Here’s a quick reminder about appeals of detainer and eviction judgments in Tennessee.
Remember, a tenant who loses in General Sessions has the right to appeal that detainer judgment. But, in order to retain the property, that tenant has to post a bond equal to one year’s rental value of the real property.
But, what if the tenant files an appeal and doesn’t post that giant bond (or otherwise find a dummy to sign off on the bond as surety)?
The Tennessee Supreme Court waded into these waters in an opinion from December 2013 and said that a detainer appeal without the “one year rent” bond is still an effective appeal, but it doesn’t help the defendant in any way in keeping the property.
Earlier in the summer, the Tennessee Court of Appeals issued another opinion on that issue. In that opinion, the Court noted that the appeal bond requirement to retain possession applies to appeals as noted under Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-18-130(b)(2), as well as petitions for writs of certiorari under Tenn. Code Ann. § 29-18-129.
This is an obscure part of the law, but lots of Courts are covering this ground and reaching the same conclusion.
Last note: If the tenant is only appealing the monetary part of the judgment, no possessory bond is needed to have an effective appeal.
Creditors Rights 101 