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Colorado Summary

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State Summary

  • Tax Collection Method: Liens
  • Tax Collection Entity: Treasurer
  • Property/Tax Records Administrator: Assessor
  • Taxes Due: 50% of the tax bill is due January 1, and the other 50% of the tax bill is due June 15
  • Taxes Delinquent: The first tax bill is delinquent on February 28, and the second tax bill is delinquent on July 31
  • Tax Sale Date/Period: Late October or November
  • Tax Sale Registration Requirements: Bidder registration card, and some counties require a deposit prior to the auction
  • Tax Sale Administrator: Treasurer
  • Primary Bidding Type: Premium
  • Redemption Period: 3 years
  • Redemption Interest Rate/Flat Penalty: 9% simple interest per annum + the current Federal Discount Rate
  • Over-the-Counter Sale Opportunities: Parcels that are not purchased at a public auction usually become available "over the counter" one to two weeks after the close of the auction.

County treasurers are allowed to hold tax lien auctions between September 1 and the second Monday in December. Most counties hold their sales in late October or November. The premium bidding method is used for most auctions and the investor only earns interest on the minimum bid and not the "premium". The "premium" amount is the difference between the winning bid and the minimum bid. There are a few smaller counties in Colorado that use the rotational bid process. In rotational bidding, each investor that is registered for the sale will receive a bidder number that will control the order in which they bid during the auction. The tax lien certificate amount and the interest rate remain constant. The auctioneer will begin with the first investor and ask if they are interested in investing in the first tax lien certificate. If they want it, they will become the successful bidder and then the auction moves to the next property. If the first investor didn't want the property, it is offered to the second bidder, third bidder, and so on, until each property is either sold, or offered to everybody in the room and there are no takers.

 

Colorado County Reference