Hamilton County, Tennessee — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure
Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → tennessee. This page covers how Hamilton County (Chattanooga) actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.
C0. Identity
- County seat: Chattanooga
- Population: ~366,207 (2020 U.S. Census, FIPS 47065)
- FIPS: 47065
- Recording unit: county
- Parent legal framework: tennessee
- Tax sale type: tax deed (judicial — chancery court in rem proceeding); see tennessee Module 1.
C1. Local Tax Sale
Conducts own sale? Yes. The Chancery Court Clerk and Master of Hamilton County administers the delinquent-tax auction pursuant to court decree. The Hamilton County Trustee collects taxes and certifies delinquents; the delinquent-tax attorney files suit in chancery court; upon court order, the Clerk and Master conducts the judicial sale.
Platform: Online via CivicSource (civicsource.com — “The Property Auction Authority®”). The 2026 Tax Sale Information document (Form 123T, Rev. 2018.05.04, updated May 2026) states that property “will be sold to highest bidder online” and instructs prospective bidders to “obtain a copy of the listing from the Hamilton County Website or the Civic Source website.” The physical event venue for the 2026 sale is the Hamilton County Commission Room, 4th floor of the Courthouse. needs_verification — The precise CivicSource registration URL for Hamilton County was not extracted from a directly fetched CivicSource page (SSL certificate issues prevented direct fetch); the platform identity is derived from the official county Form 123T (retrieved 2026-06-02).
Sale calendar:
- Frequency: Annual (once per year).
- Next known sale: June 4, 2026 (Thursday); registration begins 9:00 a.m., auction starts promptly at 10:00 a.m. (Source: Form 123T, Rev. 2018.05.04, from https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Clerkmasterforms/taxsale/2026TaxSale/TAX%20SALE%20INFORMATION%202026.pdf, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
- Location: Hamilton County Commission Room, 4th floor, Hamilton County Courthouse, 625 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, TN (auction conducted online via CivicSource; physical venue is the courthouse commission room).
- Pre-sale publication: Parcels are published on one Friday in May in the Hamilton County Herald classified ads on or before 10 days prior to sale, and posted on the county website at www.hamiltontn.gov under “Featured Information.” (Source: Form 123T, 2026-06-02.)
Registration:
- Bidder registration is through the CivicSource platform (civicsource.com).
needs_verification— Specific pre-registration deadline and any deposit requirements were not stated in the county’s Form 123T. Bidders are advised to consult the CivicSource website for platform registration. - The Clerk and Master contact for sale inquiries is the Chief Tax Deputy, Clerk & Master, Hamilton County: (423) 209-6606.
Payment terms:
- Payment is due immediately after the sale. An accepted bid is a legal commitment to purchase; the Clerk and Master reserves the right to deny any bid. Failure to pay may result in forfeiture of any paid amount, or a finding of contempt of court. (Source: Form 123T, 2026-06-02.)
- Accepted methods: Cash, cashier’s check, or money order only. (Source: Form 123T, 2026-06-02.)
Opening bid: Amount of delinquent taxes + penalties + interest + court costs + delinquent-tax attorney fees. See tennessee Module 1.
Delinquent list location:
- Published on the Hamilton County website at www.hamiltontn.gov under “Featured Information” (PDF:
Clerkmasterforms/taxsale/2026TaxSale/DELINQUENT TAX SALE LIST 2026.pdf). Also available on the CivicSource website. (Source: Form 123T and county homepage, retrieved 2026-06-02.) - The 2026 list (retrieved 2026-06-02) showed parcels under Docket Nos. 11255 and 11256 with item numbers, map/group/parcel identifiers, property addresses, and minimum bids ranging from ~$1,400 to$26,000+ per parcel. The list was updated through June 1, 2026 with paid items noted.
Muniment of title:
- Orders Confirming the Sale are prepared for each parcel within two to three weeks of the sale date. The purchaser is responsible for recording the Order Confirming Sale in the Register’s Office, Room 400, Hamilton County Courthouse; (423) 209-6560. (Source: Form 123T, 2026-06-02.)
Property not purchased at tax sale:
- After the one-year redemption period expires, the Hamilton County Real Property Manager conducts sealed-bid sales of county- and city-acquired properties. Contact: Real Property Manager, 117 E 7th Street, 5th Floor, Newell Tower, Chattanooga, TN 37402; Phone: (423) 209-6444. (Source: Form 123T, 2026-06-02.)
Bidder disqualifications (from tennessee): A person with a “moral or legal obligation to pay the taxes” on the parcel, and fiduciaries of the taxpayer, are disqualified. Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2501 et seq.
C2. Local Redemption → framework: right-of-redemption
Where to redeem: Redemption is a chancery court proceeding in Hamilton County. The redeemer files a Motion to Redeem with, and pays the required funds to, the Hamilton County Chancery Court Clerk and Master’s Office (Room 300, Hamilton County Courthouse, 625 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37402; phone: (423) 209-6600). Standard chancery court forms are available at https://www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/.
Available forms:
- Form 268T — “Procedure for Redemption of Property After Tax Sale”
- Form 269T — “Statement of Person Redeeming Property Sold at Tax Sale”
- Form 270T — “Notice of Redemption to Tax Sale Purchaser”
- Form 271T — “Redemption Protest Waiver or Motions” (All available at https://www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/; source: forms index page retrieved 2026-06-02.)
Redemption periods (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2701(a), applied in Hamilton County):
| Years delinquent | Redemption period from confirmation order |
|---|---|
| ≤ 5 years | 1 year |
| > 5 but < 8 years | 180 days |
| ≥ 8 years | 90 days |
| Vacant / abandoned | 30 days (purchaser must prove abandonment via 3 inspections over 2 months) |
Cost to redeem (per Form 123T, Hamilton County): Full minimum bid amount + 12% per annum (simple interest) on the purchaser’s bid, calculated from the sale date through the redemption date + any taxes the purchaser paid during the redemption period + the recording fee if the purchaser recorded the decree confirming sale. See tennessee Module 2 for the full statutory formula (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2701(b),(d),(e)). The redemption period expires one year from the date the Order Confirming Sale is entered — not the date of the tax sale. (Source: Form 123T, 2026-06-02.)
Local fee for redemption motion: needs_verification — The Chancery Court website and forms do not publish a specific filing fee for a Motion to Redeem. Contact the Clerk and Master directly at (423) 209-6600.
Overbids during redemption: The Clerk and Master holds money paid in excess of the amount owed (overbids) during the one-year redemption period, to be refunded to the purchaser in the event of redemption. (Source: Form 123T ¶ 11, 2026-06-02.)
Preservation expenditures: If a property is redeemed and the purchaser made necessary expenditures to preserve the property during the redemption period, the purchaser must file a motion to recover preservation expenditures before the Chancellor. Proof of expenditures must be presented at the hearing. (Source: Form 123T ¶ 13, 2026-06-02.) See also Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2701(e) (lawful charges) on tennessee.
Federal IRS redemption overlay: If the IRS holds a lien, the federal government retains a 120-day right of redemption from the sale date (26 U.S.C. § 7425). This runs alongside the state redemption clock.
Deviations from state default: None identified. Hamilton County follows the standard Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2701 tiered schedule.
Case law note: Hamilton County and FUB of the State of TN et al. v. Tax Year 2018 Delinquent Taxpayers et al. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2024) — a case originating in this very county — applied § 67-5-2702’s excess-proceeds waterfall, confirming that a judgment lienholder retains priority to surplus even if its lien later lapsed (more specific tax statute controls over general judgment-lien-duration statute). See hamilton-county-v-2018-delinquent-taxpayers-2024 and tennessee Module 8.
C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds
BUSINESS-CRITICAL: Surplus/excess proceeds in Hamilton County are a chancery court matter. Claims are filed as motions in the same court case that produced the sale — not with the Trustee, Sheriff, or any administrative office.
Claim filing venue:
- Court: Chancery Court for Hamilton County, Tennessee
- Filing office: Hamilton County Chancery Court Clerk and Master’s Office
- Address: Room 300, Hamilton County Courthouse, 625 Georgia Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37402
- Phone: (423) 209-6600
- Clerk and Master: Rachael Kapperman (as of 2026-06-02; source: ChanceryCourt_Dockets.aspx)
- Court records portal: https://hamilton.tncrtinfo.com/Default.aspx
Statutory authority: Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2702(a) — “any interested person” may file a motion in the chancery court in which the delinquent-tax proceeding is pending. See tennessee Module 3 for the full waterfall.
Claim form:
- Name: Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds (Form 285T)
- URL: https://www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/Form%20285T.doc
- Form content (extracted via strings/doc parsing, 2026-06-02): Filed in the Chancery Court for Hamilton County, Tennessee; captions the specific case number and map number; movant cites Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2702; states the amount of excess sale proceeds claimed (less clerk’s fee); provides the date of the Final Decree Confirming the Sale; movant’s relationship to the property at the time of the tax sale; documentation supporting the claim attached to the motion. Certificate of Service required — movant must mail a copy of the motion to all parties to the underlying tax sale by U.S. Mail and certify service. [Form 285, Rev. 2022.08.31] (Source: Form 285T.doc extracted directly from www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/Form%20285T.doc, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
- Note: Hamilton County’s Form 285T is simpler than Knox County’s verified/notarized form — the Hamilton County version does not include a notarization requirement on the face of the form.
needs_verification— Whether local chancery court practice requires a verified (notarized) motion regardless.
Who may file: Any “interested person” — owner-interest holder, lienholder, or lienholder’s assignee — as defined in Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2502(c). A tax-sale purchaser may not claim excess proceeds. See tennessee Module 3.
Local deadline: A motion may be filed until the funds are forwarded to the State under the Unclaimed Property Act. The abandonment presumption does not arise until the final determination of all redemption/excess-proceeds motions or one year after the redemption period expires, whichever is later (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2702(c)(5)). After escheat, funds are reclaimable from the Tennessee Department of Treasury unclaimed property division at https://treasury.tn.gov/Unclaimed-Property/Claim-Unclaimed-Property/Find-Your-Missing-Money (also searchable via claimittn.gov, redirects to the Treasury page).
Unclaimed-funds list published by county? needs_verification — No running list of pending or unclaimed excess proceeds was located on the official Hamilton County Chancery Court or Clerk and Master website.
Motion filing fee: needs_verification — No specific filing fee for the Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds (Form 285T) is published on the Hamilton County Chancery Court website. A general filing fee schedule (Form 291) is available at https://www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/Form%20291.doc but was not retrieved in full. Contact (423) 209-6600 to confirm the current fee.
Contact for surplus claims:
- Rachael Kapperman, Clerk & Master, Chancery Court
- Address: Room 300, 625 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37402
- Phone: (423) 209-6600
- Court records: https://hamilton.tncrtinfo.com/Default.aspx
▸ For Investors / Operators — Hamilton County’s annual CivicSource online auction (2026 date: June 4) requires immediate payment in cash, cashier’s check, or money order — no promissory-note option, unlike Knox County. The purchaser receives a court-ordered deed within 2–3 weeks, which must be recorded at the Register’s Office (Room 400). The redemption period is one year from the Order Confirming Sale (not the sale date), and the redeeming owner owes 12% simple annual interest on the bid. Properties within Chattanooga city limits carry a maintenance obligation under the City Property Maintenance Code even during the redemption period.
▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds are held by the Chancery Court Clerk and Master (Room 300, 625 Georgia Avenue, (423) 209-6600); recovery requires filing Form 285T (Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds, available at hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/Form%20285T.doc) in the same chancery court case under the docket number that produced the sale, with a Certificate of Service by U.S. Mail to all parties. Claims may be filed until funds are forwarded to the Tennessee Department of Treasury Unclaimed Property Division; after escheat, funds are searchable at claimittn.gov.
C4. Offices & Contacts
| Office | Name | Address | Phone | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trustee (Tax Collector) | Bill Hullander | 625 Georgia Avenue, Room 210, Chattanooga, TN 37402-1494 | (423) 209-7270; Fax: (423) 209-7271 | www.hamiltontn.gov/Trustee.aspx |
| Chancery Court Clerk & Master (Tax Sale + Redemption + Surplus) | Rachael Kapperman | 625 Georgia Avenue, Room 300, Chattanooga, TN 37402 | (423) 209-6600 | www.hamiltontn.gov/Courts.aspx; forms at ClerkMasterForms/default.htm |
| Register of Deeds | Marc Gravitt | 625 Georgia Avenue, Room 400, Chattanooga, TN 37402 (Mail: PO Box 1639, TN 37401) | (423) 209-6560; Fax: (423) 209-6561 | www.hamiltontn.gov/RegisterOfDeeds.aspx; deed search: register.hamiltontn.gov/OnlineRecordSearch/Home/Welcome.aspx |
| Assessor of Property | Marty Haynes | 6135 Heritage Park Drive, Bonny Oaks, Chattanooga, TN 37416 | (423) 209-7300; Fax: (423) 209-7301 | www.hamiltontn.gov/AssessorOfProperty.aspx; search: assessor.hamiltontn.gov |
| Sheriff | Austin Garrett | Ground Floor Courts Building, 600 Market Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402 | (423) 209-7000 | www.hcsheriff.gov |
| Real Property Manager (post-redemption surplus sales) | needs_verification | 117 E 7th Street, 5th Floor, Newell Tower, Chattanooga, TN 37402 | (423) 209-6444 | needs_verification |
Note on Sheriff’s role: Tennessee delinquent property tax sales are conducted by the Chancery Court Clerk and Master — not the Sheriff. Hamilton County mortgage foreclosures are primarily non-judicial (power-of-sale under deed of trust, administered by the trustee named in the deed of trust). The Sheriff’s role in property sales is not confirmed from retrieved sources.
Chief Tax Deputy: For direct tax sale inquiries, the Chief Tax Deputy at the Clerk and Master’s Office can be reached at (423) 209-6606 (a separate direct line from the main Chancery Court number). (Source: Form 123T header, 2026-06-02.)
C5. Local Procedure Notes
Online sale via CivicSource: Hamilton County’s 2026 delinquent-tax auction is conducted online through CivicSource (civicsource.com). This is a notable departure from counties like Knox (in-person only). The auction information sheet explicitly directs bidders to the “Civic Source website” for property listings and online bidding. The physical event venue (Commission Room, 4th floor courthouse) serves as the formal sale location for the judicial proceeding.
Annual cadence: Hamilton County holds its annual delinquent-tax sale each year in June, following publication in May. The sale runs under two docket numbers (e.g., Docket 11255 and 11256 in 2026), suggesting multiple consolidated court dockets sold in a single auction.
Payment immediately after sale: Unlike Knox County’s 10-day promissory note option, Hamilton County requires immediate payment (cash, cashier’s check, or money order) upon acceptance of a bid. There is no promissory note option described in the 2026 Form 123T.
Chattanooga property maintenance obligation: If a purchaser acquires a property within the city limits of Chattanooga, the purchaser is required to maintain the property in compliance with the City of Chattanooga Property Maintenance Code (Chattanooga City Code 21-1 et seq.) even during the one-year redemption period. Contact: City of Chattanooga Department of Community Development, (423) 643-7318. (Source: Form 123T ¶ 13, 2026-06-02.)
Publication in Hamilton County Herald: The delinquent parcel list is published in the Hamilton County Herald (local newspaper) on one Friday in May, at least 10 days before the sale.
Two-to-three-week deed turnaround: Orders Confirming the Sale are prepared by the Clerk and Master within 2–3 weeks of the sale date; purchasers must promptly record the Order at the Register’s Office (Room 400, same courthouse).
Court records search: Hamilton County chancery court records (including delinquent-tax case files) are searchable through the online case portal at https://hamilton.tncrtinfo.com/Default.aspx.
C6. Records Access
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| Parcel / assessment search (Assessor) | assessor.hamiltontn.gov |
| GIS / parcel viewer (GISMO 5 — Geocortex / ArcGIS) | gismaps.hamiltontn.gov/hcgis |
| Tax payment portal (Trustee) | tpti.hamiltontn.gov |
| Register of Deeds — deed search | register.hamiltontn.gov/OnlineRecordSearch/Home/Welcome.aspx |
| Chancery Court — online case records | hamilton.tncrtinfo.com/Default.aspx |
| Clerk & Master forms (tax sale, redemption, surplus) | www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/default.htm |
| 2026 Delinquent Tax Sale List (PDF) | www.hamiltontn.gov/Clerkmasterforms/taxsale/2026TaxSale/DELINQUENT%20TAX%20SALE%20LIST%202026.pdf |
| 2026 Tax Sale Information (Form 123T, PDF) | www.hamiltontn.gov/Clerkmasterforms/taxsale/2026TaxSale/TAX%20SALE%20INFORMATION%202026.pdf |
| Excess sale proceeds form (Form 285T) | www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/Form%20285T.doc |
| Sale platform (CivicSource) | www.civicsource.com |
| State unclaimed property (post-escheat) | treasury.tn.gov/Unclaimed-Property/Claim-Unclaimed-Property/Find-Your-Missing-Money |
C7. Meta
Parent state: tennessee Last verified: 2026-06-02 Confidence: 0.87 Completeness score: 0.83 Gap score: 9
Sources retrieved:
| Type | URL | Retrieved | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| official_pdf | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Clerkmasterforms/taxsale/2026TaxSale/TAX%20SALE%20INFORMATION%202026.pdf | 2026-06-02 | Form 123T Rev 2018.05.04 updated 2026: 2026 sale June 4, online via CivicSource, Commission Room 4th floor, immediate payment (cash/cashier’s check/MO), 12% simple interest redemption, 1-year period, sealed-bid post-redemption sales, Chattanooga code maintenance obligation |
| official_pdf | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Clerkmasterforms/taxsale/2026TaxSale/DELINQUENT%20TAX%20SALE%20LIST%202026.pdf | 2026-06-02 | Parcel list for Dockets 11255 and 11256; updated 6/1/2026 with PAID notations; columns: docket, item, property#, address, map/group/parcel, minimum bid |
| official_doc | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/Form%20285T.doc | 2026-06-02 | Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds; § 67-5-2702; Form 285 Rev. 2022.08.31; filing venue Chancery Court Hamilton County; Certificate of Service by U.S. Mail required |
| official | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Courts.aspx | 2026-06-02 | Chancery Court: 625 Georgia Ave, (423) 209-6600; Rachael Kapperman, Clerk & Master; forms available; public records search at hamilton.tncrtinfo.com |
| official | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/default.htm | 2026-06-02 | Forms index: 123T (Tax Sale Info), 268T (Redemption Procedure), 269T (Statement of Person Redeeming), 270T (Notice of Redemption to Purchaser), 271T (Redemption Protest), 285T (Excess Proceeds Motion) |
| official | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Trustee.aspx | 2026-06-02 | Bill Hullander, Trustee; 625 Georgia Ave Room 210; (423) 209-7270; taxes delinquent March 1, 1.5%/month; tax payment portal tpti.hamiltontn.gov |
| official | https://tpti.hamiltontn.gov | 2026-06-02 | Tax payment/inquiry portal confirmed; search by parcel, owner, address, bill number |
| official | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/RegisterOfDeeds.aspx | 2026-06-02 | Marc Gravitt; Room 400, 625 Georgia Ave; (423) 209-6560; eRecording via Simplifile (800-460-5657) or CSC (866-652-0111); online search portal at register.hamiltontn.gov |
| official | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/AssessorOfProperty.aspx | 2026-06-02 | Marty Haynes; 6135 Heritage Park Drive, Chattanooga TN 37416; (423) 209-7300; assessor.hamiltontn.gov |
| official | https://www.hamiltontn.gov/Directory.aspx | 2026-06-02 | All key officials: Trustee Bill Hullander (209-7270), Sheriff Austin Garrett (209-7000, 600 Market St), Assessor Marty Haynes (209-7300, 6135 Heritage Park Dr), Register Marc Gravitt (209-6560), County Clerk Bill Knowles (209-6500) |
| official | https://gis.hamiltontn.gov/mapping.html | 2026-06-02 | GISMO 5 at gismaps.hamiltontn.gov/hcgis (Geocortex/ArcGIS parcel viewer); Political Districts Map; GIS dept at 1250 Market St Suite 1010, gis@hamiltontn.gov, (423) 209-7760 |
| official | https://www.hamiltontn.gov | 2026-06-02 | Homepage confirmed links to 2026TaxSale PDFs; key officials listed; delinquent tax info under Featured Information |
| platform | https://www.civicsource.com | 2026-06-02 | ”The Property Auction Authority®” — confirmed as online auction marketplace for government/tax sales; HTTPS SSL certificate issue prevented direct county-specific page fetch; platform identity confirmed from Form 123T reference |
| state_treasury | https://treasury.tn.gov/Unclaimed-Property/Claim-Unclaimed-Property/Find-Your-Missing-Money | 2026-06-02 | Tennessee unclaimed property portal (claimittn.gov redirects here); (866) 370-9429; post-escheat recovery path for excess proceeds |
needs_verification (9 remaining — all Row 2):
- CivicSource registration URL specific to Hamilton County tax sales (SSL issue prevented direct fetch of civicsource.com Tennessee/Hamilton pages; platform identity confirmed only from Form 123T reference)
- Whether the sale is purely online (remote bidding from any location) or hybrid (online bidding physically at the courthouse commission room); the Form 123T says “online” but lists the Commission Room as the location
- Filing fee for Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds (Form 285T) — not published on county website; Form 291 general filing fee schedule exists but was not retrieved
- Filing fee for Motion to Redeem — not published online
- Whether a running public list of pending or unclaimed excess proceeds is maintained and published by Hamilton County Chancery Court
- Whether Hamilton County Form 285T requires notarization in practice (the form text does not include a notarization block, unlike Knox County’s form — local practice may differ)
- Real Property Manager’s exact office name and website URL (address and phone confirmed from Form 123T; official web page returned 404)
- Whether delinquent taxpayers are ineligible to bid at Hamilton County’s sale (the rule exists in state law per Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2501 et seq., but Form 123T did not explicitly state this as a local bidder eligibility screen)
- Whether Hamilton County holds more than one delinquent-tax auction per year (only annual June sale confirmed from retrieved sources)
Cross-links: tennessee, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, tyler-v-hennepin-county, hamilton-county-v-2018-delinquent-taxpayers-2024, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, scra-protections, federal-tax-lien-redemption, heirs-property, third-party-recovery-rules, davidson-tn, knox-tn, shelby-tn, rutherford-tn
Changelog:
- 2026-06-02: Page created. Research conducted against official Hamilton County Clerk & Master, Trustee, Register of Deeds, Assessor, and county homepage. 2026 sale confirmed: June 4, 2026, online via CivicSource, immediate cash/cashier’s check/MO payment required. Excess-proceeds form (Form 285T, Rev. 2022.08.31) extracted in full from official .doc file — cites § 67-5-2702, requires Certificate of Service by U.S. Mail. Clerk and Master (Rachael Kapperman), Trustee (Bill Hullander), Register of Deeds (Marc Gravitt), Assessor (Marty Haynes), Sheriff (Austin Garrett) contacts confirmed from primary sources. GIS portal (gismaps.hamiltontn.gov/hcgis) and tax payment portal (tpti.hamiltontn.gov) confirmed. Nine remaining gaps are all Row 2 (needs_verification) only — no Row 3–5 deficiencies.
▸ For Investors / Operators — Hamilton County’s annual CivicSource online auction (2026 date: June 4) requires immediate payment in cash, cashier’s check, or money order — no promissory-note option, unlike Knox County. The purchaser receives a court-ordered deed within 2–3 weeks, which must be recorded at the Register’s Office (Room 400). The redemption period is one year from the Order Confirming Sale (not the sale date), and the redeeming owner owes 12% simple annual interest on the bid. Properties within Chattanooga city limits carry a maintenance obligation under the City Property Maintenance Code even during the redemption period.
▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds are held by the Chancery Court Clerk and Master (Room 300, 625 Georgia Avenue, (423) 209-6600); recovery requires filing Form 285T (Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds, available at hamiltontn.gov/ClerkMasterForms/Form%20285T.doc) in the same chancery court case under the docket number that produced the sale, with a Certificate of Service by U.S. Mail to all parties. Claims may be filed until funds are forwarded to the Tennessee Department of Treasury Unclaimed Property Division; after escheat, funds are searchable at claimittn.gov.
Disclaimer: This page contains legal information, not legal advice. Laws, procedures, deadlines, and contact details change. Verify all information against current official sources before acting. Consult a licensed Tennessee attorney for advice specific to your situation. The authors of this wiki assume no liability for errors or omissions.