Policy Statement: Assessment files are public records.

Recent local television news stories concerning the information available on this website have questioned the advisability of making assessment records accessible.

Our policy to place this information on our website is based on the following facts:

  • Property Assessor records in Tennessee are deemed by state statute to be public records, and as such have been accessible for many decades to anyone who requests that information. This includes pictures, sketches and data used to determine the appraised value of property.
  • The Assessor is charged by law with the responsibility of maintaining these records in an accurate and current manner and does not have the discretion to remove any of the records from public access.
  • The Canon of Ethics for the International Association of Assessing Officers contains the following rule to which members of our professional organization abide:
    • E.R. 1-4 It is unethical for members not to make available all public records in their custody for public review, unless access to such records is specifically limited or prohibited by law, or the information has been obtained on a confidential basis and the law permits such information to be treated confidentially. Assessing officers must make every reasonable effort to inform the public about their rights and responsibilities under the law and the property tax system.
  • Much of the same information is available from other government offices, in whole or in part, such as the Metropolitan Planning Commission's property mapping site. Property records of other counties in Tennessee may be obtained through the State Comptroller Office website.
  • In addition, many private businesses have acquired public records from Assessor Offices to prepare reports on real estate sales and housing trends, which are then sold to subscribers.

The decision to make public records available on the internet simply improves citizen access to records to which they are entitled under law.

The Assessor cannot selectively remove data from the files subject to such access.

One of our primary objectives is to provide property owners with sufficient information to judge whether the appraised value we have set for their property is equitable when compared with other properties. By giving access to the information pertinent to an appraisal, we are giving them the tools necessary to make meaningful comparisons.

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