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

In 1861, Scott County declared itself the Free and Independent State of Scott and did not rejoin Tennessee until 1986. Its land records have been continuous throughout its history. The Register of Deeds is responsible for holding deeds, deeds of trust, and plats at the courthouse in the smallest of Tennessee's county seats, Huntsville. The Assessor of Property assesses all parcels of the same building, and the County Trustee collects the taxes for all of the buildings. Their books take up 532 square miles of the northern Cumberland Plateau, next to the Kentucky line.

This is a public land market. The county is home to some of the largest units of the National Park system in the eastern United States, including the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. The North Cumberland Wildlife Management Area is an additional large parcel of public land. Homes around this area have started to move on private parcels of land in Oneida, Huntsville, and Winfield, and are being sold for economical prices, on timber, tourism, and manufacturing paychecks within the typical 30 to 60 days found in Tennessee.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $114,000 and median rent of $645, alongside a median household income of $37,875 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.52 as a percentage of the property’s assessed value.

How to Look Up Scott County Property Records

Most of the process of searching for property records is covered in three steps. All of the information is available for free at the state assessment site, including each parcel's Map-Group-Parcel number, owner, and appraised value. Payments are accepted at the Trustee’s office, and the relief program is carried out by the office of the Trustee; balances are available online via the state's system. The Register of Deeds is a service provider of documents at the courthouse; recent documents are available on TitleSearcher by subscription.

Who Keeps Scott County Property Records

In Tennessee, county-level offices hold property records, which are publicly accessible to Tennessee citizens under the Public Records Act.

• Located at the Huntsville courthouse, the Register of Deeds, Ashley Riseden since 2018, records deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and plats weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• The Assessor of Property estimates each property at market value and records the Map-Group-Parcel number.

• The County Trustee’s job is broken down into three parts: collect county property taxes; oversee the Property Tax Relief Program; and track and distribute county tax money.

Delinquent tax causes of action are filed with the Clerk & Master in the Chancery Court. Huntsville, Oneida, and Winfield charge residents for town taxes separately.

How to Search Scott County Property Records Online

Follow the process in this order.

• Determine parcel location on the state assessment site. Copy the Map-Group-Parcel number, value, and class under Scott County.

• Use TNMap to map the boundary; this mapping tool will be useful to help delineate private ground from the public borders that dominate this county.

• Look in the index of the Register of Deeds at the courthouse or call the Register at (423) 663-3075. Deeds for 2014 and images of indexes for 2015 are available remotely for TitleSearcher subscribers.

• Use the same index for deeds of trust, liens, and releases and follow the chain of title in reverse, starting with each grantor and terminating with the first grantor of the deed or lien. The sworn value on each deed records the price.

• Call the County Trustee at (423) 663-2598 to verify that a property’s taxes are up to date.

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

The Register of Deeds, an elected official, records documents for the communities between Huntsville, Oneida, Winfield, and the plateau. On most financed purchases, Tennessee will use deeds of trust instead of mortgages to secure the home loan. The state recordation tax is also collected by 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

The modern index is available in two ways: it can be accessed free at the courthouse counter, or by TitleSearcher subscription for remote research. Deeds must be accompanied by a notarized Oath of Consideration and the parcel number.

Assessor of Property: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor appraises all parcels at market value, while Tennessee taxes a fraction based on the class. The office assigns the Map-Group-Parcel number, maintains record cards, and uploads to the state's assessment database each time the state schedules a reappraisal.

Use the state assessment site or the courthouse 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 available at the courthouse five days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Taxes are due on the first Monday of October, and the last day of February is the deadline before monthly interest starts. The office has a page that guides taxpayers on how to pay, estimate taxes, and request relief. The Trustee oversees the state Tax Relief program for homeowners who are over 65, disabled, or veterans.

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

Tennessee has no state property tax. In Scott County, taxes are collected by the county and by individual municipalities.

How the bill is figured

The assessment of residential and farm property is based on 25% of the appraised value, while commercial and industrial properties are taxed at 40%. A home appraised at $115,000 carries a $28,750 assessed value; at a combined 2.30% rate, the bill is about $661.

Exemptions and relief

Appealing your value

Begin at the courthouse, where the Assessor can help. Corrected information can resolve many cases. The formal appeal is to the County Board of Equalization in June and to the State Board of Equalization, based on the evidence of comparable sales.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The state maintains the county's parcel mapping. The TNMap assessment viewer overlays all of the Scott County boundaries on aerial photography, linked to the Comptroller’s assessment data, and overlays the park and WMA lands, clearly outlining the private property.

Details available include:

• Parcel boundaries with ownership and acreage

• Appraised and assessed values by parcel

• The Big South Fork gorge country in aerial view

• Property classes and record-card data

• Statewide layers through TNMap

Tax maps are not used for surveying, and boundary lines on plats should be confirmed by a licensed survey.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

There are two types of tax sales:

Deed-of-trust foreclosure

If the loan defaults, the substitute trustee designated in the deed of trust advertises the terms of the auction and sells in accordance with Title 35 of the Tennessee Code. There is no need to obtain a court order.

Chancery Court tax sale

Unpaid taxes pass through the court. Most sales occur with a one-year right of redemption, the suit filed in Chancery Court, and the sale conducted by the Clerk & Master of the Court. Tennessee doesn't sell tax-lien certificates; it sells the property through the court.

Costs to Access Property Records

The state portals are free. Fees apply to copies, the subscription index, and recording.

How to Record a Document

All recordings are pursuant to Title 66, Chapter 24 of the Tennessee Code. There are four steps:

• Create a document to meet Tennessee requirements: signatures signed by all parties, full property description, preparer and return addresses.

• Attach the deed requirements: Tax parcel number and the notarized Oath of Consideration attached to the deed.

• The fee for recording the deed and the recording taxes: $0.37 per $100 of the transfer and $0.115 per $100 of any secured debt greater than $2,000.

• Record in the courthouse or by mail with the payment of recordation fees.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Scott County Property Records Checklist

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