‘There were only 29 parcels, and we finished in record time’- Clerk & Master Dennis Potter

“Every piece of property that was on the block sold. That was all 29 parcels with some mineral interests selling and some not,” said the Clerk & Master Dennis Potter.

JACKSBORO, TN (WLAF) – History was made again.  At today’s annual delinquent property tax auction hosted by Clerk & Master Dennis Potter and his staff, last year’s history making delinquent property tax auction was topped by more than $75,000.  “At the pace today’s sale was going, I thought it’d top a million dollars.  It didn’t, but it was close at $955,978.80 versus $879,391.09 from 2024,” said Potter.

“Everything balanced. We glided through it,” said Clerk & Master Dennis Potter.

The lower courtroom at the Campbell County Courthouse was standing room only with more than 80 folks in attendance.  “Every piece of property that was on the block sold. That was all 29 parcels with some mineral interests selling and some not,” said the Clerk & Master.

Deputy Clerk Lisa Sanders heads up the annual auction. Pam Wright (right) is the Clerk & Master’s Process Server.

“There are more people here than parcels. That’s a first,” said Joe Coker, Delinquent Tax Attorney.

Joe Coker is the Delinquent Tax Attorney.

“We don’t ever want to sell anyone’s property.  However, if the tax is not paid, the property is sold at auction for the delinquent property taxes,” said Potter.

It was an early arriving crowd steadily filling the Chancery Courtroom.

“Lisa Sanders, Deputy Clerk, and the rest of my staff did an outstanding job, and ran a great auction to perfection. Everything balanced. We glided through it,” said Potter. The auction began at 9am, and everything was wrapped up before 2pm. “That’s the earliest finish in all my 11 years as clerk and master,” said Potter.

Attendees jump started the auction from the git-go.

Potter pointed out that his staff works year round preparing for this auction. Friday’s sale was for the tax year 2022 and any previous outstanding years. Given that, the Clerk & Master staff has already started on tax year 2023. “This sale takes a long time to organize, and there’s just no down time as a result. You have to remember that that’s in addition to handling the Chancery Court and keeping and executing dockets, filing and entering documents, pleadings, papers and exhibits, and more.

Time will tell how long it will be before history is made again in the annual delinquent property tax auction. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 05/16/2025-4PM-PHOTOS COURTESY OF WLAF’S CHARLIE HUTSON)

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