Grundy County Clerk and Master
The secondary clerk in the Grundy County court map is the Clerk and Master for Chancery Court. Patricia Campbell is listed as the Clerk and Master at 68 Cumberland Street, Suite 200, Altamont, TN 37301. The office phone is (931) 692-3455, and the listed email is patricia.Campbell@tncourts.gov. Unlike the elected County Clerk, the Clerk and Master is appointed by the Chancellor and functions as Chancery Court's financial and records officer.
Grundy County's Chancery Court handles probate of wills and estates, conservatorships, guardianships, name changes, divorces filed in Chancery, equity and contract disputes, and delinquent-property tax-sale files. The county officials page specifically states that the Clerk and Master handles probate court and processes property with delinquent taxes. Those duties make the office central for estate researchers, divorce decree copy requests, tax-sale bidders, and parties in equity cases.
Clerk and Master
Clerk and Master: Patricia Campbell
68 Cumberland Street, Suite 200
Altamont, TN 37301
(931) 692-3455
patricia.Campbell@tncourts.gov
Grundy County Chancery Clerk Duties
The Clerk and Master does not keep all Grundy County court records. The office focuses on Chancery Court, a court of equity with probate duties in this county. A request for a felony disposition, traffic citation, General Sessions civil warrant, juvenile matter, or Circuit Court judgment belongs with the Circuit Court Clerk. A request for a marriage license belongs with the County Clerk. Chancery copies should stay with the Clerk and Master unless the court file was opened in Circuit Court.
- Probate files, wills, estate administrations, small estate affidavits, and letters.
- Conservatorship files for incapacitated adults and guardianship files for minors.
- Divorce cases filed in Chancery, including final decrees and related orders.
- Name-change petitions and court orders.
- Equity, contract, and Chancery civil case records.
- Delinquent-property tax suits, tax-sale records, and redemption-related papers.
Grundy County Clerk Routing
Split-clerk routing is the main safeguard against delay. In Grundy County, all three record offices sit in the same administrative building, but their legal custody differs. A Chancery records request should name the Clerk and Master, not the Circuit Court Clerk, unless the requester has already confirmed that the case was filed outside Chancery.
| Question | Use the Clerk and Master when | Use another office when |
|---|---|---|
| Is it probate? | The record is a will, estate, small estate, letters, accounting, or creditor claim. | Marriage certificates go to the County Clerk. |
| Is it divorce? | The divorce was filed in Chancery Court or the decree is held by Chancery. | Some divorce files may be with the Circuit Court Clerk. |
| Is it a tax sale? | The file involves delinquent-property tax collection, sale, or confirmation. | Ordinary deeds and mortgages go to the Register of Deeds. |
| Is it criminal or traffic? | Usually no, unless an unusual Chancery order is involved. | Use the Circuit Court Clerk. |
Request a Certified Chancery Copy
Certified Chancery copies may be needed for estate administration, title work, bank transfers, real-property matters, divorce proof, name-change proof, conservatorship authority, or tax-sale proceedings. The Clerk and Master must certify the document from the official Chancery file. A printed image, an email copy, or a note from a party does not carry the same legal value as a certified court copy.
- Identify the case type first: probate, divorce, name change, conservatorship, guardianship, equity case, or tax sale.
- Gather the case number if known, plus party names, decedent name, protected person's name, property owner name, or approximate filing year.
- Call or email the Clerk and Master to confirm file location, public access status, copy fees, and certification cost.
- Submit the request in person or by mail with the document description, return address, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope if mailed.
- Ask whether medical, minor, sealed, or confidential material must be redacted or withheld before copies can be issued.
- Keep the certified copy sealed and intact if it will be used for title, banking, agency, or court purposes.
Chancery Request Field Inventory
The research did not locate a separate posted Clerk and Master request form for Grundy County. A complete written request should still include a field set that matches how Chancery files are indexed. Probate requests often need a decedent name and date of death. Divorce requests need spouse names and approximate filing or final decree dates. Tax-sale files may need an owner name, parcel clue, or sale year.
| Request field | Use for | Helpful detail |
|---|---|---|
| Case or docket number | Any Chancery file | Best identifier when available. |
| Party, decedent, or protected-person name | Probate, divorce, conservatorship, guardianship, equity | Give full names and known spelling variants. |
| Filing year or date range | Older Chancery searches | Helps staff check the right docket or index book. |
| Document requested | Certified copies | Examples: decree, letters, order, inventory, final settlement. |
| Certification choice | Copies for legal use | State whether plain or certified copies are needed. |
| Return address and contact | Mail and fee follow-up | Include phone or email for fee confirmation. |
Grundy County Chancery Fees
The research did not find a Grundy County Clerk and Master fee sheet posted online. Tennessee's statutory clerk schedule controls many copy and certification fees, while case-opening costs vary by filing type and may include litigation taxes, service, publication, and other costs. Probate publication costs are paid as estate expenses. A divorce filing has different cost figures depending on whether minor children are involved.
| Chancery item | Amount or rule | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Plain copy | Up to $0.50 per page | State clerk material cited in research. |
| Certification and seal | $5 per document | Used when a certified Chancery copy is needed. |
| Probate opening cost | Statutory fees plus taxes and publication costs | Exact Grundy total not posted. |
| Divorce without minor children | $125 standard court cost plus other costs | Confirm current total with the Clerk and Master. |
| Divorce with minor children | $200 standard court cost plus other costs | Parenting and service costs may also apply. |
| Indigency filing | Uniform Civil Affidavit of Indigency | Rule 29 pauper's oath process noted in research. |
Probate and Divorce Records
Probate records in Grundy County go to the Clerk and Master because Chancery Court administers probate locally. Estate files can include wills, petitions, letters, notices to creditors, inventories, accountings, claim papers, receipts, releases, and closing orders. The office also handles conservatorships and guardianships, which may include confidential medical or minor-related details. Deposited wills are sealed until death and are not the same as opened probate files.
Divorce records can be split between Chancery and Circuit because both have concurrent divorce jurisdiction. A requester should identify the filing court before ordering a decree. Chancery divorce records may contain the complaint, answer, agreements, parenting plan, orders, and final decree. Sensitive financial details and minor identifiers may be redacted even when the case itself is public.
For broader civil and criminal case lookup through the Circuit side, the Grundy County Circuit Court Clerk page covers the primary clerk's case-search and certified-copy process.
Public Access to Chancery Records
Chancery records are generally public unless a statute, court rule, or court order limits access. Tennessee Public Records Act procedures require a prompt response or a response within seven business days, and Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 governs access to court records. Inspection is generally free for public records, but copy and certification charges can apply. Tennessee citizen status may be required for TPRA requests.
Some Chancery material is not fully public. Conservatorship medical evidence, guardianship details involving minors, sealed filings, adoption-related material, and mental-health records may be restricted. Redaction may also remove Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and minor identifiers from an otherwise open file. When access is uncertain, ask the Clerk and Master whether the public can inspect the file, whether a court order is needed, and whether only a redacted copy can be issued.
Tax Sale and Chancery Files
The Clerk and Master processes property with delinquent taxes, which places tax-sale and redemption-related files on the Chancery side. These files are different from ordinary land records. A deed, deed of trust, mortgage, plat, or lien recording belongs with the Register of Deeds, while a delinquent-tax lawsuit, sale confirmation, redemption issue, or Chancery tax judgment belongs with the Clerk and Master.
Tax-sale records can affect title, so certified Chancery copies may be needed for buyers, owners, attorneys, title companies, or lenders. A request should provide the property owner name, sale year, case number if known, and the exact document needed. Because sale and redemption rules are fact-specific, the office can provide records but cannot replace legal advice about title rights.