v. Conner Bros. Excavating Co., 761 S.W.2d 296, 1988 Tenn. LEXIS 242 (Tenn. 1988); Woods v. Fields, 798 S.W.2d 239, 1990 Tenn. App. LEXIS 216 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1990); Valley Fidelity Bank & Trust Co. v. Ayers, 861 S.W.2d 366, 1993 Tenn. App. LEXIS 361 (Tenn. Ct. App. 1993); Davis v. Holland, 31 S.W.3d 574, 2000 Tenn. App. LEXIS 184 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2000); Hawkins v. Tenn. Dep't of Corr., 127 S.W.3d 749, 2002 Tenn. App. LEXIS 536 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2002); Netherland v. Hunter, 133 S.W.3d 614, 2003 Tenn. App. LEXIS 730 (Tenn. Ct. App. 2003); Zakour v. Ut Med. Group, Inc., — S.W.3d —, 2011 Tenn. App. LEXIS 261 (Tenn. Ct. App. May 19, 2011).