Tennessee Code Annotated

Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103 (2026)

Nature of proceedings

✓ current as of May 2026

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(a) The whole proceeding for the enforcement of property tax liens, from the assessment to sale for delinquency, shall be a proceeding in rem, and shall not be invalid on account of such land having been listed or assessed for taxation to anyone as owner or owners or to any person or persons not the owner or owners or to unknown owner or owners.

(b) All interested persons shall be deemed to have constructive notice of the proceedings by virtue of the seizure of the parcel occurring upon the filing of a complaint for the purpose of enforcement of the first lien. However, interested persons who do not have an obligation to pay the taxes on the parcel, such as lienholders, need not be joined as parties nor served with process so long as a diligent effort to give actual notice of the proceedings, as defined in § 67-5-2502(c)(1), is made to such persons.

(c) The filing of a complaint for the purpose of enforcement of the first lien provided for in § 67-5-2101, shall create a lien lis pendens as to each parcel which is included in the proceeding, during the pendency of the proceeding, affecting all subsequent owners, without the recording of any copy or abstract thereof in the office of the register of deeds.

(d) The general assembly finds and determines that:
- (1) The collection of property taxes is an essential and necessary function of counties and municipal corporations in the state;
- (2) This chapter provides for a specific and comprehensive scheme for the collection of delinquent property taxes;
- (3) This chapter is intended to be procedural and remedial in application and, unless a contrary intent is expressed in an act amending this chapter, such amendments are also intended to be procedural and remedial in application;
- (4) The economy of the state has evolved from one primarily based upon the agrarian use of real property to an economy based more upon the improvement of real property by the construction of residential, commercial, and industrial structures thereon. Such improvements require the investments of significant funds and resources;
- (5) A purpose of this chapter is to promote and encourage the development of improvements upon real estate that have been conveyed pursuant to this chapter through the enforcement of tax liens;
- (6) The certainty and finality of the titles to real estate that have been conveyed pursuant to this chapter through the enforcement of tax liens is a necessary prerequisite to the development of improvements thereon; and
- (7) Statutes that are not consistent with the statutory scheme for the collection of delinquent property taxes set out in this chapter should not be applicable to tax proceedings, tax liens, or the enforcement of such tax liens.

(e) This chapter shall be construed liberally in favor of the certainty and finality of property titles transferred pursuant to this chapter.

(f) Title 21, chapter 1, part 4, is not applicable to tax proceedings, tax liens, or the enforcement of such tax liens.

(g) Sections 29-6-161 - 29-6-165 are not applicable to tax proceedings, tax liens, or the enforcement of such tax liens.

(h) Chapter 1, part 18 of this title is not applicable to property tax proceedings, property tax liens, or the enforcement of such property tax liens.

(i) Other statutes that are not consistent with the statutory scheme for the collection of delinquent property taxes set out in this chapter shall not be applicable to tax proceedings, tax liens, or the enforcement of such tax liens.

(j) All interested persons, as defined in this chapter, are charged with the knowledge that the parcel is subject to property taxes, which are required to be paid to the trustee or collector on an annual basis, and which taxes become a first lien on the parcel from January 1 of each year. All interested persons have an affirmative duty to inquire as to the amounts of such taxes and their payment status. Under no circumstances shall a claim that the interested party did not receive a tax bill or any prelawsuit notice constitute a valid defense to the enforcement of the lien, the personal debt for the taxes, or the amount of taxes owed, including penalty, interest, cost, and fees.

(k) Section 67-1-707 does not apply to property taxes.

(l) Title 35, chapter 5 does not apply to property tax proceedings, tax liens, or the enforcement of such tax liens.

(m) An interested person shall not file as a defense, a counterclaim, a cross claim or for another purpose, a defense or cause of action not directly related to the tax proceeding, or a claim of a set off.

(n) The failure of a defendant or interested person in a tax proceeding to have exhausted all administrative remedies bars the defendant from contesting an issue in the tax proceeding that could have been decided in such manner.

Amended by 2024 Tenn. Acts, ch. 967,s 23, eff. 5/21/2024.

Amended by 2015 Tenn. Acts, ch. 414, Secs.s 6, s 7 eff. 5/8/2015.

Amended by 2014 Tenn. Acts, ch. 883, s 5, eff. 7/1/2014.

Amended by 2013 Tenn. Acts, ch. 353, s 13, eff. 5/13/2013.

Acts 1907, ch. 602, § 31; Shan., § 758a2; Code 1932, § 1332; T.C.A. (orig. ed.), § 67-1804.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 2011–2024 · leading case: Roy Zumstein v. Roane Cnty. Exec./Mayor, Assessor Of Prop., Tr. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2017).

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Roy Zumstein v. Roane Cnty. Exec./Mayor, Assessor Of Prop., Tr. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 10× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103 (h). Chapter 5 of Title 67 is titled “Property Taxes” and contains specific statutes governing, among other things, the classification and assessment of property, Tenn.”

Crockett Cnty. v. Farhad Motamedi v. Michael Moore (Tenn. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 10× “Motamedi’s affirmative duty, as owner of the Property, to pay real property taxes and to remain informed of any proceeding to enforce tax liens against the Property, as follows: Under Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103 , “the whole proceeding for the enforcement of property tax liens,…”

State of Tennessee Ex Rel. Sullivan Cnty. Tennessee v. Amy S. Tochev (Tenn. Ct. App. 2024). · cites it 5× “]” Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103 (d)(2). In so doing, the General Assembly expressly determined that “[s]tatutes that are not consistent with the statutory scheme for the collection of delinquent property taxes set out in this chapter should not be applicable to tax proceedings,…”

State of Tennessee for the use & benefit of Williamson Cnty. v. Jesus Christ's Church @ Liberty Church Road (Tenn. Ct. App. 2011). · cites it 2× “Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103 . Jurisdiction of suits to collect delinquent 3 The court has distilled the salient issues from the Statement of Issues in Mr.”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103(a) — 1 case

Roy Zumstein v. Roane Cnty. Exec./Mayor, Assessor Of Prop., Tr. (Tenn. Ct. App. 2017). “Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103 (h). Chapter 5 of Title 67 is titled “Property Taxes” and contains specific statutes governing, among other things, the classification and assessment of property, Tenn.”

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103(h) — 1 case

— Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103(j) — 1 case

State of Tennessee Ex Rel. Sullivan Cnty. Tennessee v. Amy S. Tochev (Tenn. Ct. App. 2024). “]” Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-5-2103 (d)(2). In so doing, the General Assembly expressly determined that “[s]tatutes that are not consistent with the statutory scheme for the collection of delinquent property taxes set out in this chapter should not be applicable to tax proceedings,…”

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