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Tax Sale Atlas

DeKalb County, TN tax sales

How tax deed sales work in DeKalb County, seat of Smithville: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.

New to tax sales? Read how Tennessee tax sales work or look terms up in the glossary.

Next sale
Not published.
Registration
No bidder registration terms are published on any DeKalb County page.
County office
615-597-4360
Every displayed fact carries a source badge. Verified Aug 18, 2026 against official county and state pages.How we verify
On this page

How DeKalb County sells delinquent taxes

No tax lien certificate sale

Tennessee counties enforce the tax lien through a delinquent tax suit and sell the property itself; no tax lien certificates are auctioned.

Tax deed sale

Run by
DeKalb County Clerk and Master, Chancery Court
Frequency
annual
Typical timing
Not published.
Registration
No bidder registration terms are published on any DeKalb County page.
When it runs
Not published. DeKalb County's website carries no delinquent tax sale page, and its site map lists no tax sale, auction, or public notice section. The Clerk and Master page describes the office only as one that "keeps records of all orders and proceedings." Tennessee sale dates are set by court decree in the county's delinquent tax suit rather than by a fixed annual calendar, so call the Clerk and Master at 615-597-4360 for the next sale date.
Registration and deposit

No bidder registration terms are published on any DeKalb County page. Confirm registration, deposit, accepted funds, and the payment deadline with the Clerk and Master at 615-597-4360 before a sale.

Sale format and venue
DeKalb County sells a redeemable deed through the Chancery Court under Tenn. Code Ann. Title 67, Chapter 5. No auction platform is named on any county page, so do not assume the sale runs online; some Tennessee counties use GovEase and others sell in person at the courthouse. The clerk bids the ascertained debt as the minimum bid, and a purchaser bidding above it takes a deed subject to redemption running from entry of the order confirming the sale, with the redeemer repaying the purchase price plus 12 percent per annum interest.
Source: DeKalb County, Tennessee, Clerk and Master office page (official county website)· Verified Aug 18, 2026

DeKalb County tax sale list and auction calendar

For DeKalb County tax sale 2026 searches, use the county-run sources below rather than a copied parcel list, and confirm the parcel, registration cutoff, deposit, and payment deadline against the county before you bid.

  1. Get the advertised list

    A county sale-list URL is still being verified. Use the office and platform details on this page before relying on a copied list.

  2. Register to bid

    No bidder registration terms are published on any DeKalb County page. Full requirements are in the sale card above.

  3. Sale day

    Not published. The auction platform is still being verified. Confirm the next sale date and registration window with the county before you bid.

  4. Confirm with the office

    If the list, platform, and notice disagree, use DeKalb County Clerk and Master, Chancery Court as the source to confirm which parcels are actually offered.

Before you bid in DeKalb County

  1. Start with the live sale list

    The county sale-list URL is still being verified. Use the county office contacts below and confirm the advertised parcels directly before you price a bid.

  2. Confirm registration and deposit

    No bidder registration terms are published on any DeKalb County page. Confirm registration, deposit, accepted funds, and the payment deadline with the Clerk and Master at 615-597-4360 before a sale.

  3. Check the state rules that change the bid

    Read the Tennessee due-diligence checklist before bidding. Redemption, liens that survive a tax deed, title cleanup, and payment deadlines can change what a parcel is worth.

  4. Set a walk-away number

    Work out what the parcel is actually worth with the rural land value estimator, then turn it into a ceiling with the tax deed max-bid calculator.

Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases

Parcels struck to the county at the tax sale can be bought from the county afterward. Each county mayor must publish a list of county-held parcels by July 1 every year, and any person may file a written offer for one. The county advertises the offer, competing bidders have ten days to raise it by 10 percent or more, and the highest offer wins, sometimes through an online resale. A parcel bought before the redemption period expires stays subject to redemption. Ask the county mayor's office or the clerk and master where the current list is posted.

County-held parcel listings are published per county under Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-2511; find the current list on the county's website or newspaper of record

New to this path? Read how over-the-counter purchases work.

Use the arrow keys to switch between these sections.

County offices

Tax sale office

DeKalb County Clerk and Master, Chancery Court

615-597-4360

DeKalb County Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Room 302, Smithville, TN 37166

Official website

County notes

  • The county website publishes no delinquent tax sale page. Its site map lists no tax sale, auction, or public notice section, so the sale date, bidding terms, and parcel list must come from the Clerk and Master directly.
  • No auction platform is confirmed for DeKalb County. Confirm whether the next sale is held online or in person at the courthouse before planning to bid.
  • Clerk and Master Nicole Wright is in Room 302 of the DeKalb County Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Smithville, open Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm.
  • The County Trustee, who collects current-year property taxes, is at a separate address: Sean Driver, 732 S. Congress Blvd., Room 103, Smithville, TN 37166, 615-597-5176.
  • Redemption runs from entry of the order confirming the sale, tiered by length of delinquency, and a redeeming party repays the purchase price plus 12 percent per annum interest (Tenn. Code Ann. 67-5-2701).

Tennessee rules

Redemption
The right to redeem vests when the court enters the order confirming the sale and never runs longer than one year from that date. The court sets each parcel's period before the sale on a statutory scale: one year when the taxes were delinquent 5 years or less, 180 days when delinquent more than 5 but less than 8 years, 90 days when delinquent 8 years or more, and 30 days when the court finds the property vacant and abandoned. To redeem, an interested person files a motion in the same lawsuit and must first pay the clerk the full redemption amount; the purchaser then has 30 days after notice to ask the court for additional reimbursements. When the court declares the redemption complete, title divests from the purchaser and the clerk refunds the purchase money plus everything owed. During the redemption period the purchaser owes no duty to insure the parcel and is not liable for damage to it except from the purchaser's own intentional acts. Separately, a suit attacking the validity of the sale itself must normally be filed within one year of the confirmation order, with an absolute three-year outer limit.
Deed deposit
No statewide deposit percentage exists. The statute fixes the form of payment (cash, certified funds, cashier's check, money order, or ACH transfer) and each court sets its own payment terms. Davidson County takes cashier's checks only, Rutherford County requires payment by close of business the day after the sale, and counties selling through GovEase collect payment through the platform. Confirm the terms with the clerk and master that runs the sale before bidding.
Surplus proceeds
Sale proceeds pay the delinquent tax attorney, then court costs, then the taxing entities. Any excess is claimed by motion in the same case: remaining taxes are paid first, then lienholders in order of priority (pre-sale liens before post-sale liens), then the former owner. Filing the motion ends any remaining redemption period as to the movant. Excess proceeds nobody claims pass to the state under the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act.
Governing statute
Tenn. Code Ann. Title 67, Chapter 5, Parts 25-27

A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.

See the full Tennesseerules and every county →

Frequently asked questions

Does DeKalb County, Tennessee sell tax liens or tax deeds?

Tax deeds. Tennessee sells no tax lien certificates to investors; the county sells the property itself at a public tax sale.

How often does DeKalb County hold tax deed sales?

DeKalb County holds its tax deed sale once a year. Not published. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.

I own a property in this sale. Can I stop it?

Often yes, by paying the overdue taxes, interest, and costs before the deadline. Tennessee's redemption rule: Up to 1 year from entry of the order confirming the sale, tiered by how long the taxes were delinquent. Call the DeKalb County Clerk and Master, Chancery Court as early as possible for your exact payoff and options; deadlines are strict. Free help: lawhelp.org lists legal aid programs, and consumerfinance.gov lists HUD-approved housing counselors.

Verified Aug 18, 2026 against official county and state sources.

Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.

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Compare sale calendars, platforms, and rules across the state, or read the guides before you bid.

Tennessee tax salesDue diligence guide
Call DeKalb County Clerk and Master