(a) In actions brought against a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional related to an alleged construction defect, the claimant shall, before filing an action, serve written notice of claim on the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional, as applicable. The claimant shall endeavor to serve the notice of claim within fifteen (15) days after discovery of an alleged defect, or as required by contract. Unless otherwise prohibited by contract, the failure to serve notice of claim within fifteen (15) days does not bar the filing of an action, subject to § 66-36-102.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 66-36-103

  • Action: means any civil action or binding dispute resolution proceeding for damages or indemnity asserting a claim for damage to or loss of commercial property caused by an alleged construction defect, but does not include any civil action or arbitration proceeding asserting a claim for alleged personal injuries arising out of an alleged construction defect. See Tennessee Code 66-36-101
  • Claimant: means an owner, including a subsequent purchaser, tenant, or association, who asserts a claim against a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional concerning a construction defect. See Tennessee Code 66-36-101
  • Construction defect: means a deficiency in, or a deficiency arising out of, the design, specifications, surveying, planning, supervision, observation of construction, or construction or remodeling of an improvement resulting from:
    (A) Defective material, products, or components used in the construction or remodeling. See Tennessee Code 66-36-101
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Design professional: means a person licensed in this state as an architect, interior designer, landscape architect, engineer, or surveyor, regardless of whether the person is a prime contractor or remote contractor. See Tennessee Code 66-36-101
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Notice of claim: means a written notice sent by a claimant to the last known address of a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional against whom the claimant asserts a construction defect that describes the claim in reasonable detail sufficient to determine the general nature of the defect, including a general description of the type and location of the construction that the claimant alleges to be defective and any damages claimed to have been caused by the defect. See Tennessee Code 66-36-101
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Service: means personal service or delivery by certified mail to the last known address of the addressee, or as otherwise allowed by contract. See Tennessee Code 66-36-101
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Statute of limitations: A law that sets the time within which parties must take action to enforce their rights.
  • written: includes printing, typewriting, engraving, lithography, and any other mode of representing words and letters. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) Within ten (10) business days after service of the notice of claim, the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional may inspect the structure to assess each alleged construction defect. The claimant shall provide the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional and its lower-tier remote contractors or agents reasonable access to the improvement during normal working hours to inspect the improvement, to determine the nature and cause of each alleged construction defect, and the nature and extent of any corrections, repairs, or replacements necessary to remedy each defect. The inspection may include destructive testing. Prior to performing any destructive testing, the person who desires to perform the testing shall notify the claimant in writing of the type of testing to be performed, the anticipated damage to the improvement that will be caused by the testing, and the anticipated corrections or repairs that will be necessary to correct or repair any damage caused by the testing. The person performing the testing shall correct and repair any damage to the improvement caused by the testing.
(c) Within ten (10) days after service of the notice of claim, the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional must forward a copy of the notice of claim to each prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional who it reasonably believes is responsible for each defect specified in the notice of claim and shall note the specific defect for which it believes the particular prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional is responsible. Each such prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional may inspect the improvement as provided in subsection (b) within ten (10) business days after receiving a copy of the notice.
(d) Within ten (10) business days after receiving a copy of the notice of claim, the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional must serve a written response to the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional who served a copy of the notice of claim. The written response must include a report of the scope of any inspection of the improvement; the findings and results of the inspection; a statement of whether the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional is willing to make corrections or repairs to the improvement or whether it disputes the claim; a description of any corrections or repairs it is willing to make to remedy the alleged construction defect; and a timetable for the completion of such corrections or repairs.
(e) Within thirty (30) days after receiving the notice of claim, each prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional must serve a written response to the claimant. The written response must provide:

(1) A written offer to remedy the alleged construction defect at no cost to the claimant, including a report of the scope of the inspection, the findings and results of the inspection, a detailed description of the corrections or repairs necessary to remedy the defect, and a timetable for the completion of the repairs;
(2) A written offer to compromise and settle the claim by monetary payment to be paid within thirty (30) days after the claimant’s acceptance of the offer; or
(3) A written statement that the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional disputes the claim and will not remedy the defect or compromise and settle the claim.
(f) If the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional offers to remedy the alleged construction defect or compromise and settle the claim by monetary payment, then the written response must contain a statement that the claimant is deemed to have accepted the offer if, within fifteen (15) days after service to the written response, the claimant does not serve a written rejection of the offer on the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional.
(g) If the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional does not respond to the claimant’s notice of claim within the time provided in subsection (e), then the claimant may, without further notice, proceed with an action against the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional for the claim described in the notice of claim.
(h) A claimant who rejects a settlement offer made by the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional must serve written notice of the rejection on the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional within fifteen (15) days after service of the settlement offer. The claimant’s rejection must contain the settlement offer with the word “rejected” printed on it.
(i) If the claimant accepts the offer of a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional and the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional does not make the payment, correction, or repair the defect within the agreed time and in the agreed manner, then the claimant may, without further notice, proceed with an action against the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional. If a claimant accepts a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional’s offer and the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional makes payment, correction, or repairs the defect within the agreed time and in the agreed manner, then the claimant is barred from proceeding with an action against the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional for the claim described in the notice of claim.
(j) If the claimant accepts the offer of a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional to correct or repair an alleged construction defect, then the claimant shall provide the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional and their remote contractors or other agents reasonable access to the claimant’s improvement during normal working hours to perform the correction or repair by the agreed-upon timetable as stated in the offer.
(k) The failure of a claimant or a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional to follow the procedures in this section is admissible in an action. However, this section does not prohibit or limit the claimant from making any necessary emergency corrections or repairs to the improvement. In addition, the offer of a prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional to remedy an alleged construction defect or to compromise and settle the claim by monetary payment does not constitute an admission of liability with respect to the defect.
(l) A claimant’s written notice of claim under subsection (a) tolls the applicable statute of limitations until the later of:

(1) One hundred eighty (180) days after the prime contractor, remote contractor, or design professional receives the notice; or
(2) Ninety (90) days after the end of the correction or repair period stated in the offer, if the claimant has accepted the offer. By stipulation of the parties, the period may be extended and the statute of limitations is tolled during the extension.
(m) The procedures in this section apply to each alleged construction defect. However, a claimant may include multiple defects in one (1) notice of claim.
(n) This chapter does not:

(1) Bar, limit, or replace any rights, obligations, or duties under a contract that provides for notice and opportunity to cure any construction defects. Those contractual provisions control, take precedence, and are in lieu of any obligation or right provided by this chapter;
(2) Bar or limit any rights, including the right of specific performance to the extent that right would be available in the absence of this chapter, any causes of action, or any theories on which liability may be based, except as specifically provided in this chapter;
(3) Bar or limit any defense, or create any new defense, except as specifically provided in this chapter;
(4) Create any new rights, causes of action, or theories on which liability may be based; or
(5) Extend any existing statute of limitations except as specifically provided in subsection (l).
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