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2021 Tennessee Code
Title 39 - Criminal Offenses
Chapter 14 - Offenses Against Property
Part 5 - Litter Control
§ 39-14-508. County Legislative Resolutions for Litter Control — Regulations — Litter Removal by Property Owners — Publication of Resolution — Construction With Other Laws

Universal Citation: TN Code § 39-14-508 (2021)
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    1. County legislative bodies may, by resolution, impose regulations for litter control, including the placing, dropping, throwing, collection and storage of garbage, litter, refuse and rubbish on public or private property. The definitions of commercial purposes, garbage, litter, refuse, and rubbish found in § 39-14-501 may be included by reference in the resolution. The county legislative body is authorized to include in the resolution that a violation occurs if a person:

      1. Knowingly places, drops or throws litter on any public or private property without permission and does not immediately remove it; or

      2. Negligently places or throws glass, litter or other dangerous substances on or adjacent to water to which the public has access for swimming or wading, or on or within fifty feet (50') of a public highway.

    2. The regulations in subdivision (a)(1) shall be at least as stringent as this part.


    1. The regulations promulgated in accordance with subsection (a) may grant authority for the county to require property owners to conform their property to the regulations by removal of garbage, litter, refuse or rubbish. The county shall send a statement to the owner itemizing the cost of the removal. If the owner fails to reimburse the county for the cost of the removal within sixty (60) days, the statement shall constitute a lien upon the property. The statement shall constitute a lien upon the property as of the date the notice is filed and shall have priority from the date of the filing of notice, but shall not affect, or have priority over, any valid lien, right, or interest in the property duly recorded, or duly perfected by filing, prior to the filing of the notice and shall not have priority over any real estate tax liens, whether attaching on the property before or after the filing of the notice.

    2. If the property owner is aggrieved by the amount of the lien filed, the owner may submit the matter to the chancery court of the county in which the property is located to determine the appropriate amount of the lien. A decision of that court may be appealed according to the Tennessee Rules of Appellate Procedure.

    3. The lien provided in this subsection (b) shall be entered in the records of the register of deeds of the county in which the property lies. The lien shall be satisfied to the extent of the value of the consideration received at the time of the transfer of ownership, and if the lien is not fully satisfied at the time of transfer, it shall remain a lien upon the property until it is fully satisfied.

  3. Each resolution adopted in accordance with subsection (a), or the caption and a complete summary of the resolution, shall be published after its final passage in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. No such resolution shall take effect until the publication.

  4. Any violation of the provisions of or regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (a) shall be punished by imposing a monetary penalty in accordance with § 5-1-121.

  5. This section shall not be construed as applying to any activity regulated pursuant to title 68, Chapters 21 1 or 212 or title 69, chapter 3.
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