Cal. Civ. Code § 29-18-123
Bond to confess judgment at termination of lease — Judgment and writ.
Operative Text
(a) Any person, granting a lease of lands, tenements, and hereditaments, may incorporate or take from the tenant a bond covenanting to deliver possession of the rented premises on the day specified therein as the end of the term of the lease, and further authorizing the party from whom the premises are rented, or any other person whose name may be mentioned as attorney, in case possession of the premises is not delivered in conformity with the lease, to appear on any day of the term of any court having jurisdiction in such case, the term of such court to be expressly named, and the premises to be sufficiently described in the bond, and then and there, in the name of the party executing the bond, confess a judgment for possession of the rented premises. (b) Upon presentation of the bond, and satisfactory proof of its execution, the court shall enter judgment for possession and also for costs of the proceeding, in favor of the party granting the lease against the tenant thus unlawfully holding over. (c) The writ of possession shall have effect to dispossess any party in possession who holds as assignee or sublessee of the original tenant.
Tennessee Code Ann. tit. 29, ch. 18 § 29-18-123 establishes a mechanism by which a landlord and tenant may, at the time a lease is signed, agree in advance to a bond that authorizes a designated person to confess judgment for possession on the tenant's behalf if the tenant fails to vacate at the end of the lease term. When the landlord presents that bond to a court with proper proof of its execution, the court is directed to enter judgment for possession and costs without further litigation. The resulting writ of possession applies not only to the original tenant but also to anyone holding the premises as an assignee or sublessee.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 29-18-123, landlords in Tennessee have the option to include a confession-of-judgment bond in a lease agreement, which can streamline the process of recovering possession if a tenant holds over past the stated end date. Operators who use this mechanism generally ensure the bond clearly names the court term, describes the premises with sufficient detail, and identifies the authorized attorney-in-fact, as the statute requires those elements for the bond to be effective. Because this is a specialized legal instrument, property managers typically work with qualified legal counsel when drafting such bonds to ensure they meet the statutory requirements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 29-18-123 means that if a tenant signed a lease containing a confession-of-judgment bond, a court may enter a judgment for possession against them—and against any sublessee or assignee—without a traditional contested hearing, simply upon the landlord's presentation of the bond and proof of its execution. Tenants who believe such a bond was improperly executed, insufficiently describes the premises, or was otherwise defective may have grounds to challenge the judgment, and raising such issues promptly is generally important given how quickly the process can move. Tenants facing this situation may benefit from consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Tennessee landlord-tenant law to understand what options may be available.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 29, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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