Tax lien sale

Tax lien sale November 3, 2023

The 2023 tax lien sale is being held November 3, 2023 online at garfield.coloradotaxsale.com. The sale is administered by Realauction, and conducted with the goal of fairness and efficiency. The online tax sale is open for registration on September 26, 2023, and will have the available list posted at that time.

Questions or comments regarding the sale should be directed to Realauction at 877-361-7325 or emailed to: customerservice@realauction.com

Online tax lien sale – November 3, 2023

A preliminary list of the tax liens available for sale is being posted on September 26, 2023 at garfield.coloradotaxsale.com, and will be updated daily.

Registration

All potential bidders must register and remit a $75 deposit by 2 p.m. MST, on October 27, 2023. Registration includes the completion of an IRS-required W-9 form and acceptance of a “buyer beware” document. In addition, you will be asked to complete an ACH authorization, including your banking information, which is needed to remit your deposit, as well as bidder payments once the tax lien sale is complete.

We encourage you to register as soon as the delinquent property list is available to allow time for researching and determining the amount of your bid.

Internet training sessions:

Garfield County and Realauction is providing several webinar training sessions to introduce investors to our online tax lien sale. The webinars give step-by-step instructions about participating in the tax lien sale online.

Please join us online on one of the following dates:

2023 Colorado webinar training dates are:

Wednesday, October 4, 2023, from 8 – 9:30 a.m. MST
Tuesday, October 10, 2023, from 2 – 3:30 p.m. MST
Wednesday, October 25, 2023, from 12 – 1:30 p.m. MST

To register, please call Realauction at 1-877-361-7325. You must register with Realauction to attend the webinar.

+ Tax lien sale information

Tax lien sale information

The tax lien sale will be conducted this year as an online auction. All tax liens on real property are sold at the online auction with a premium bid, and those premium bids are not paid back if a redemption occurs, nor do they earn redemption interest. The interest rate for the Online Tax Lien Sale is set every year by the State of Colorado in September. Successful bidders during the online auction pay the total advertised price (which is the delinquent tax, interest and advertising fee) plus a $16.00 certificate fee, as well as any premium bid. Following the tax lien sale, successful bidders will receive, via email, a copy of the tax lien certificate of purchase for each property. Originals are kept in the Garfield County Treasurer's Office.

The tax lien sale Certificate of Purchase is only a lien on the property, and does not change ownership of the property. It is a negotiable document that is valid for 15 years. Interest is earned at the rate stated on the certificate with portions of calendar months considered as whole months. Premiums do not earn interest.

Certificate holders may, after August 1, pay the subsequent year's unpaid taxes. This amount will be endorsed onto the existing certificate and will earn the same rate of interest.

If the taxes have not been redeemed after three years from the initial purchase of the tax lien sale Certificate of Purchase, the certificate holder has the option to apply for a Treasurer's Deed to the property. This process is handled through the Treasurer's Office. The certificate holder must pay the expenses of issuing the deed which include an application fee, publication costs, title search costs, as well as other expenses.

There are different requirements for the redemption of Certificates of Purchase issued on Manufactured Homes. If no redemption is made, a Certificate of Ownership is issued instead of a Treasurer's Deed, and on most manufactured homes the investor can apply for the Certificate of Ownership after one year from the date of sale.

+ Tax lien sale redemptions

Tax lien sale redemptions

Redemption of a tax lien sale can be made only by the owner of a property, his agent, or an entity with a recorded interest in the property. Any redemption by someone other than the owner will be accepted subject to an executed and notarized agency authority.

Payments must be made in cash, cashier's check or wire transfer.

Payments must be received in our office by the last working day of the month.

After a redemption has been made, a check will be mailed automatically to the certificate holder. It is the certificate holder's responsibility to notify the treasurer's office of mailing address changes to ensure redemption checks are mailed properly.

Interest earned is reported to the IRS and a 1099-Int form will be mailed annually to the investor.

Tax lien sales and redemptions are governed by Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 39, Articles 11 and 12, and are administered by the treasurer's office. Please refer any questions to the treasurer's office at 970-945-6382.