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

Lauderdale County extends from the bluffs of the Mississippi River to the tomato fields at Ripley, and all lands in between are served by the same address: 100 Court Square. Their deeds, deeds of trust, and plats are recorded in the Register of Deeds. The Assessor of Property values each parcel from the same square; the County Trustee collects the taxes, and the Clerk & Master of the docket for delinquent taxes. In 1835, the county was formed, and Henning, the second-largest known town, was the home of Alex Haley, whose boyhood home is now a state museum.

Ripley tomatoes were responsible for the fame of this county in produce, and the row-crop land books are still used with river-bottom ground. From houses in Ripley, Halls in-town to lots and farmland in Henning and beyond, homes trade affordably in the typical small-town time frame of 30 – 60 days, within the typical Tennessee time frame.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $98,150 and median rent of $666, alongside a median household income of $46,741.5 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.73 as a percentage of the property’s assessed value.

How to Look Up Lauderdale County Property Records

Almost anything can be found in three stops. The state assessment site contains the owner information, appraised value, and Map-Group-Parcel number, all free for each parcel. The Trustee's balances and payments are conducted online using the state Trustee system. The Register of Deeds provides documents at the counter and has an index for remote researchers.

Who Keeps Lauderdale County Property Records

Tennessee records its property at the county level, and the Public Records Act makes it available to citizens of the state. The full story is on this government page, and four names are important for work on the property:

• Deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and plats are recorded, and the state recordation tax is collected at recording by the Register of Deeds, Greg Summar (731) 635-2171—the document where the chain of title is recorded.

• The Assessor of Property, Jason Crestman (731) 635-9561, appraises each parcel according to market value, assigns the Map-Group-Parcel number, and maintains the record cards.

• The County Trustee, Judy Conrad (731) 635-0712, is the person to whom the county's property taxes are paid, and payments can be made online. The definition of a trustee in Tennessee is the same as that of a tax collector.

Delinquent tax suits and sales ordered by the Clerk & Master are handled by the Clerk & Master, Minnie Stowe, at (731) 635-1941.

The cities of Ripley, Halls, Henning, and Gates charge their own city taxes.

How to Search Lauderdale County Property Records Online

Work it in this order, and the chain builds itself.

• Under Lauderdale County, enter the address or owner name, and copy the Map-Group-Parcel number, value, and class.

• In rural areas along rivers, where flood lines lie adjacent to parcels of land, map the boundary on TNMap.

• Bring the owner's name to the Register at (731) 635-2171 or to the counter at 100 Court Square. In Tennessee, indexes are usually done by the grantor and grantee, so index both sides of each sale. Regulars may inquire as to the subscription index.

• Run the same index for deeds of trust, liens, and releases, and trace the chain of title in reverse, linking each grantor to the next in the chain. The price is on each deed, and it is a sworn statement.

• Close with the Trustee at (731) 635-0712 to confirm taxes are current.

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

The Register of Deeds is an elected official who registers deeds for Ripley, Halls, Henning, Gates, and the farmland in between. As a result of Tennessee using deeds of trust to secure home loans, rather than mortgages, most home loans in Tennessee will be secured. The state recordation tax is also paid to the Register at recording.

Document types recorded include:

• Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and other conveyances

• Deeds of trust, releases, assignments, and modifications

• Liens, judgments, and amendments

• Powers of attorney and plats

• Military discharges and UCC fixture filings

Assessor of Property: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor values all parcels at market value, and Tennessee taxes a fraction based on class. The Map-Group-Parcel number is assigned by the office, the record cards are kept by the office, and the office inputs the state's assessment database with values that have been "trued to market" at each state-scheduled reappraisal.

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 collects and bills county taxes from 100 Court Square and offers online tax payment. The tax is due on the first Monday in October, and the last day of February is the deadline before interest is added each month.

The state Tax Relief program for seniors, disabled homeowners, and disabled veterans is administered by the Trustee. City bills are sent to homes within the four cities.

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

Tennessee has no state property tax. A Lauderdale County bill is county money plus city money in town, and it begins with a fraction.

How the bill is figured

The assessment rates are 25 per cent on residential and farm property, and 40 percent on commercial and industrial property. A home appraised at $110,000 carries a $27,500 assessed value; at a combined $2.40 rate, the bill is $660. The rate never even equals the full appraisal.

Exemptions and relief

Appealing your value

Start with the Assessor at (731) 635-9561, since corrected details settle many cases. The formal appeal goes to the County Board of Equalization in June, then the State Board of Equalization, with comparable sales as evidence.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The state keeps the county's parcel maps. The TNMap assessment viewer superimposes all of Lauderdale County's boundaries on aerial imagery, with the river bottoms clearly visible beneath the boundaries, all of which are connected to the Comptroller's assessment data.

Details available include:

• Parcel boundaries with ownership and acreage

• Appraised and assessed values by parcel

• The Mississippi River bluffs and Hatchie mouth in aerial view

• Property classes and record-card data

• Statewide layers through TNMap

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Two sales, two trustees, no overlap.

Deed-of-trust foreclosure

Upon default of a loan, the substitute trustee provided for in the deed of trust advertises and sells the same under Title 35 of the Tennessee Code. There is no court order. That's not the man who collects the taxes on Court Square.

Chancery Court tax sale

Taxes are delinquent and wind their way through the courthouse. The county sues in Chancery Court (731) 635-1941, which conducts the sale, and then there is a 1-year redemption period after most sales. The property can be sold in Tennessee through the court system, not tax-lien certificates.

Costs to Access Property Records

The State Portals are available for free. Copies, subscription index, and recording will be charged for.

The Register receives recordation taxes when they are paid at recordation, and the sworn value on the deed is the public record of the price.

How to Record a Document

The following is a reproduction of the Tennessee Code pertaining to recording, found in Title 66, Chapter 24. Four steps:

• Create a document to Tennessee standards: notarized signatures, full property description, and preparer and return addresses.

• Include deed requirements: tax parcel number and Oath of Consideration signed and notarized with deed.

• The recording fee and recordation taxes are: $0.37 per $100 of transfer and $0.115 per $100 of secured debt greater than $2,000.

• Records at 100 Court Square or by mail with fees. E-recording will come soon—today the counter bears it. Original returns are after the index.

FAQs

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