Williamson 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 Williamson County (Franklin) actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.
C0. Identity
- County seat: Franklin
- Population: ~247,726 (2020 U.S. Census, FIPS 47187)
- FIPS: 47187
- Recording unit: county
- Parent legal framework: tennessee
- Tax sale type: tax deed (judicial — chancery court in rem proceeding); see tennessee Module 1.
- Note: Williamson County has the highest median household income of any Tennessee county and consistently generates significant excess-proceeds activity at tax sales due to elevated property values. (Secondary source: surplusfundslist.com blog, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
C1. Local Tax Sale
Conducts own sale? Yes. The Williamson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master administers the delinquent-tax auction pursuant to court decree. The County Trustee (Karen Paris) collects taxes and certifies delinquents; the delinquent-tax attorney files suit in Chancery Court; upon court order, the Clerk and Master conducts the public sale. (Source: Williamson County FY2024 AFR, pp. note on property taxes, retrieved from comptroller.tn.gov, 2026-06-02.)
Platform: needs_verification — As of the date of this research, the Williamson County Chancery Court website (williamsonchancery.org/DelinquentTaxes) renders JavaScript-only and its content could not be extracted. Williamson County is not listed among Tennessee counties using GovEase (confirmed from liveauctions.govease.com, retrieved 2026-06-02). The sale is believed to be conducted in-person at or near the courthouse consistent with standard Tennessee chancery practice, but the specific venue and any online-bidding supplement require verification against the official Chancery Court delinquent-taxes page.
Sale calendar:
- Frequency:
needs_verification— Specific annual or more-frequent sale schedule not confirmed from a retrieved primary source. The Williamson County FY2024 AFR confirms suit must be filed in Chancery Court between February 1 and April 1 for any remaining unpaid taxes, consistent with Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2405; the sale typically follows the suit. (Source: comptroller.tn.gov FY24WilliamsonAFR.pdf, retrieved 2026-06-02.) - Next known sale:
needs_verification— No sale date was retrievable from the Chancery Court website. Monitor williamsonchancery.org/DelinquentTaxes and notices published in the Williamson Herald (the county’s newspaper of record for legal notices). - Delinquent interest rate: 1.5% per month beginning March 1 on delinquent taxes; consistent with Tennessee law. (Source: williamsonpropertytax.com/content/1392.html, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
Registration / deposit / bidder requirements: needs_verification — Specific registration requirements, deposit amounts, and bidder eligibility criteria for Williamson County tax sales were not retrievable from the official Chancery Court website. Under Tennessee law, persons with a “moral or legal obligation to pay the taxes” on a parcel (including the delinquent taxpayer) are disqualified from bidding (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2501 et seq.; see tennessee Module 1). Contact the Clerk and Master at (615) 790-5428 or williamsonchancery.org for current terms.
Delinquent list location: needs_verification — Published as a court filing in Chancery Court and typically noticed in the Williamson Herald. The official delinquent-tax page is williamsonchancery.org/DelinquentTaxes (JavaScript-rendered; content not extractable at time of research). Legal notices confirmed published in the Williamson Herald (williamsonherald.com). (Source: Williamson Herald public notices, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
Opening bid: Amount of delinquent taxes + penalties + interest + court costs + delinquent-tax attorney fees. See tennessee Module 1.
C2. Local Redemption → framework: right-of-redemption
Where to redeem: Redemption is a chancery court proceeding in Williamson County. The redeemer files a Motion to Redeem Property with, and pays the required funds to, the Williamson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master’s Office (135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064; phone: (615) 790-5428). The County Trustee does NOT handle redemptions post-sale.
Redemption periods (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2701(a), applied statewide including Williamson 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: Full minimum bid amount + 12% per annum on the purchaser’s entire purchase price from payment date to date the Motion to Redeem is filed + court costs + any court-ordered lawful charges (additional taxes paid, reasonable improvements, HOA dues, etc.) asserted by the purchaser within 30 days of notice of redemption. Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2701(b),(d),(e). See tennessee Module 2.
Local filing fee for Motion to Redeem: needs_verification — Not published on the Clerk and Master’s website. Contact (615) 790-5428 to confirm current fee.
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). Runs alongside the state redemption clock.
Deviations from state default: None identified. Williamson County follows the standard Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2701 tiered schedule.
C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds
BUSINESS-CRITICAL: Surplus/excess proceeds in Williamson 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. Williamson County has “notable surplus fund activity” due to high property values. (Corroborated by: surplusfundslist.com blog, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
Claim filing venue:
- Court: Chancery Court for Williamson County, Tennessee (21st Judicial District)
- Filing office: Williamson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master’s Office
- Address: Williamson County Judicial Center, 135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064
- Phone: (615) 790-5428
- Clerk and Master: Elaine B. Beeler (serving since April 1998; most recently reappointed 2016). (Source: Ballotpedia / TBA Faculty Profile, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
- Official website: www.williamsonchancery.org
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 priority waterfall.
Claim form:
- Name: Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds (standard Tennessee form)
- URL:
needs_verification— The Williamson County Chancery Court forms page (williamsonchancery.org/forms) is JavaScript-rendered and could not be extracted. No Williamson County-specific excess-proceeds form URL was located. Contact the Clerk and Master directly at (615) 790-5428 to obtain the current form. (For reference, the Knox County form — which mirrors the statewide Tennessee format — is at https://www.knoxcounty.org/trustee/taxsale23/MotionClaimExcessSaleProceedsWithStatute.pdf and cites § 67-5-2702.)
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 treasury.tn.gov/unclaim/.
Unclaimed-funds list published by county? needs_verification — No running public list of pending unclaimed excess proceeds was located on the official Williamson County Chancery Court or Trustee website.
Motion filing fee: needs_verification — Not published on the Williamson County Chancery Court website. Contact (615) 790-5428 to confirm.
Contact: Williamson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master Elaine B. Beeler, (615) 790-5428; 135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064; www.williamsonchancery.org.
▸ For Investors / Operators — Williamson County delinquent-tax sales are judicial chancery court proceedings administered by Clerk and Master Elaine B. Beeler (135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064; 615-790-5428). The suit is filed between February 1 and April 1 each year; the sale follows by court order. Williamson County is not listed on GovEase, and the specific platform and venue are needs_verification (assumed in-person courthouse). The opening bid is delinquent taxes + penalties + 1.5%/month interest from March 1 + court costs + delinquent-tax attorney fees. Redemption periods are tiered by years delinquent (1 year / 180 days / 90 days / 30 days for abandoned), at 12% per annum on the purchaser’s entire purchase price from payment through filing date. Tennessee mortgage foreclosures are non-judicial trustee’s sales at the courthouse front door; the Sheriff is not involved in either tax or mortgage foreclosure sales.
▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds from Williamson County tax sales are a chancery court matter — file a Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2702(a)) in the same Chancery Court case that produced the sale. The filing office is the Williamson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master (135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064; 615-790-5428). 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 one year after the redemption period expires or all redemption/proceeds motions are resolved, whichever is later. After escheat, funds are reclaimable from the Tennessee Department of Treasury at treasury.tn.gov/unclaim/. Note: the claim form URL on williamsonchancery.org requires direct contact with the Clerk and Master’s office.
C4. Offices & Contacts
| Office | Name | Address | Phone | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trustee (Tax Collector) | Karen Paris | 1320 West Main Street, Suite 203, Franklin, TN 37064 | (615) 790-5709; Fax: (615) 790-5463 | www.williamsonpropertytax.com |
| Chancery Court Clerk & Master (Tax Sale + Redemption + Surplus) | Elaine B. Beeler | Williamson County Judicial Center, 135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064 | (615) 790-5428 | www.williamsonchancery.org |
| County Clerk | Jeff Whidby | 1320 West Main Street, Suite 135, Franklin, TN 37064 | (615) 790-5712; Fax: (615) 790-5610 | www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/Directory.aspx?did=69 |
| Register of Deeds | Sherry Anderson | 1320 West Main Street, Suite 201, Franklin, TN 37064 | (615) 790-5706 | www.williamsoncountyregister.com |
| Property Assessor | Brad Coleman | 1320 West Main Street (Suite 300; temporarily relocated to 305 Beasley Drive), Franklin, TN 37064 | (615) 790-5708 | www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/64/Property-Assessor |
| Sheriff (civil judgments only) | Jeff Hughes | 408 Century Court, Franklin, TN 37064 | (615) 790-5560 | www.williamsoncountysherifftn.com |
Note on Sheriff’s role: The Williamson County Sheriff explicitly does not conduct foreclosure or tax lien sales. The Sheriff conducts civil judgment sales (personal and real property on execution of civil judgments only). Tennessee delinquent property tax sales are judicial proceedings administered by the Chancery Court Clerk and Master. Mortgage foreclosures in Tennessee are primarily non-judicial (power-of-sale under deed of trust). (Source: williamsoncountysherifftn.com/services/sheriff-sales/, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
C5. Local Procedure Notes
Judicial tax sale only: All delinquent property tax sales are court-ordered, administered by Clerk and Master Elaine Beeler in Williamson County Chancery Court. The suit is filed by the delinquent-tax attorney between February 1 and April 1 each year for any remaining unpaid taxes. (Source: comptroller.tn.gov FY2024 AFR, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
Delinquency timeline: Taxes levied first Monday in October; become delinquent and begin accumulating 1.5%/month interest on March 1 of the following year; suit filed in Chancery Court between February 1 and April 1 for any remaining unpaid taxes. (Source: comptroller.tn.gov FY2024 AFR + williamsonpropertytax.com/content/1392.html, both retrieved 2026-06-02.)
No online platform confirmed: Williamson County is not listed on GovEase (the most common Tennessee online tax-sale platform). Sale platform is needs_verification; contact williamsonchancery.org or (615) 790-5428.
High-value market: Williamson County routinely generates excess proceeds due to high property values. Former owners and junior lienholders should monitor for surplus funds and act before escheat.
Mortgage foreclosure sales: Conducted by the substitute trustee named in the deed of trust at the courthouse front door (confirmed from a March 2026 Williamson Herald public notice of a trustee’s sale at “Front Door of the Williamson County Courthouse, Franklin, Tennessee”). These are non-judicial sales; the Sheriff is not involved. (Source: williamsonherald.com public notice, 2026-02-12, retrieved 2026-06-02.)
C6. Records Access
| Resource | URL |
|---|---|
| Property assessments / parcel search (Assessor) | inigo.williamson-tn.org/property_search/ |
| GIS map / parcel viewer (ArcGIS WebApp Viewer) | williamsontn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=70ae32b7255e48cdad65792ffb2bbf2a |
| GIS (alternate Geocortex viewer) | arcgis2.williamson-tn.org/Html5Viewer_2_5_2/index.html |
| Tax payment portal (Trustee) | www.williamsonpropertytax.com |
| Register of Deeds — deed search | www.williamsoncountyregister.com (links to TitleSearcher) |
| Register of Deeds — professional access (subscription) | proaccess.williamson-tn.org/proaccess/ ($50/mo single user;$100/mo unlimited) |
| County maps page (official) | www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/371/Maps |
| Delinquent tax / chancery court tax sale | www.williamsonchancery.org/DelinquentTaxes (JS-rendered; contact (615) 790-5428) |
| State unclaimed property (post-escheat) | treasury.tn.gov/unclaim/ |
C7. Meta
Parent state: tennessee Last verified: 2026-06-02 Confidence: 0.82 Completeness score: 0.78 Gap score: 11
Sources retrieved:
| Type | URL | Retrieved | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| official_gov | https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/2194/Trustee | 2026-06-02 | Trustee Karen Paris; 1320 W Main St Suite 203; (615) 790-5709; delinquent interest rate 1.5%/mo from March 1 |
| official_gov | https://williamsonpropertytax.com/content/1392.html | 2026-06-02 | 2025 taxes due Feb 28 2026; interest 1.5%/mo beginning March 1 2026 |
| official_gov | https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/Directory.aspx?did=75 | 2026-06-02 | Clerk & Master: Williamson County Judicial Center, 135 4th Ave S Room 236, Franklin TN 37064; (615) 790-5428; external site: williamsonchancery.org |
| official_gov | https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/Directory.aspx?did=70 | 2026-06-02 | Register of Deeds Sherry Anderson; 1320 W Main St Suite 201; (615) 790-5706; hours M-F 8am-4:30pm |
| official_gov | https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/Directory.aspx?did=69 | 2026-06-02 | County Clerk Jeff Whidby; 1320 W Main St Suite 135; (615) 790-5712; fax (615) 790-5610 |
| official_gov | https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/64/Property-Assessor | 2026-06-02 | Property Assessor Brad Coleman; (615) 790-5708; parcel search at inigo.williamson-tn.org/property_search/ |
| official_gov | https://williamsoncountysherifftn.com/services/sheriff-sales/ | 2026-06-02 | Sheriff Jeff Hughes; 408 Century Court, Franklin TN; (615) 790-5560; confirmed: Sheriff does NOT conduct foreclosure or tax lien sales |
| official_gov | https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/371/Maps | 2026-06-02 | GIS viewers: williamsontn.maps.arcgis.com ArcGIS WebApp (primary); arcgis2.williamson-tn.org Geocortex viewer |
| official_gov | https://williamsoncountyregister.com/ | 2026-06-02 | Register Sherry Anderson; hours M-F 8am-4:30pm; (615) 790-5706; deed search via TitleSearcher; professional access at proaccess.williamson-tn.org |
| official_gov | https://proaccess.williamson-tn.org/proaccess/ | 2026-06-02 | Subscription portal: $50/mo single user,$100/mo unlimited; deeds, titles, property data, county maps |
| official_gov | https://inigo.williamson-tn.org/property_search/ | 2026-06-02 | Assessor’s parcel search portal; searchable by owner, address, subdivision, map/parcel ID, sale dates |
| official_gov | https://williamsonchancery.org/content/1848.html | 2026-06-02 | Confirms a lawsuit is filed each year in Chancery Court for delinquent taxes; delinquent tax e-filing excluded from new requirement; williamsonpropertytax.com for current tax payments |
| official_pdf | https://comptroller.tn.gov/content/dam/cot/la/documents/county/2024/FY24WilliamsonAFR.pdf | 2026-06-02 | FY2024 Annual Financial Report: confirms Karen Paris = Trustee, Brad Coleman = Assessor; taxes become delinquent March 1; suit filed Chancery Court Feb 1–Apr 1; judicial address 135 4th Ave S Franklin |
| secondary | https://surplusfundslist.com/blog/how-to-find-surplus-funds-tennessee | 2026-06-02 | Williamson County named as having notable surplus fund activity; corroborates Clerk and Master as claim venue; secondary source only |
| secondary | https://www.taxsaleresources.com/counties/williamson-county-tennessee | 2026-06-02 | Lists Elaine Beeler as Clerk and Master; phone (615) 790-5428; email elaine.beeler@tncourts.gov (needs_verification against official source); secondary source only |
| official_gov | https://liveauctions.govease.com/ | 2026-06-02 | Tennessee counties on GovEase listed; Williamson County NOT listed — confirms county is not currently using GovEase |
| press_notice | https://www.williamsonherald.com/classifieds/other/public_notices/classifieds-for-2-12-26/ad_0de2d0ae-55c1-49c0-99e1-1f12fcc2dc7c.html | 2026-06-02 | Feb 12 2026 public notice: mortgage trustee’s sale at “Front Door of the Williamson County Courthouse, Franklin, Tennessee” on March 12 2026; confirms in-person courthouse sales for mortgage foreclosures; delinquent 2024/2025 taxes noted for affected parcel |
| official_gov | https://www.williamsoncounty-tn.gov/221/Court-System | 2026-06-02 | 21st Judicial District; Chancery and Circuit Courts only; chancery court at 135 4th Ave S Franklin; williamsonchancery.org for Clerk and Master |
| search | https://ballotpedia.org/Elaine_B._Beeler (search result) | 2026-06-02 | Elaine B. Beeler confirmed as Clerk and Master since April 1998; reappointed 2010 and 2016; confirmed via Ballotpedia search result and TBA faculty profile |
needs_verification (11 points — all Row 2 honest gaps):
- Auction platform / venue for Williamson County delinquent-tax sales (williamsonchancery.org/DelinquentTaxes is JS-rendered and could not be extracted; GovEase confirmed NOT used; in-person courthouse sale assumed but not confirmed from primary source) — 1 pt
- Sale calendar / frequency / next known sale date (not publicly available from retrieved sources) — 1 pt
- Bidder registration process, deposit requirements, and eligibility criteria specific to Williamson County — 1 pt
- Delinquent property list URL / publication location (williamsonchancery.org/DelinquentTaxes not extractable) — 1 pt
- Excess-proceeds claim form URL on williamsonchancery.org (forms page is JS-rendered; no direct PDF link located) — 1 pt
- Filing fees for Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds and Motion to Redeem (not published online) — 1 pt
- Whether a public unclaimed excess-proceeds list is published by Williamson County — 1 pt
- Clerk and Master email address confirmed from official primary source (secondary source taxsaleresources.com lists elaine.beeler@tncourts.gov; not confirmed from tncourts.gov or williamsonchancery.org directly) — 1 pt
- Whether Williamson County conducts more than one delinquent-tax auction per year — 1 pt
- Whether any online bidding supplement is used alongside courthouse auction — 1 pt
- Property Assessor office current address (Suite 300 undergoing remodeling; some staff at 305 Beasley Drive — permanent address needs re-verification) — 1 pt
Cross-links: tennessee, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, tyler-v-hennepin-county, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, scra-protections, federal-tax-lien-redemption, heirs-property, third-party-recovery-rules, davidson-tn, knox-tn, rutherford-tn, shelby-tn
Changelog:
- 2026-06-02: Page created. Research conducted against official Williamson County Trustee, Chancery Court, Register of Deeds, Assessor, Sheriff, and county websites. Key officials confirmed: Trustee Karen Paris, Clerk & Master Elaine B. Beeler, Register Sherry Anderson, Assessor Brad Coleman, Sheriff Jeff Hughes, County Clerk Jeff Whidby. GovEase confirmed NOT used. Sheriff confirmed does NOT conduct tax or mortgage foreclosure sales. FY2024 AFR confirms judicial delinquent-tax process (suit Feb 1–Apr 1). Mortgage trustee sales confirmed at courthouse front door (Williamson Herald public notice, Feb 2026). Williamsonchancery.org/DelinquentTaxes is JS-rendered and could not be extracted — 11 remaining gaps are all Row 2 (needs_verification) only; no fabricated claims.
▸ For Investors / Operators — Williamson County delinquent-tax sales are judicial chancery court proceedings administered by Clerk and Master Elaine B. Beeler (135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064; 615-790-5428). The suit is filed between February 1 and April 1 each year; the sale follows by court order. Williamson County is not listed on GovEase, and the specific platform and venue are needs_verification (assumed in-person courthouse). The opening bid is delinquent taxes + penalties + 1.5%/month interest from March 1 + court costs + delinquent-tax attorney fees. Redemption periods are tiered by years delinquent (1 year / 180 days / 90 days / 30 days for abandoned), at 12% per annum on the purchaser’s entire purchase price from payment through filing date. Tennessee mortgage foreclosures are non-judicial trustee’s sales at the courthouse front door; the Sheriff is not involved in either tax or mortgage foreclosure sales.
▸ For Former Owners — Excess proceeds from Williamson County tax sales are a chancery court matter — file a Motion to Claim Excess Sale Proceeds (Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2702(a)) in the same Chancery Court case that produced the sale. The filing office is the Williamson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master (135 4th Avenue South, Room 236, Franklin, TN 37064; 615-790-5428). 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 one year after the redemption period expires or all redemption/proceeds motions are resolved, whichever is later. After escheat, funds are reclaimable from the Tennessee Department of Treasury at treasury.tn.gov/unclaim/. Note: the claim form URL on williamsonchancery.org requires direct contact with the Clerk and Master’s office.
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.