Putnam County, Tennessee

Redeemable Deed84,894 residents

County research last verified 2026-07. Office holders, platforms, and deposit rules change — re-confirm anything time-sensitive.

Sale typestate default

Redeemable Deed

Redemption periodstate default

1 year from the court's confirmation of sale (courts have discretion to extend)

Investor returnstate default

10% per annum statutory penalty on redemption

Governing statutestate default

Tennessee Code Title 67, Ch. 5

Notes

Tennessee judicial tax sale (redeemable deed). Putnam County (Cookeville) Chancery Court Clerk & Master conducts court-ordered delinquent tax sales for county and certain city taxes. Confirm 2026 auction format (many mid-TN counties use GovEase online; others remain in-person), registration, and payment deadlines with Clerk & Master. One-year equity of redemption with statutory interest. Cookeville's TTU-driven rental market and I-40 logistics corridor create both opportunity and competition on cleaner SF product.

Auction logistics

Format

Court-ordered public sale (confirm in-person vs. GovEase with Clerk & Master)

Frequency

As ordered by Chancery Court — typically periodic; confirm published notices

Platform

Putnam County Clerk & Master — Delinquent Tax Sales ↗

Deposit rules

Deposit and balance per sale notice. Cash/cashier's check or platform ACH common. Non-payment can bar future sales. Full diligence on title and occupancy before bidding.

Title risk

Liens that survive the sale

Tax deed subject to equity of redemption. Private mortgages, federal liens, and city taxes may require separate analysis. Opening bid is not a complete lien schedule.

Quiet title

Common after redemption for insurable resale in Cookeville market.

Deal maths for Tennessee

Assessment ratio: 0.25× of market value
Typical quiet title: $1,800–$5,000 · 5 mo
Recording and transfer: $250

T.C.A. § 67-5-801 and Tenn. Const. art. II, § 28: residential and farm property is assessed at 25% of value, industrial and commercial at 40%, public utility at 55%. This entry uses the 25% residential rate.

Offices and records

Tax collector

Putnam County Trustee (tax amounts) / Clerk & Master (sales) ↗

Clerk of court

Putnam County Clerk & Master ↗

Property appraiser

Putnam County Assessor / TN Comptroller assessment data ↗

GIS / parcel map

Putnam County / TN assessment parcel resources ↗

Areas trending up

Directional read from dated market analysis — not a guarantee, and not a substitute for your own comps.

Cookeville / TTU campus and downtown edge

University rental demand and county-seat jobs supporting small multifamily and SF turns

I-40 / east industrial corridor

Logistics and manufacturing employment with workforce housing absorption

Algood / north Putnam fringe

Suburban school-driven demand with more liquid SF than soft rural inventory