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

McNairy County’s records have changed location only twice in 200 years. Its first county court was in Purdy until 1896, when the county seat was moved to Selmer, where it remains. Deed volumes began in Purdy in 1823, when the county was formed, but were transferred to Selmer in 1896 with the courthouse. The offices of the Register of Deeds, Assessor of Property, and County Trustee are in three separate buildings. Their records cover the eight cities in the county as well as the farmland to the Mississippi state line.

This is Buford Pusser country, part of which is preserved in the museum in Adamsville, where his legend, Walking Tall, began. From city-center lots in Selmer, Adamsville, and the surrounding areas to farms and acres of land, houses in the small towns sell quickly, within 30 to 60 days, if the asking price is right, while the local economy is based on farming and manufacturing.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $128,900 and median rent of $733, alongside a median household income of $46,125 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.47 as a percentage of the property’s assessed value.

How to Look Up McNairy County Property Records

Three stops should answer most questions. For all parcels, the owner, appraised value, and Map-Group-Parcel number are available for free on the state assessment site. The tax bill is handled in the Trustee’s office, and balances are available on the state Trustee's online system. Documents are housed by the Register of Deeds, which has two research stations, also for free, and a subscription index available.

Who Keeps McNairy County Property Records

Tennessee property records are managed at the county level and are open to Tennessee residents under the Public Records Act. Records are divided into three sections for the convenience of users:

• The Register of Deeds deals with deeds, releases, liens, plats, and amendments, which are scanned, microfilmed, and stored in various secure locations. The Register also maintains the state recording tax at the time of recording and indexes these documents.

• The Assessor of Property is responsible for developing and maintaining property records, County maps, and the GIS, administering the Greenbelt Program, and conducting personal property assessments.

• The County Trustee collects and disburses county funds, including taxes.

Delinquent-tax cases are brought to the Clerk & Master in the Chancery Court. The municipalities of Selmer and Adamsville have their own tax collectors.

How to Search McNairy County Property Records Online

Try your search in this order:

• Use the state assessment site to determine the parcel. Enter the address or owner’s name in McNairy County and copy the Map-Group-Parcel number, value, and class.

• Use TNMap to determine the boundaries, which will display all parcels on an aerial image.

• Try one of two research stations, which are free of charge, at the Register’s office at 170 West Court Avenue, or call (731) 645-3656 to ask about the subscription index.

• Build a chain of title using grantor-by-grantee options and re-query the same index for deeds of trust, liens, and releases, where prices will be indicated on the authorized value of each instrument.

• Make sure all taxes are up-to-date by contacting the Trustee at (731) 645-5476.

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

As an elected county officer, the Register of Deeds is responsible for maintaining the records of all eight cities as well as the farms between Selmer and Adamsville to Bethel Springs, Finger, and state-line communities. Most financed purchases use a deed of trust to secure a loan for the home, which is the Tennessee equivalent of a mortgage.

Some of the documents recorded include:

• Other types of conveyances (warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, etc.)

• Deeds of trust, releases, and modifications

• Liens, judgments, amendments

• Powers of attorney and plats

• Discharges of military service and UCC fixture filings

All of these materials are scanned, microfilmed, and stored in multiple secure locations. There are two research stations within the Register’s office, which are free of charge but available only during regular business hours. Moreover, the staff can help you search the index, but they cannot search the documents for you.

Assessor of Property: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor values all parcels at market value and sets the tax rates based on the category (class). In addition, the Assessor maintains responsibility for County maps, the GIS, the Greenbelt Program, and personal property assessments, as well as ownership records according to the County’s own list, with values that adhere to the market during each state reassessment.

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

As a custodian of all county funds, the County Trustee is the official tax collector. Taxes are paid twice a year, with the first installment due on the first Monday in October and the second on the first day of February.

The Trustee also administers the State Tax Relief Program for seniors, disabled persons, and veterans. In addition to the Assessor, Selmer and Adamsville have their own tax collectors.

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

While the state does not levy property taxes, a County tax is imposed and supplemented by municipal taxes within city limits, starting with a small fraction.

How the bill is figured

Residential and farm property are assessed at 25%, while commercial and industrial are assessed at 40% of the appraised value.

Exemptions and relief

Appealing your value

Contact the Assessor at (731) 645-5146, as resolution of many issues is handled at this level. The formal appeal is submitted to the County Board of Equalization in June and then to the State Board of Equalization, using the County’s sales comparison as evidence.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The Assessor keeps the county's maps and GIS and adds the state maps as an overlay that is made public. The TNMap assessment viewer overlays all of the McNairy County parcels on top of the aerial imagery and connects the Comptroller’s assessment data

Details available include:

• Parcel boundaries with ownership and acreage

• Appraised and assessed values by parcel

• Farm country and town lots in aerial view

• Property classes and record-card data

• Statewide layers through TNMap

Tax maps serve only for assessments, not for surveying. Prove any boundary that matters with the recorded plat and a licensed survey.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

There are two types of sales:

Deed-of-trust foreclosure

Foreclosure proceedings are initiated by a substitute trustee named in the deed of trust, who advertises and sells the property at public auction under Title 35, Chapter 13 of the Tennessee Code. There is no need for a court order, and a private trustee (different from the tax collector) is not involved. In the City of Selmer, the private trustee holds a court appointment.

Chancery Court tax sale

Judges are responsible for collecting delinquent taxes, with sales held under the jurisdiction of the Chancery Court. A Clerk & Master is appointed in the county to conduct the court sale, which typically allows for a one-year redemption period. The State of Tennessee does not allow the sale of property through tax liens; delinquencies are sent to the Chancery Court for judicial foreclosure.

Costs to Access Property Records

The research stations and state portals are free. Fees attach to copies, the subscription index, and recording.

The Register collects recordation taxes at recording, and the sworn value on the deed becomes the public record of the price.

How to Record a Document

The Court records are kept pursuant to Tennessee Code Title 66, Chapter 24. There are four steps:

• Preparation of the document according to Tennessee requirements, including notarized signatures, a full description of the property, and preparer address..

• Inclusion of requirements for recording deeds: a tax parcel number and notarized Oath of Consideration.

• Payment of recording fees and recording taxes at the rate of $0.37 per $100 of the value of the transfer and $0.115 per $100 of secured debt over $2,000.

• Recording of the instrument, either in writing or by mail, with all fees, since the indexed document is attached to the permanent record, and the original is returned to the owner.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your McNairy County Property Records Checklist

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