67-4-112 - Actions on license bonds.
67-4-112. Actions on license bonds.
(a) The county clerks are required to turn over to the county attorney, or, if no county attorney, then to an attorney to be selected by the county mayor or a county auditor, all privilege and license bonds due and unpaid within thirty (30) days after such bonds become due and payable, taking duplicate receipts for the bonds, specifying the amount due on the bonds, as nearly as can be ascertained, one (1) of which receipts shall be forwarded to the commissioner and the other entered on record in the county legislative body.
(b) Whereupon, the attorney or clerk or county auditor shall forthwith give five (5) days' notice to the principal and surety on such bonds to appear before the general sessions judge of the county in which such bond is due and show cause, if they have any, why judgment should not be rendered against them for the amount of revenue due on such bonds, which judgment shall in no case be less than the amount of the ad valorem and privilege taxes fixed by law and by the county legislative body, with six percent (6%) interest and a penalty of one percent (1%) for each day such revenue is delinquent after thirty (30) days from the date of such notice, and an attorney's fee of five dollars ($5.00) on each bond.
(c) Jurisdiction is conferred on the courts of general sessions to try and determine such cases, to render judgment, issue execution, and do all things necessary to enforce the collection of this revenue, and the notice so given may be returnable to any Monday of the court of general sessions before the judge of the general sessions court; provided, that five (5) days' notice is given.
(d) Upon failure of the principal or surety to appear, the attorney, county auditor or clerk shall move for judgment, and the judge shall render and have entered a judgment for the amount of the taxes, interest, penalties, as provided in subsection (b), with costs.
(e) The clerk shall be allowed the fees for such services as in the circuit courts. The state, county, and municipality shall in no event pay any cost in these proceedings, but the costs shall be taxed against delinquents.
(f) Such suits shall not interfere with the right of the clerk at any time to issue a distress warrant to collect such taxes, if in the clerk's judgment property can be found on which to levy the warrant.
[Acts 1907, ch. 602, § 28; Shan., §§ 982-986a1; impl. am. Acts 1923, ch. 109, § 8; mod. Code 1932, §§ 1706-1711; impl. am. Acts 1937, ch. 33, § 50; impl. am. Acts 1959, ch. 9, § 14; impl. am. Acts 1978, §§ 7, 16, 22, 36; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), §§ 67-5401 67-5406; Acts 2003, ch. 90, § 2.]