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

The office for any Marion County property search is located in Jasper. The deeds, deeds of trust, and plats are recorded at the Register of Deeds. The Assessor of Property values all parcels, and the County Trustee collects the taxes. The books span approximately 500 square miles of the Sequatchie Valley and the Tennessee River Gorge on the border of Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, and date back to the county's founding in 1817.

Tennessee takes an average of 30 to 60 days to sell homes in the area of Jasper and Kimball, from valley farmhouses to waterfront and bluff-view builds above the gorge along Nickajack Lake. There's an industrial anchor at South Pittsburg, too: Lodge Cast Iron has been producing cookware there since 1896.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $137,800 and median rent of $825, alongside a median household income of $56,094 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.39 as a percentage of the property’s assessed value.

How to Look Up Marion County Property Records

The state’s Real Estate Assessment Data site shows every Marion County parcel’s owner, appraised value, and Map-Group-Parcel number. The tax bill is listed on the County Trustee's portal. Public lookup stations are located in the courthouse, and the recorded documents are kept by the Register of Deeds. The Map-Group-Parcel number brings it all together.

Who Keeps Marion County Property Records

Tennessee keeps property records at the county level, and the Public Records Act opens them to Tennessee citizens. Marion County splits the work three ways:

• Deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, and releases are recorded by the Register of Deeds located at 1 Courthouse Square. This is the legal office of record for the chain of title. It is also responsible for the collection of the state recordation tax, but it does not determine values and does not bill taxes.

• The Assessor of Property determines the value of each parcel of land and its improvements; updates property addresses; and maps properties for taxation using the GIS.

• The County Trustee is the county's treasurer and has two main functions: to receive all County property taxes and to hold the county funds.

The Clerk & Master of the Chancery Court at 1 Courthouse Square conducts the court-ordered sales for delinquent-tax lawsuits. City taxes in Jasper, South Pittsburg, and all other municipalities are billed separately to each city.

How to Search Marion County Property Records Online

Search this way, and no stone will be left unturned

• Locate the parcel. At the state assessment site, enter the address or owner name, select Marion County, and copy the Map-Group-Parcel number and the appraised value.

• Go to the Register of Deeds index with the owner's name. Tennessee indexes by grantor and grantee, so start your search from the grantee and the grantor end; check with the courthouse lookup stations or call (423) 942-2573.

• Look at the most current deed to ensure the current owner. Next, step back deed by deed, correlating each grantor with the previous grantee.

• Conduct the same index of deeds of trust, liens, and releases. The last sale price of the property is indicated by the sworn value on the deed.

• Use the Trustee’s portal to check whether taxes are up-to-date.

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

The Register of Deeds records the entire county’s parcels, from the mountain edge of Monteagle to the towns on the state line, New Hope and Orme. On most financed purchases, Tennessee secures home loans with deeds of trust and not mortgages. The state recordation tax is also paid on behalf of the Register when a document is recorded.

Information recorded on documents is as follows:

• Other conveyances such as warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, etc.

• Deeds of trust, releases, assignments, or modifications

• Judgment liens, mechanic's liens, and state and federal tax liens

• Easements, restrictions, and powers of attorney

• Plans to subdivide and military discharge paperwork

Public lookup stations are available for searching, and certified copies can be retrieved by the office while you wait. When calling, inquire about the available online index option, as it may change.

Assessor of Property: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor rates each parcel at market value, and Tennessee taxes a percentage of that based on property class. The office also maintains the property record cards, updates addresses, and oversees the county's GIS mapping for taxes. Values are updated at times specified by the state for reappraisal; the office will tell you where Marion County is in the reappraisal cycle.

Use the state assessment data or call the office 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 is responsible for collecting county property taxes. Bills are sent out after the rate is determined; taxes are due the first Monday of October, and bills must be paid before the last day of February, or interest will begin. Then interest is calculated each month until the bill is paid or referred to the Chancery Court.

In addition, the Trustee manages the state Tax Relief program for homeowners age 65 or older, those who are disabled, and veterans. Applications are filled out in the Trustee’s office. If a property is located within city limits, it receives a second city bill.

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

There is no state property tax in Tennessee. Each property tax bill is for the county or city.

How the bill is figured

The Assessor values property at full market value, but residential and farm property is taxed on 25% of its market value; commercial and industrial property is taxed on 40% of its market value. A home appraised at $200,000 is assessed at $50,000, and at a 2% combined rate the bill would be $1,000.

Exemptions and relief

Appealing your value

Disagree with the appraisal? Discuss the problem with the Assessor, as many problems can be resolved with corrected property information. The formal process runs through the State Board of Equalization (in June); if the case remains unresolved, it may proceed to the State Board of Equalization. Take along comparable sales since it's the owner's responsibility.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The Assessor keeps the county's GIS map for tax purposes, and the state overlays it county by county throughout the state. The TNMap assessment viewer overlays each parcel in Marion County on top of the aerial imagery, with the data provided by the Comptroller’s assessment data.

Details available include:

• Parcels including ownership and acreage

• Appraised and assessed values by parcel

• The valley, the gorge, and the shores of the lake in aerial view

• Rosemary Class and Record Card Data

• Statewide layers via TNMap

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Two very different sales show up in these records:

Deed-of-trust foreclosure

Foreclosure in Tennessee is nonjudicial, like a mortgage. A defaulted loan will be replaced by a trustee designated in the deed of trust, who will advertise and sell the property at public auction as provided by Tennessee Code, Title 35. This can be done without a court order. This role is a substitute trustee and differs from the county Trustee who collects taxes.

Chancery Court tax sale

Delinquent property taxes work in reverse; they go through the courts. The county files suit in Chancery Court, and the Clerk & Master holds the sale. Most buyers then wait the one-year right of redemption period, giving the prior owner the chance to redeem the home by paying off the loan. Tennessee does not issue tax lien certificates; rather, the property is sold by the court.

Costs to Access Property Records

The courthouse stations and the state portals for searching are free of charge. Copies and recording fees are charged, and two state taxes are levied on all documents that are recorded.

How to Record a Document

The mechanics of the recording are available to the Register to discuss, and he or she cannot provide legal advice, which is provided under Title 66, Chapter 24 of the Tennessee Code. The four-step process includes:

• Deliver the document to Tennessee standards: signatures before a notary, complete description of the property, and preparer and return addresses.

• State the consideration. A deed will include a sworn oath of value, establishing the transfer tax, and constitutes the public record of the price.

• Recordation fees and taxes must be paid: $0.37 per $100 on a transfer and $0.115 per $100 on a secured debt over $2000.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Marion County Property Records Checklist

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