Rankin County, Mississippi

Purchasing Real Property

Our office strongly recommends that a title search be done before real estate is purchased. A search of records in the Chancery Clerk's Office will determine any outstanding mortgages, taxes, or other liens and whether or not the seller has legal title to the property. Any attorney or title company can do a title search and prepare your deed. It is illegal for the Chancery Clerk's Office to search these records or prepare your deed. Before recording your deed it must contain the following: • Signature of seller(s) notarized • Legal description with indexing instructions • Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the sellers, buyers, and deed preparer If you purchase and occupy property before January 1st, you are eligible to apply for Homestead Exemption in the Tax Assessor's office - filing period January 1st through April 1st. Filing for Homestead Exemption reduces your taxes tremendously. If you are eligible, please be sure and take advantage of this savings. Property taxes must be paid each year. Statements are mailed from the Tax Collector's Office by December for that year's taxes. Be sure the Tax Collector and Tax Assessor have your current mailing address. If your property taxes are not paid by the last Friday before the last Monday in theAugust, then it is auctioned off to the highest bidder which is called a Tax Sale, or if no bids are received, then it is stricken off to the State. It then becomes the duty of the Chancery Clerk to collect all delinquent years taxes before the current years' taxes can be paid. No installments on delinquent taxes are accepted. We presently accept only cash, money orders, certified bank checks, lawyer trust account checks, and corporate checks from title and title insurance companies. We also accept payment by Visa, MasterCard or Discover. NO PERSONAL CHECKS are ACCEPTED in the redemption of back taxes after July 1st. Individuals have two years from the date of the tax sale to redeem their property. If not redeemed before the two years are up, then it matures to the State or if an individual purchased it at the Tax Sale, it matures to that individual who becomes entitled to a Tax Deed, which means you no longer own the property.