(a) As used in this section:

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 67-5-2516

  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Tax entity: includes counties, cities, metropolitan governments, municipal corporations, quasi-municipal corporations, and political subdivisions having authority to levy a property tax. See Tennessee Code 67-5-105
(1) “Undeveloped” means that no utility services, such as electricity, gas, water or sanitary sewer, have been constructed or installed on the particular property or to serve the property; and
(2) “Unimproved” means that no buildings or other structures have been placed, constructed, installed, or erected on the property.
(b) Whenever a tax entity acquires any unimproved or undeveloped property at a tax sale, at any time during its ownership of the property, the tax entity may transfer such property to the nongovernmental entity claiming contractual rights to the payment of fees or assessments duly recorded in covenants and restrictions, which shall be in full satisfaction of such fees and assessments; provided, that the tax entity and nongovernmental entity shall jointly approve the transfer and may negotiate a suspension or resolution of any such fees and assessments from the date the tax entity takes title at the tax sale until the transfer to the nongovernmental entity is complete. In the event that such transfer is jointly approved, then prior to the date that the nongovernmental entity takes title to the property, no judgment shall be entered against the tax entity regarding the payment of assessments or fees, nor shall any lien for such assessments or fees claimed by the nongovernmental entity be enforced. Any transfer of the property shall not affect any rights of redemption pursuant to part 27 of this chapter.