66-11-138 - Contractor's misapplication of payments Violation. - Tennessee Statutes

66-11-138. Contractor's misapplication of payments Violation.

(a)  (1)  Any prime contractor or remote contractor who, with intent to defraud, uses the proceeds of any payment made to that contractor on account of improving certain real property for any purpose other than to pay for labor performed on, or materials, services, equipment, or machinery furnished by that contractor's order for the real property, and overhead and profit related thereto, while any amount for the labor, materials, services, equipment, machinery, overhead, or profit remains unpaid shall be liable to an injured party for any damages and actual expenses incurred, including attorneys' fees, if the damages and expenses incurred are the result of the misapplication of the payment.

     (2)  A violation of subdivision (a)(1) is a Class E felony.

(b)  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (a), there is no violation of this section when:

     (1)  Funds are disbursed pursuant to written agreement; or

     (2)  The use of funds received and deposited in a business account for use on multiple construction projects is based on the allocation of costs and profits in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles for construction projects.

[Code 1932, § 7944 (Williams, § 7944a); T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 64-1140; Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 89; 2004, ch. 688, § 1; 2007, ch. 189, § 37.]