Heard County, GA Property Records: Search Deeds, Owners, Tax Records, and Maps

Heard County is a rural county in west-central Georgia with over 6,900 parcels of land. The local property market is driven by agriculture, top-rated schools, and proximity to the Atlanta metro area. The county’s property records are kept and maintained by the efforts of the Clerk of the Superior Court, the Board of Tax Assessors, and the Tax Commissioner.

Franklin, the county seat and the only incorporated municipality, has the highest concentration of housing units in Heard County. This concentration is driven by its role as the county's service center. Single-family homes are the most common housing type in the county. It takes an average of 58 to 81 days to sell a listed home, which is slightly slower than the statewide average pace of 67 days.

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How to Look Up Heard County Property Records

Heard County property records are available to the public through three main portals. You can check ownership, valuations, maps, and parcel data through the Tax Assessor’s qPublic Portal. The Tax Commissioner provides a Government Windows Payment Page that allows anyone to view tax bills or pay their property taxes. Electronic copies of deeds, mortgages, and liens are available at the GSCCCA Portal. To obtain certified copies of recorded land documents, visit the Heard County Clerk of Superior Court in Franklin.

Who Keeps Heard County Property Records?

The Georgia Open Records Act ensures that property records are open to the public. Anyone is permitted to view, request, or obtain copies of property records in Heard County. The state ensures a system of checks and balances where one office records the transaction, another values the property, and a third collects the revenue.

You can contact the following offices for property records in the county:

• Clerk of Superior Court: The Heard County Clerk of Superior Court records all documents that relate to title in the county. It maintains official documents, including deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, subdivisions, satisfactions, and plats.

• Tax Assessor’s Office: The Tax Assessor’s Office in Heard County notifies property owners when changes are made to the value of their property. In addition, it receives all appeals filed by property owners and approves all exemption claims.

• Tax Commissioner: This Tax Commissioner’s Office mails tax bills, collects, disburses, and accounts for all property taxes collected in Heard County. It also receives and processes applications for homestead exemptions and tax returns filed by property owners.

How to Search Heard County Property Records Online

If you have remote access and are interested in accessing Heard County property records, take the following steps:

1. Identify the Parcel: Open the Tax Assessor’s qPublic portal and search the property by using the owner name, property address, parcel ID, account number, and legal information.

2. Open the Parcel Details: Select the parcel ID that matches the specified criteria on the results page to reveal the property report. The report will provide you with the owner’s information, tax district, millage rate, sales reports, legal description, valuations, property characteristics, and photos.

3. Pull the Recorded Documents: For access to copies of recorded deeds, mortgages, plats, and other documents, visit the GSCCCA platform. Use the owner’s name, recording date, document type, or book and page number to locate documents on the portal.

4. Verify the Current Tax Status: Visit the Heard Government Windows Payment Page to view prior tax bills and confirm the current tax balances for any property. You may find the payment status, due dates, and any outstanding balance from the portal.

5. Request Certified Copies if Required: To obtain certified copies of recorded land documents, visit the Heard County Clerk of Superior Court’s Office in Franklin. This service costs a nominal fee.

Clerk of Superior Court: Deeds, Mortgages, and Liens

The Clerk of Superior Court is the official recorder of deeds, mortgages, liens, and related documents in Heard County.

Tax Assessor: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Tax Assessor’s Office determines the fair market value and assessed value of all taxable properties in Heard County.

Tax Commissioner: Tax Bills and Payments

The Tax Commissioner’s Office processes tax bills and collects property taxes from property owners in Heard County.

Property Tax in Heard County: Rates, Exemptions, and Appeals

Property tax is a source of revenue for the Heard County government. The basis for property tax is the fair market value (FMV)of the property, which is set on January 1 of each year. The Tax Assessor’s Office levies the tax based on a property's assessed value, which is set at 40% of its FMV. The resulting value is then multiplied by the tax rate (millage rate), levied by various entities in the county.

• Property tax due = assessed value x millage rate(one mill is equal to $1 for each $1,000 of assessed value or 0.001)

• Assessed value = FMV x 40%

Homestead exemptions

Several types of homestead exemptions have been enacted to reduce the burden of property taxes for Heard County homeowners. The county exemption supersedes the state exemption when it exceeds the state exemption. Available exemptions in the county include:

• Basic Homestead Exemption: The home of any resident of Heard County that is occupied and used as the primary residence by the owner may be granted a homestead exemption. This will lead to a $2,000 reduction in the property's assessed value. Eligible homeowners must file their application by April 1 of the current tax year. Once granted, the homestead exemption is automatically renewed each year.

• Local Additions: At the county level, some homestead exemptions are available to the public. These include exemptions for disabled veterans, unremarried surviving spouses, senior exemptions for homeowners 62 or older, and additional exemptions for homeowners 65 or older who meet income requirements. Eligible individuals may contact the Tax Assessor’s Office for further inquiries.

• CUVA & FLPA: Specialized programs such as Conservation Use Valuation Assessment (CUVA) and Forest Land Protection Act (FLPA) lower property taxes for owners of certain properties. Such properties include certain agricultural property, timber and land property, environmentally sensitive property, and residential transitional property. Rather than being taxed on fair market value, the property is assessed based on its current agricultural use. Qualifying individuals should contact the Tax Assessor’s Office for additional information.

Appealing an assessment

To appeal an assessment, file an appeal with the Heard County Board of Tax Assessors within 45 days from the date listed on the assessment notice. If the Board makes no change, the appeal is automatically forwarded to the County Board of Equalization. If you are still dissatisfied with the decision, file an appeal to the Superior Court in Heard County.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

You can access the Heard County Geographic Information System through the official qPublic portal. The portal will reveal parcel details such as boundaries, consideration, property address, ownership, taxing districts, sales history, and aerial photos.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

In Heard County, foreclosures and tax sales follow the state’s procedures and occur on the first Tuesday of every month at the county courthouse. The Heard County Tax Commissioner places a lien against delinquent property. Tax sales are conducted to recover delinquent property taxes.

Right of redemption

After a tax sale, a property owner has a right to reclaim a property within 12 months. To do so, the property owner must pay the tax deed purchaser the full purchase price. This payment must also include a statutory 20% premium during the first year and any additional taxes paid by the purchaser.

Costs to Access Property Records

To record a land document or obtain copies of property records in Heard County, you are required to pay the following fees:

How to Record a Document

Follow these steps to record a property document in Heard County:

1. Prepare the Document: First, ensure it includes the owner’s full name, notary acknowledgment, preparer information, and a complete legal description. Then, attach any necessary supplementary form, including a completed transfer-tax declaration form, to the document.

2. Calculate fees: Although it costs $25 to record most basic land documents, additional fees may apply. Such fees include a transfer tax of $0.10 per $100 of consideration and an intangible recording tax of $1.50 per $500 of the loan amount. To confirm the actual cost of recording a document, contact the Heard County Clerk of the Superior Court by phone at (706) 675-3301.

3. Submit to the Clerk: Submit your completed documents to the Heard County Clerk of Superior Court in person, by mail, or online through approved e-recording vendors. Once submitted, the Clerk’s Office reviews the document, collects recording fees, and assigns a recording number. Afterward, the document is registered and becomes part of the county’s real estate records.

4. Retrieve a Copy of the Recorded Document: Visit the GSSSCA portal to view and print a copy of the recorded land document. Similarly you can contact the Superior Court Clerk’s Office directly or send a mail request to obtain a land document.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Heard County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals