(a) Any owner who procures a loan secured by a mortgage or other encumbrance on certain real property, representing that the proceeds of the loan are to be used for the purpose of improving real property, and who, with intent to defraud, uses the proceeds or any part of the proceeds for any other purpose than to pay for labor performed on, or materials, services, equipment, or machinery furnished 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, or while any amount of which the owner has received notice of nonpayment prescribed by this chapter 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 loan proceeds.(b) A violation of subsection (a) is a Class E felony.Code 1932, § 7943; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 64-1139; Acts 1989, ch. 591, § 88; 2007, ch. 189, § 36.
Tennessee Legal Code