Grainger County, TN Property Records: Search Deeds, Owners, Tax Records, and Maps

Grainger County is the only one in the state named for a woman, Mary Grainger Blount, and the county record books begin in 1796, the year Tennessee achieved statehood. The Register of Deeds, Assessor of Property, and County Trustee all hold office at the county complex in Rutledge. Their books span three towns and the rolling farmlands that link this county between the mountains and the shores of Cherokee Lake.

Grainger County tomatoes are well known throughout Tennessee and are featured in Rutledge's annual festival. The area is populated by commuter houses with drives to Knoxville and Morristown. Tennessee homes sell in an average 30- to 60-day timeframe, and they are well priced.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $151,700 and median rent of $770, alongside a median household income of $44,755 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.5 as a percentage of the property’s assessed value.

How to Look Up Grainger County Property Records

The state assessment site lists the owner of each parcel, its assessed value, and the Map-Group-Parcel number free of charge. The Trustee’s balances run through the state Trustee system. The Register of Deeds provides distribution services for documents in their office and by mail and also provides a fraud notification service called My Land Alert (free to check) via its webpage.

Who Keeps Grainger County Property Records

Tennessee has county-level property records, and the Public Records Act makes those records available to Tennessee citizens. Grainger County does the work in three ways:

• The Register of Deeds is a constitutional office that records and protects deeds, releases, plats, leases, and liens, and also collects the state recording taxes at the time of recording. The Register encourages property owners to use the My Land Alert service that alerts them if anything is recorded against them.

• The Assessor of Property reappraises property based on the Reappraisal Plan approved by the county legislative body. It is also the liaison to the County Board of Equalization.

• The County Trustee is responsible for the collection of property taxes for the County. The tax collector is a Trustee in Tennessee.

How to Search Grainger County Property Records Online

Find the information you need by following these steps:

• Indicate the property on the state assessment site. In Grainger County, enter the address or owner name; copy the Map-Group-Parcel number, value, and class.

• Use TNMap to map the boundary; it will make it easy to distinguish lots at a glance between a lake and a ridge farm.

• Documents can be found in the office of the Register of Deeds or by mail; address your request to P.O. Box 174 with property details and fees. Tennessee indexes by grantor and grantee, so be prepared with both names.

• Perform the same index on deeds of trust, liens, and releases, following the chain from each grantor to the one before. Each deed has a sworn value that records the price.

• Talk to the Trustee to ensure taxes are up to date and to join the My Land Alert program.

Register of Deeds: Deeds, Deeds of Trust, and Plats

An elected constitutional officer, the Register of Deeds records properties in the valleys between Clinch Mountain and the lake, Rutledge, Blaine, and Bean Station. On most financed purchases, Tennessee will use deeds of trust for home loans, instead of mortgages. The Register is also charged with the duty of receiving the state recordation taxes that are levied on conveyances at the time of their recording if they are accompanied by a statement of the total value or consideration, whichever is the greater.

Document types recorded include:

• Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and other conveyances

• Deeds of trust, releases, assignments, and modifications

• Liens, judgments, and leases

• Powers of attorney and plats

• Military discharges and UCC fixture filings

The office operates a fraud-alert service via My Land Alert and has a post office box for mail requests (fees apply). E-recording is in the process of being rolled out and is not currently live.

Assessor of Property: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor appraises all parcels at their market value, while Tennessee taxes a fraction of that market value, dependent on the parcel class. Reappraisal is based upon the Reappraisal Plan adopted by the county legislative body, the interpretation of the office, and values in accord with the market. The Assessor also serves as the public’s contact for the Board of Equalization.

Use the state assessment site or call to find:

• The current owner of record for any parcel

• The Map-Group-Parcel number and legal description

• The appraised value and the assessed value after the class ratio

• The property class, such as residential, farm, or commercial

• Characteristics like square footage, year built, and acreage

County Trustee: Tax Bills and Payments

The Trustee bills and collects property taxes from the county complex in Rutledge. Taxes are due the first Monday in October, and the last day of February is the deadline before the start of monthly interest.

The Trustee administers the state Tax Relief program for qualifying seniors, disabled homeowners, and veterans, and balances are searchable through the state Trustee system.

Property Tax in Grainger County: Classification, Exemptions, and Appeals

There is no state property tax in Tennessee. A Grainger County bill is a county bill plus any city levy, and it starts with a fraction.

How the bill is figured

Residential/farm property: 25% of the appraised value; commercial/industrial property: 40% of the appraised value. A home appraised at $150,000 carries a $37,500 assessed value; at a combined 1.90% rate, the bill is about $713. In no case does the rate ever reach the full appraisal.

Exemptions and relief

Appealing your value

The first point of contact for an appeal is the Assessor. The County Board of Equalization, made up of five members appointed by the County Mayor, meets annually. Unresolved cases proceed to the State Board of Equalization, and the same evidence of comparable sales is used.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The state carries the county’s parcel mapping. The TNMap assessment viewer draws every Grainger County boundary over aerial imagery, linked to the Comptroller’s assessment data, with Cherokee Lake and Clinch Mountain framing the view.

Details available include:

• Parcel boundaries with ownership and acreage

• Appraised and assessed values by parcel

• Lakefront, ridge, and valley farmland in aerial view

• Property classes and record-card data

• Statewide layers through TNMap

Tax maps are for assessment, not surveying. Record plats and licensed surveys to prove any boundary.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Deed-of-trust foreclosure

In case of default on a loan, the substitute trustee designated in the deed of trust publishes and sells the loan at a public sale pursuant to the provisions of Title 35 of the Tennessee Code. There is no need for a court order. That private trustee is not the county’s tax collector.

Chancery Court tax sale

Delinquent taxes run through the courthouse. The county sues in the Chancery Court, the Clerk & Master holds the sale, and a one-year period of redemption ensues after most sales. The property is never sold in Tennessee under a tax-lien certificate, but rather through the court system.

Costs to Access Property Records

How to Record a Document

Based on Tennessee Code Title 66, Chapter 24, there are four steps:

• Create a document to meet Tennessee requirements: notarized signatures, complete property description, and preparer and return addresses.

• Include the deed requirements: tax parcel number, stated total value or consideration, and signed Oath of Consideration.

• Transfer the recording fee plus recordation taxes due on recording: $0.37 per $100 of the transfer and $0.115 per $100 of secured debt over $2,000.

• Submit in Suite 104 or send to P.O. Box 174, including any fees. Originals are returned after recording.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Grainger County Property Records Checklist

Find your task on the left and take the path on the right.

Key Contacts and Official Portals