FAQs • Cleveland, TN • CivicEngage

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Finance - Taxes

1. What if I do not receive a tax bill?: Property tax notices are not required by state law, but are sent to you as a courtesy and reminder. If you need a duplicate bill, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (423) 472-4551.

2. What if I have recently refinanced my mortgage and I’m not sure if the company has paid the taxes?: If you have changed mortgage companies within the last year, we suggest that you forward your bill to the new mortgage company, just to make certain that they have your information. We also suggest that you use our online service to verify that the current taxes have been paid.

3. My mortgage company escrows my taxes and insurance, do I forward the bill to my mortgage company?: Yes, to ensure that your property taxes get paid in a timely matter, we suggest that you forward a copy of the bill (with your loan number on it) to your mortgage company to the attention of the Escrow Department.

4. I am a new owner, will the property tax bill be sent to me?: Not necessarily. The assessment date is January 1 of the tax period. The property is legally assessed and billed to the owner as of that date. If you are a new owner and did not receive a bill, please call the City Clerk’s office at (423) 472-4551 to request a duplicate.

5. Are partial payments accepted for my taxes?: No. We can only accept payment in full.

6. If property taxes are not paid, will the property be sold?: The Bradley County Clerk and Master conducts annual tax sales on parcels of property that have delinquent taxes. This information comes from the clerk and master’s office. For more information, please contact them at (423) 728-7206.

7. Is there any tax relief for elderly and permanently disabled citizens?: Yes. The State of Tennessee has a program for certain elderly and permanently disabled citizens. Applications for state tax relief can be completed at Bradley County Trustee’s office located in the Bradley County Courthouse or at the Municipal Building:
190 Church St NE
Cleveland, TN 37311

In addition, the county offers Elderly Tax Freeze for the certain elderly citizens that serves as a supplement to the state program. Please see the county website for information or contact them at 423-728-7247.

8. How do I change my property tax billing address?: To change your mailing address, contact the Bradley County Tax Assessors office at (423) 728-7126.

9. Who determines the valuation of my property?: The Bradley County Property Assessors office determines and periodically updates the value of all taxable property in the county, including Cleveland, using field inspections, computer programs and formulas required by the state. For more information, call the Bradley County Assessor’s office at (423) 728-7126.

10. What can I do if I think my property valuation is wrong?: Any citizen can appeal his or her property valuation. Appeals can be started by calling the Bradley County Assessor´s office at (423) 728-7126. There the appeal will be reviewed by the appraisal staff. If you disagree with their findings, you may make an appeal to the Board of Equalization, as the appeals board is called, which is made up of local citizens. You may file an appeal at any time, but they are only heard in the spring of each year and the decision will affect only the taxes for the year in which the appeal is heard.

11. Is paying my property tax bill online safe?: Making payments through the online property tax system is actually safer and more dependable than paying by mail. The system uses encryption technology to ensure that only approved persons have access to your payment information.

12. What form of online property tax payment can I use?: You may use an electronic check or credit card to pay your property tax bill online.

13. Why is my email required on the online payment page?: Along with your transaction receipt an email with the same information will be sent to you as an additional record should you have any problems after completing your payment. Within a few days of payment you will receive an email that is your final confirmation of payment. This email is your proof that your payment passed through the processor’s bank and has been deposited in the City of Cleveland’s bank account. Keep and file this record. Your email address will never be sold or distribute to outside parties.

14. How will I know if my online property tax payment is received before the bill due date?: Your bill payment should be made prior to the date the bill is due. The date printed on the confirmation page is recognized as the date of payment. To avoid interest and penalty payments, your bill payment should be made prior to February 28 of each year.

15. What is tangible personal property?: Tangible personal property is moveable, touchable property used in a business. It includes furniture, computers, machinery, tools, supplies, raw material, vehicles, scrap and other property not listed as real estate. Tanks, billboards and pipelines are tangible personal property unless classified as real property. Contact the Bradley County Tax Assessors office at (423) 728-7126 with any questions regarding your tangible personal property schedule.