Under Tenn. R. Civ. P 55 (governing “Default”), if a defendant does not answer or defend a lawsuit, then the plaintiff can take a default judgment against the defendant. If they don’t answer, the court grants the motion and enters a judgment. Easy, right?
Yes, but, sometimes, some courts make it more complicated than that.
In some counties, even when the defendant hasn’t responded and doesn’t appear at the hearing, the Judge will: (1) ask if I filed an Affidavit; or (2) set the matter for a “damages hearing,” which can be months in the future and could require a witness to attend.
Having seen this happen, I’ve scoured Rule 55 and the various counties’ Local Rules, but have no idea where this idiosyncrasy comes from. But, over time, I started filing affidavits along with my motion for default in non-Davidson County counties.
But, recently, I saw a Davidson County Chancellor ask about an affidavit as part of an uncontested motion for default. When the plaintiff didn’t have one, the judge set a damages hearing to occur in 90 days.
I never, ever want a non-responding defendant to get an extra 90 judgment-free days, so I now carry around this recent opinion from the Court of Appeals, Judith Husk v. Brandon Thompson, No. M2016-01481-COA-R3-CV (Tenn. Ct. Apps. Aug. 10, 2017).
That opinion covers a lot of ground, including bases to set aside a default judgment, but I want to focus on the “damages” analysis. The opinion lays out the law as follows:
Generally, the rule in Tennessee ‘is that the defendant, by suffering a default judgment to be entered against him, impliedly confesses all of the material allegations of fact contained in his complaint, except the amount of the plaintiff’s unliquidated damages.’ …Thus, a default judgment establishes the non-defaulting party’s right to maintain the action and recover some damages, but the amount of damages remains an open question to be determined by proof. … If the amount of the plaintiff’s damages is liquidated, however, a trial court may immediately enter a final judgment without a determination by proof.
(Citations Omitted/emphasis added).
So, the issue comes down to whether the claim is for “liquidated” or “unliquidated” damages.
The Court noted that unliquidated damages are uncertain and the type that require a “determination by proof” and are “damages that cannot be determined by a fixed formula…”
“Liquidated damages” are the type that are for “a set amount of money, or a or a certain formula, expressly stipulated in a contract as the amount of damages to be paid by a party that breaches the agreement. Liquidated damages can also be defined as the amount which has been ascertained by judgment or by specific agreement of the parties or which are susceptible of being made certain by mathematical calculation from known factors…”
Long story short, a lawsuit alleging breach of contract for amounts due under a promissory note plus interest using the “math” laid out in the note? Liquidated.
A lawsuit alleging damages “in an amount to be determined at trial” as a result of an auto accident? Unliquidated.
In the Davidson County matter I saw, the Chancellor expressly referenced the Husk opinion, even though the Court was faced with a breach of contract action with liquidated damages.
Having seen that happen, then, I think it’s a good practice to always include an affidavit in support of your motions for default, just so there’s no question. Plus, it’s probably good to get the facts supporting the existence of the contract, the damages, and showing the “math” into the record.
Creditors Rights 101 
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