A lien lis pendens can be a very effective tool not only to preserve a claim against real estate, but also, to create leverage in litigation. Tennessee’s lien lis pendens statute is about as clear as mud, even to those of us accustomed to deciphering statutes drafted in the early…
Tennessee Business Litigation Lawyers Blog
Proving Fraudulent Transfers under Tennessee Law
A recent opinion of the Court of Appeals of Tennessee in a fraudulent transfer case provides an excellent summary and roadmap of what it takes to prove a fraudulent transfer under Tennessee law. The Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act, which has been adopted in Tennessee, can be a bit much to…
Partition Cases in Tennessee: Every Co-Owner is Entitled to a Sale of the Property
In Tennessee partition cases, a court has wide latitude in determining (and ordering) the sale of property. It can order an auction sale or that the property be listed and sold through an agent. What a Tennessee court cannot do is what one did in a recent case decided by…
Choice of Law Provisions in Contracts: When Tennessee Courts Might Not Enforce Them
In many Tennessee cases involving written contracts, the contracts will contain provisions whereby the parties agreed that the substantive law of a state other than Tennessee would apply in any litigation between them. (In the absence of such a provision, Tennessee follows the rule of lex loci contractus whereby it…
Plaintiffs Allowed to Rescind Real Estate Contract and Obtain Refund of Purchase Money
In a recent Tennessee real estate case involving the sale of a lot, the plaintiffs/buyers alleged that the defendants/sellers made misrepresentations that the lot would have the ability to connect to the sewer. Not only did the court order that the real estate contract be set aside and that the…
Basic Points about Tennessee Consumer Protection Act Cases
In 1977, the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act was enacted. In 2011, the legislature of Tennessee modified it significantly. Here are some basic points to remember with respect to potential Tennessee Consumer Protection Act lawsuits: Since 2011, a party cannot bring a private cause of action for acts and practices which…
Partition Case Goes Forward After Trial Court Reversed
In a recent Tennessee partition case, the Court of Appeals of Tennessee reversed the trial court’s finding that the plaintiff did not have an interest in the farm which he sought to partition by sale. The trial court held that, even though the plaintiff was listed as a joint tenant…
The Tennessee Statute of Frauds Can Apply to Contract Modifications
The Tennessee Statute of Frauds requires several types of contracts to be memorialized in a writing (or combination of writings) and signed in order to be enforceable. The three most important types of contracts covered by the Statute of Frauds, at least from a commercial standpoint, are contracts for the…
Parties Challenging the Validity of a Will Based on Undue Influence Lose Recent Will Contest Case
In Tennessee will contest cases where wills are challenged on the basis of undue influence, outcomes are often difficult to predict and depend on the unique facts of each case. A recent Tennessee case proves that point. As the Court of Appeals of Tennessee noted when it affirmed the decision…
Employee Claiming Stock Ownership Not Barred by Statute of Limitations
In a recent breach of contract case involving a former employee who was promised 2.5% of the stock of the company which had employed him for twenty-six years, the Court of Appeals of Tennessee made some significant new law on the six year statute of limitations applicable to breach of…