Hamilton County publishes the delinquent property tax list for the Chattanooga area through two separate online portals, depending on how long a property’s taxes have been unpaid. The Hamilton County Trustee tracks current-year delinquencies at tpti.hamiltontn.gov, and the Clerk and Master’s office at Chancery Court tracks properties whose taxes have been unpaid long enough to be placed in litigation at cmpti.hamiltontn.gov. Which portal holds a given property depends on the age of the debt, and the difference matters both for owners trying to pay and for buyers researching a tax sale.
Where to Search the List
Current-Year Delinquencies: The Trustee
Hamilton County property taxes are payable from October 1 through the last day of February, and any balance still owed on March 1 is delinquent.1Hamilton County Government. Hamilton County Trustee For roughly the first year after that date, the debt sits with the Trustee. You can search by name, address, or parcel number at tpti.hamiltontn.gov to see whether a balance is outstanding.2Hamilton County Trustee. Hamilton County Trustee Property Tax Inquiry In person, the Trustee is at 625 Georgia Avenue, Room 210 in the Hamilton County Courthouse, with a satellite office at 6125 Preservation Drive.
Tennessee law does not require the county to mail a tax bill, and interest is not waived because a bill never arrived. Owners are presumed to know taxes are due.1Hamilton County Government. Hamilton County Trustee
Older Delinquencies: The Clerk and Master
Once taxes have been unpaid for a full year, the file is transferred to Hamilton County Chancery Court, and the Trustee can no longer accept payment.3Chattanooga.gov. Property Taxes, Stormwater Fees, Tax Calculation From that point forward the property appears on the Clerk and Master’s delinquent tax portal at cmpti.hamiltontn.gov, searchable by map/group/parcel number, owner last name, bill number, or street address.4Hamilton County Clerk and Master. Hamilton County Clerk and Master Delinquent Property Tax Inquiry These records also include accumulated interest, penalties, and court costs, because the parcel is already in a Chancery Court lawsuit.
The Clerk and Master’s office is at 625 Georgia Avenue, 300 Courthouse, Chattanooga, TN 37402, and the phone number is (423) 209-6606.3Chattanooga.gov. Property Taxes, Stormwater Fees, Tax Calculation Paper files at the courthouse sometimes carry details that haven’t posted to the online system yet, which is worth knowing if you’re preparing to bid at a tax sale or investigating a specific parcel.
What Each Record Shows
An entry on either list identifies the owner of record, the property’s parcel identification number, and the street address. The PIN is the reliable identifier when adjacent lots or similar addresses could be confused.
Records also break down which specific tax years remain unpaid, so a single missed year looks very different from a property carrying a decade of accumulated debt. The financial side shows the original assessed tax, accrued interest, any penalties, and — for parcels filed with Chancery Court — court costs. Each delinquent year is itemized separately. That itemization matters: the total length of delinquency drives the minimum bid if the property is auctioned, and it sets the redemption period the original owner will have afterward.
How the Debt Grows
Interest accrues at 1.5 percent per month starting March 1 and on the first of every month after that.5Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-2010 – Interest – Delinquent Taxes That is 18 percent a year. On a $3,000 tax bill, that is an extra $540 in the first twelve months alone, before any court costs.
Once the debt is filed with Chancery Court, more charges attach: filing fees, attorney fees for the county’s lawsuit, and service of process costs. All of it becomes part of the total owed against the parcel and all of it must clear before the delinquency does.
What Happens If the Taxes Aren’t Paid
When taxes stay unpaid long enough, Hamilton County files suit in Chancery Court to enforce the tax lien and sell the property. Before a sale can proceed, the county must notify the owner by direct service or certified mail, and must publish notice for any owners who cannot be located.6Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-2415 – Notice to Taxpayer of Suit The court will not confirm a sale unless it finds the owner received actual notice or the county made a diligent effort to provide it.
At auction, the Clerk enters a minimum bid on behalf of the taxing entity equal to all outstanding taxes, interest, and fees. If no outside bidder matches or exceeds that amount, the taxing entity takes the property.7Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-2501 – Sale of Land Generally Sales may be conducted by public outcry or online. A winning bidder must pay the full price immediately in cash, certified funds, cashier’s check, or money order, and withdrawing after the sale forfeits the payment.8Hamilton County Government. Tax Sale Information 2025
The Chancellor then has to confirm the sale for it to be final, and even after confirmation the original owner retains a right of redemption. A tax-sale purchase is not immediate clear title.
Redemption Windows After a Sale
The original owner can reclaim the property after a tax sale by paying off the full debt within a redemption period set by the length of the delinquency:9Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-2701 – Procedure for Redemption of Property
- Five years or less of delinquency: one year from the date the court confirms the sale.
- More than five but fewer than eight years: 180 days from confirmation.
- Eight years or more: 90 days from confirmation.
- Abandoned or vacant property: 30 days from confirmation, regardless of the length of delinquency. The court must find evidence of abandonment based on multiple inspections over at least a two-month period.
To redeem, the owner files a motion in the Chancery Court case and pays the Clerk an amount covering all delinquent taxes, penalties, interest, and court costs, plus 12 percent annual interest on the full purchase price the buyer paid at auction. That 12 percent runs from the buyer’s payment date through the date the motion is filed.9Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-2701 – Procedure for Redemption of Property
The buyer can seek reimbursement for expenses incurred while holding the property, including additional property taxes paid, insurance premiums, costs to keep the property from deteriorating, expenses required by code enforcement orders, and HOA dues or covenant obligations secured by a lien against the parcel.9Justia. Tennessee Code 67-5-2701 – Procedure for Redemption of Property The buyer has 30 days after receiving notice of the redemption motion to file for those costs. If the required payment isn’t made or the motion isn’t filed within the redemption window, redemption fails permanently and the buyer keeps the property.
How to Pay Off a Delinquency
If the debt is still within the first delinquency year, pay the Trustee. Online payments through Lexis Nexis carry fees of $1.50 per bill for electronic checks, $5.00 per bill for debit cards, or 2.39 percent of the payment for credit cards.1Hamilton County Government. Hamilton County Trustee In-person payment is available at the Courthouse or the satellite office, and the Trustee offers a partial payment ACH authorization form for taxpayers paying in installments.
Once the file has moved to Chancery Court, the Trustee cannot accept payment and the Clerk and Master’s office handles it directly, in person at the Courthouse or by phone at (423) 209-6606.3Chattanooga.gov. Property Taxes, Stormwater Fees, Tax Calculation Interest and legal costs continue to accumulate every month the balance sits, so contacting the correct office early — even without the full payment in hand — is the practical move.