When a property sells at a delinquent tax sale for more than the taxes owed, the surplus does not go to the buyer and it does not stay with the county. It is held for the person who lost the property — or for their heirs.
The figures below are Davidson County's, from the Chancery Clerk & Master's published register — the only court-held money register we hold. We have no surplus register for the other counties in our screen.
Register as of November 2, 2026, taken from the Clerk & Master's published list. Where a claim is an estate or heirs, the people entitled to the money frequently do not know it exists — the notice goes to an address the owner no longer uses.
The governing provision is T.C.A. § 67-5-2702. Claims are filed with the Clerk & Master, not with the county trustee and not with the purchaser. The court publishes its own claim forms and instructions.
Recovery services exist, and some charge a large percentage of the money you are owed. The claim itself is filed directly with the Clerk & Master, and the register is public. Check the court's own record before signing anything or paying anyone a share.
We match the court's register against Metro Nashville property records so a claim can be tied to a parcel, an owner and a land use — which is usually how you recognise a name that matters to you. The register is browsable, and it is included in full with a subscription.
Figures compiled from the Davidson County Chancery Court Clerk & Master's published excess-proceeds register, register as of November 2, 2026. Public-records research, not legal advice — confirm any claim with the Clerk & Master.