Closing Attorney & Title Services in Montgomery County, TN
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Buying · Selling · Montgomery County, Tennessee
Past the Clarksville line the county's rules take over - a piece cut off under five acres is a subdivision, a home in the floodplain needs its lived-in floor a foot above the 100-year flood, the septic file belongs to the state - and Kentucky runs along the whole north side.
Vanderpool Law closes for the same fee a title company charges, and the attorney at the table represents you. Plain English. A real lawyer in your corner, here in Montgomery County.
In short: Vanderpool Law is a law firm and closing attorney for buyers and sellers in Montgomery County, Tennessee, with the title services included: the same fee a title company charges, and an attorney who represents you. Send us the contract, ideally before you sign. The contract review is complimentary when we handle your closing - all you have to do is ask.
Three things nobody tells you before a Montgomery County closing
- The attorney at a title-company closing does not represent you, and some title companies now have you sign a disclaimer saying so.
- The Tennessee REALTORS contract has a line for the buyer's closing agency and a separate line for the seller's; each side chooses its own.
- A law firm closes for the same fee a title company charges. The difference is who the lawyer works for.
Montgomery County at a glance
- County
- Montgomery County - Clarksville is the county seat and the only incorporated city; every other community is unincorporated county land ‡
- Register of Deeds
- Julie Runyon, 350 Pageant Lane, Suite 101-A, Clarksville, TN 37040 - weekdays 7:30 to 4:30 ‡
- Recording
- Electronic recording since 2017 through Simplifile, ePN or CSC; the office publishes no turnaround time ‡
- Transfer tax
- 37 cents per 100 dollars of the price or the value, whichever is greater (Tenn. Code Ann. 67-4-409) ‡
- County property tax
- 2025 rate $2.10 per $100 of assessed value; homes are assessed at 25% of appraised value. Outside Clarksville this county bill is the only property tax bill ‡
- Home values
- $280,200 median value of owner-occupied homes (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024) - an owners' estimate of value, not a sale price ‡
- Population
- 249,935 (Census estimate, July 1, 2025); 220,069 at the 2020 census ‡
Closing in Montgomery County
Maybe it is five acres off a county road, a lot you plan to build on, or the farm you are finally ready to sell. The listing may say Clarksville, and so may the mailing address. But Clarksville is the only city in Montgomery County, and past its limits the land answers to the county's zoning, the Regional Planning Commission's subdivision rules, the state's septic program and a county school tax on new lots and new homes. The purchase contract asks about none of that. Each has an answer on file, and the answer is cheapest before you sign. Who picks the closing agency in Tennessee →
Start with the state, because the county's entire northern edge is Kentucky - Christian County to the northwest, Todd County to the northeast. Some communities run straight across it: South Guthrie is the Tennessee end of Guthrie, Kentucky, and the Kentucky side of Fort Campbell is a census place of its own in Christian County. The Montgomery County Register's records stop at the state line. A house on the far side of it is a Kentucky closing, governed by Kentucky law, with Kentucky's transfer tax collected by the Kentucky county clerk when the deed is recorded. Vanderpool Law's work is Tennessee closings, so anywhere near the line, pull the parcel record and see Montgomery County, Tennessee, printed on it before you sign a Tennessee contract for that house. ‡‡‡‡
Buying a piece of a bigger tract, or selling one off? Under the Regional Planning Commission's subdivision regulations, cutting land into parcels smaller than five acres for sale or for building is a subdivision, and it needs the Commission's approval of a plat. Each new lot also owes its share of the county's Adequate Facilities Tax for schools, collected by the Register when the plat is recorded, and a payment does not move from one lot to another. So the contract should name who orders the survey and the plat, and before closing you should see the receipts that show which parts of the tax are paid. ‡‡‡‡
Near Fort Campbell, one of your neighbors is an airfield. The Regional Planning Commission's 2024 Comprehensive Plan draws a coordination area over the neighborhoods within a mile and a half of the post and sets out to keep incompatible development away from Sabre Field and out from under its flight path. For a buyer that cuts both ways: open land near the fence line is meant to stay open, and the aircraft are staying too. Go and listen at more than one hour of the day before you make an offer, and ask the Planning Commission whether the parcel is inside that area and how the land around it is zoned. ‡‡
The Cumberland winds west across the county's lower middle, and the Red River comes in from Robertson County to meet it at Clarksville. Outside the city, the county wants a permit before anyone builds, grades or brings in fill in a floodplain, and a lived-in building there needs its lowest floor - basement or crawlspace included - at least a foot above the 100-year flood elevation, with the mechanical and electrical equipment up there as well. Planning to build or add on near water? Learn what that permit will ask of you before the contract binds you; Building and Codes will go over its flood maps, from the 2021 flood insurance study, by appointment. A flood policy usually waits 30 days to take effect, so get the quote in the contract's first week, not its last. ‡‡‡‡
Do not assume sewer out here. When the county's 2040 Growth Plan was adopted in 2020, Clarksville Gas and Water ran the only public sewer system in the county, and the plan reported none at all south of the Cumberland River and no plan to extend it there. That is the plan's picture in 2020, not a map of today's streets, so ask about the specific house. The county does not issue septic permits; the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation does, and the state's online file search can turn up the layout of an existing system, field lines and all - ask the seller for it before your inspection. And the county will not let a bonus room become a bedroom unless the septic system, an egress window and a smoke detector all meet the rules, so a converted room counted as a bedroom deserves a second look before it sets your price. ‡‡
Farmland comes with a tax history. Greenbelt taxes qualifying land on what it is used for rather than what it would sell for - at least 15 acres of farm or forest land, or 3 of open space - and when the land stops qualifying, rollback taxes take back the savings: three years of them on farm and forest land, five on open space. The Trustee's office states the buyer's risk in one line: unpaid rollback taxes are a first lien against the property, no matter who is responsible for paying them. A lien rides with the land, so it rides with you. Before you sign, ask the Assessor's office whether the tract is in greenbelt; if it is, write into the contract who pays any rollback, and see it settled at the closing table. ‡‡ Who pays which closing costs in Tennessee →
Cities and towns in Montgomery County
Clarksville
The county's one city has its own page. The county-level question is the city line: inside it a city tax bill comes on top of the county's, and the parcel record, not the mailing address, tells you which side a house is on.
Fort Campbell
The post sits in both Tennessee and Kentucky, and the county's planners treat the mile and a half around it as its own planning area. Buying near the boundary, expect the land nearby to stay lightly built, and expect to hear the post at work.
South Guthrie
On U.S. 41 right at the state line, the Tennessee end of Guthrie, Kentucky. Confirm the state and county on the parcel before anything else, and ask which utility serves the house - the 2020 growth plan lists Guthrie, Kentucky's utility among the providers here.
Woodlawn
On U.S. 79 west of Clarksville, with its own ZIP code, 37191. Water comes from the Woodlawn Utility District, and the 2024 plan says Clarksville Gas and Water has an agreement to provide sewer inside the district - so ask whether this house is on sewer or septic.
Cunningham
Where State Routes 13 and 48 cross, about 9.5 miles south of downtown Clarksville, and home to the Montgomery Central schools. It is south of the Cumberland, where the 2020 growth plan reported no public sewer. That was the plan's picture then, so ask about the specific house, and if it is on septic, ask for the state's file.
Southside
The county's southeast corner, about 11.5 miles from Clarksville; the post office closed in 2002, but ZIP 37171 is still in use. Farm tracts here may carry a greenbelt classification, so check with the Assessor's office before you plan anything for the acreage.
Palmyra
Southwest of Clarksville on State Route 149. Its post office closed around 2010, and its mail now runs through Clarksville under ZIP 37142. Near the river, look at the flood map and the county's floodplain permit rules before you count on building.
Port Royal
Where Sulphur Fork meets the Red River on the Montgomery-Robertson line, next to Port Royal State Park. The county line jogs at that confluence, so find out which county's Register holds the deed and which county's Trustee sends the tax bill.
Cumberland Heights
A growth-plan area south of the Cumberland with its own water utility district. The 2020 plan reported no public sewer on this side of the river; ask about the specific house, and if it is on septic, ask for its records.
East Montgomery
The East Montgomery Utility District supplies the water, and the 2024 plan says Clarksville Gas and Water has an agreement to provide sewer service inside the district. Sewer or septic is still a question for the specific house; ask, and get the seller's last utility bills.
Three steps, and the first one is yours
Send us the contract
Signed already or still deciding, send Vanderpool Law the contract on your Montgomery County house and ask for a contract review. It is complimentary when we handle your closing; all you have to do is ask.
We read it and tell you what it says
A Tennessee attorney reads it line by line and puts each clause in plain English, so you know what you are agreeing to while there is still time to do something about it.
You close with your lawyer at the table
On closing day, the attorney sitting with you is yours, under a signed engagement letter. You leave closed, understood and represented.
Title services included - and a lawyer who represents you
On a Montgomery County closing, Vanderpool Law handles the title work - the title search, the title insurance, the escrow and the closing itself - for the same fee a title company charges. The difference is that we are a law firm, and the lawyer works for you.
- A title company cannot give you legal advice. Tennessee's law on the practice of law ends its first sentence plainly: "nor shall any association or corporation engage in the practice of the law or do law business, or both." ‡
- The attorney at a title company's closing table does not represent you, and some title companies now ask you to sign a disclaimer that says so.
Who pays what at a Tennessee closing
Unless the blanks in your contract say otherwise, this is where each cost lands. Only the transfer tax is set by law; everything else is a line in the contract, and every line can be negotiated - which is why Vanderpool Law wants to read it before you sign.
| Cost | Who pays unless the contract says otherwise |
|---|---|
| Transfer tax on the deed | Buyer - the only closing cost a Tennessee statute assigns ‡‡ |
| Mortgage tax and recording the deed and deed of trust | Buyer ‡ |
| Buyer's closing fee | Buyer ‡ |
| Deed preparation and the seller's closing fee | Seller ‡ |
| Paying off and releasing the seller's mortgage | Seller ‡ |
| Owner's and lender's title insurance | A blank in the contract. Middle Tennessee custom on a resale: the seller pays both; on new construction the buyer usually does ‡‡ |
| Property taxes for the year | Split - prorated to the day of closing ‡ |
| Association dues | Seller, through closing ‡ |
| Agents' commissions | Negotiated - since August 17, 2024, in written agreements and the contract ‡ |
Included with every closing
Four complimentary services — done before you ever sign your contract.
For every buyer. For every seller. All you have to do is ask.
Preliminary Title Search
Run before you sign or list. Catches roughly 95% of title problems while you still have options — not 24 hours before closing, when you don't.
Contract Review
A licensed Tennessee attorney reads it line by line and translates every clause into plain English. So you know exactly what you're signing — before you sign it.
Preliminary Settlement Statement
Every number, days before closing day. No surprises at the table. No "wait, what's this fee?" moments. Just a clear picture, early.
Savings Check
Forward a quote from your lender, inspector, or insurance agent. We'll tell you if it's in line — or worth a second call. We don't sell any of those services. We just know what fair looks like.
Planning what happens to the house? Estate planning in Montgomery County →
Why Vanderpool Law, here
- Send Vanderpool Law a county address before you sign and ask for a look: the state on the parcel, the Clarksville line, the flood map and any greenbelt classification - four answers the purchase form never asks for.
- Buying land to build on, you have your own lawyer reading the plat, asking for the Adequate Facilities Tax receipts and pointing you to the state's septic file while the contract can still change.
- Every Tennessee deed in the county is recorded at 350 Pageant Lane, where the Register, the Trustee and the Assessor share a building - ask, and the tax status and any rollback are checked before closing day instead of discovered after it.
Vanderpool Law · 256 Seaboard Lane G-104, Franklin, TN 37067 · Call the office
Questions people in Montgomery ask us
Is Montgomery County, TN the same as Clarksville?
No. Clarksville is the county's only incorporated city; Woodlawn, Cunningham, Southside, Palmyra and every other community outside its limits are unincorporated county land. Out there the county zoning resolution and County Building and Codes apply, and the Montgomery County Trustee's bill is the only property tax bill; inside the city a city bill arrives as well. Look up the parcel first, then have Vanderpool Law read the contract with that answer in hand. ‡‡‡
Who issues septic permits in Montgomery County, TN?
The state. County Building and Codes refers septic permit requests to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the state's online file search can show the layout of an existing system, field lines included. Buying a house on septic? Ask the seller for that file before the inspection, and do not count a converted bonus room as a bedroom unless the system meets the rules for one. ‡
What is the Montgomery County Adequate Facilities Tax?
A county privilege tax on new development that pays for school facilities, adopted by the County Commission in 2004. It has a lot part, collected by the Register when the plat is recorded, and a house part, paid at County Building and Codes before a building permit issues - for a house inside Clarksville too. Lots platted before July 1, 2004 and lots already paid are exempt. Buying land to build on? Get proof of payment before closing. ‡‡‡
How do I split off a lot in Montgomery County, TN?
Through the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission, whose regulations treat dividing land into pieces under five acres, for sale or for building, as a subdivision. A single two-lot split can be a staff-level plat; two to five lots with no new public road or utilities is a minor plat. Buying or selling part of a larger tract? Settle in the contract who orders the survey and the plat. ‡‡
When is the next property reappraisal in Montgomery County, TN?
2029, according to the Assessor of Property. The county revalues every property on a five-year cycle. In any year, values are set as of January 1, change notices go out by May 20 and the County Board of Equalization starts meeting June 1, so if you close in the spring, keep an eye on the mail. ‡‡‡
Do I need a floodplain permit to build in Montgomery County, TN?
Outside Clarksville, yes. The county requires a permit before you build, grade or place fill in a floodplain, and a building permit on a lot in or next to a floodplain or a stream waits on a review of the FEMA and county requirements. Lived-in floors must sit a foot above the 100-year flood elevation. Look the lot up on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center before you sign, and ask Building and Codes what the review will want from you. ‡‡
Which county records a deed near Port Royal, TN?
The county the land is in - and near Port Royal, that takes checking. The Red River and Sulphur Fork form part of the Montgomery-Robertson line, and the line jogs where they meet. Look the parcel up with each county's Assessor, and make sure the deed, the tax proration and the title search all name the same county. ‡‡
This month in Montgomery
Updated October 2026
- The Trustee mails Montgomery County tax bills in the last week of October, and they can be paid without interest through the last day of February; from March 1, interest runs at 1.5 percent a month. Tennessee does not require the bill to be mailed, and one that never arrives is still owed, so a fall buyer should ask who is paying this one. ‡
- Updated Subdivision Regulations went up on the Regional Planning Commission's site in April 2026. Splitting or platting land in the county? Work from the current version. ‡
- Bought farmland this fall or winter? To keep the greenbelt classification for the 2027 tax year, get the application to the Assessor by March 15. ‡
Ask Vandy about Montgomery
A plain-English question about a contract, a closing, a will, or anything else in Tennessee law. Jim reviews every answer that looks like real advice and follows up personally.
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Vanderpool Law · 256 Seaboard Lane G-104, Franklin, TN 37067 · Call the office
Sources
- Montgomery County, Tennessee - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- South Guthrie, Tennessee - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Fort Campbell North, Kentucky - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Red River (Cumberland River tributary) - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Port Royal, Tennessee - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Woodlawn, Tennessee - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Cunningham, Montgomery County, Tennessee - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Southside, Montgomery County, Tennessee - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Palmyra, Tennessee - Wikipedia (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Register of Deeds - Montgomery County, TN (Julie Runyon) (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Process for Filing Documents - Montgomery County Register of Deeds (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Frequently Asked Questions - Montgomery County Trustee (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Types of Property Taxes (rollback taxes) - Montgomery County Trustee (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Assessor of Property - Montgomery County, TN (Erinne Hester) (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Periodic County-Wide Reappraisal - Montgomery County Assessor of Property (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Assessment Calendar - Montgomery County Assessor of Property (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Greenbelt Program - Montgomery County Assessor of Property (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Frequently Asked Questions - Montgomery County Building and Codes (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Adequate Facilities Tax - Montgomery County Building and Codes (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Adequate Facilities Tax - Collections and Appeals - Montgomery County Building and Codes (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Stormwater Flood Information - Montgomery County Building and Codes (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Subdivisions - Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Zoning - Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Clarksville-Montgomery County 2040 Growth Plan (final October 2019, adopted January 22, 2020) - Regional Planning Commission (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Clarksville-Montgomery County Comprehensive Plan (March 26, 2024) - Regional Planning Commission (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Transfer Tax - County Technical Assistance Service (CTAS), University of Tennessee (accessed 2026-10-04)
- KRS 142.050 Real estate transfer tax - Kentucky General Assembly (accessed 2026-10-04)
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Montgomery County, Tennessee (accessed 2026-10-04)
- FEMA Flood Map Service Center (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 23-3-103(a) - Unauthorized practice of law (2025 code) (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-4-409(a) - Realty transfer tax, paid by the grantee (accessed 2026-10-04)
- RF401 Purchase and Sale Agreement, Tennessee REALTORS (version 01/01/2026): Closing Expenses, Title Expenses and prorations (accessed 2026-10-04)
- Middle Tennessee closing custom, as Vanderpool Law sees it across more than 15,000 closings (the contract controls in every case)
- National Association of REALTORS - settlement FAQs (practice changes effective August 17, 2024) (accessed 2026-10-04)
This page is general information about Montgomery County, Tennessee, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship exists until an engagement letter is signed. Figures are as of the dates shown and change.