Lake Tansi waterfront buyer checklist

Do not assume that a mailing address or water view establishes waterfront rights. Ask the title company or an independent Tennessee lawyer to identify the recorded instruments and exceptions that affect the parcel.

The POA's July 22, 2026 notice scheduled Lake Mohawk for lowering in 2026 and Lake Tansi for fall 2027. It did not publish an exact Lake Tansi start date, target elevation or refill date. A scheduled drawdown is not a reading of the lake today. 1

Record each dock, boardwalk, cover, lift, retaining wall, seawall, stair, platform or other shoreline feature.

Ask for the original application, approved drawing, permit, inspection and close-out record. The 2026 ACC booklet says new shoreline protection, docks, boardwalks and boat covers require ACC applications before construction. It allows grandfathered boat docks to be replaced in kind dimensionally and geometrically; any change must meet current requirements. Its general rules say a permit is not required to repair an existing structure if no structural change is made and the repair is completed within one year of the damage. Do not treat an existing structure as proof that it was approved or that a proposed replacement is allowed.

The booklet also says permits are not transferable and an approval becomes void if the project is not started within 90 days of ACC approval and completed within one year of ACC approval, unless a written extension is granted for extenuating circumstances. Record the current status of any seller-supplied approval; do not treat it as a permit for the buyer. 2

The ACC booklet says dredging requires notice to the POA and a state-issued permit. It describes dry dredging during a drawdown as preferable, but still subject to prior state approval. Ask the responsible state office for a written parcel-and-project answer; POA permission does not substitute for state permission, and the reverse is also true.

The POA board page says approved ACC rule changes take effect after a minimum 30-day notice period. Ask whether a pending change affects the application. 5

The current ACC booklet does not use one shoreline rule for all four lakes. It also says no new private boat-launch ramp may be built into any of them. Have the ACC identify the exact current section for the parcel before a contractor prices the work. 2

The 2026 Welcome Booklet identifies Lake Tansi as the only one of the four lakes that allows gasoline-engine boating. It says owner boats on all four lakes need POA permits, member launch access uses an electronic key card, and slips and storage are limited. Treat printed prices, schedules and availability statements as items to reconfirm, not promises attached to the property. 3

The 2009 City-POA agreement permits specified water harvesting and requires coordination for planned POA releases. It does not show that the City caused a particular current level. Ask for dated measurements and operating records before drawing that conclusion. 4

The POA board page tells readers to stop by the office with a POA card to pick up meeting minutes and financials. If a buyer cannot obtain them directly, ask the seller to obtain the relevant records before the inspection or contract contingency expires. Do not insert an unverified dues figure into the buying arithmetic. 5

A lake document cannot answer a septic, title, road, insurance or utility question. Route each one to the office or professional that controls it.

Write the unresolved items here. Do not average them away.