When do Knox County property taxes become delinquent?

Knox County tax bills are mailed in the fall and are payable through the end of February. On March 1 the prior year's unpaid taxes become delinquent and begin accruing interest and penalty. After roughly a year of non-payment the county files suit and the parcel moves toward the delinquent tax sale handled through Knox County Chancery Court.

Can you buy my Knox County property if I still owe back taxes on it?

Yes. Delinquent taxes are a lien against the parcel, not a personal debt that follows you after closing. The title company pulls a payoff from the Knox County Trustee and the balance is paid out of the sale proceeds at closing. You do not need to bring money to the table.

Do you buy inside Knoxville city limits as well as the county?

Both. Inside the city limits you get two tax bills — City of Knoxville and Knox County — which is one reason vacant city lots become a burden faster than people expect.

Sell your land or house in Knox County, Tennessee

We buy across Knox County — seat at Knoxville — for cash or on monthly payments. No commissions, no repairs, no survey requirement, and back taxes settled at closing.

About Knox County

Knox County is the population center of East Tennessee, wrapped around the city of Knoxville and split by the Tennessee River. Parcels range from quarter-acre infill lots in Lonsdale and Vestal to 40-acre farm tracts out past Corryton and Mascot.

Population: just under 500,000.

Land in Knox County

Knox County land ranges from steep, unbuildable ridge slivers left over from 1960s subdivisions to genuinely valuable Hardin Valley and Northshore acreage sitting in the path of growth. We buy both, and we do not need the parcel to perc or have road frontage.

Houses in Knox County

Knox County housing stock skews old — a large share of homes inside the city were built before 1960, which means knob-and-tube wiring, cast-iron drain lines, and asbestos siding are routine. None of that stops us.

Knox County property taxes and offices

County rate: about $1.5540 per $100 of assessed value
Assessment ratio: 25% residential and farm, 25% for greenbelt/farm classifications
Parcel & appraisal records: Knox County Property Assessor, 400 Main St, Suite 204, Knoxville
Tax payments & delinquencies: Knox County Trustee, 400 Main St, Suite 245, Knoxville
Deeds, plats & liens: Knox County Register of Deeds

A $150,000 appraisal in Knox County carries roughly $583 per year in county property tax before any city rate. Rates are set annually — confirm yours with the trustee before relying on the figure.

Land holding cost calculator

What you have actually paid to own a parcel that produces nothing.

County

Appraised value

Years held

Mowing & upkeep per year

Annual tax: $194
Taxes, 10 yrs: $1,943
Upkeep, 10 yrs: $3,000
Paid to own nothing: $4,943

Estimates use Tennessee's 25% assessment ratio for residential and farm property and the county rate shown. Rates change annually and city rates add on top — treat this as a planning estimate, not a tax bill.

Nobody else in Knoxville offers this

We also buy on monthly payments

Some land sellers don't want one large check. An installment sale — seller financing — lets you receive payments over months or years instead, with interest, so the gain may be recognized as payments arrive rather than all at once.

Predictable monthly income
A fixed deposit on the same day every month for the length of the term you choose.
Spread the tax year
Taking the full price in one year can push the entire gain into that year. Payments may let gain be recognized as they arrive.
No more bills
No property tax, no mowing, no maintenance. We take those over the day we close.
Secured by the property
The note is secured by a recorded deed of trust against the land itself.

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This information is general and educational. We are not attorneys, CPAs, or tax advisors, and nothing on this site is tax or legal advice. Individual results depend on your specific circumstances. Please consult a qualified tax professional before making a decision.

Knox County questions

This information is general and educational. We are not attorneys, CPAs, or tax advisors, and nothing on this site is tax or legal advice. Individual results depend on your specific circumstances. Please consult a qualified tax professional before making a decision.

Find out what your property is worth to us

One call or one form. A written, itemized offer with no obligation and no pressure.

Get my cash offer (865) 256-9362