Real Estate Delinquent Taxes and Tax Lien Sale

The Tax Lien Public Auction is usually held around the first part of November. Buyers pay the total advertised price consisting of tax, interest to the date of public auction and an advertising fee.  They also pay a $4.00 certificate fee and an $9.00 auction fee plus any premium bid.  The person paying the highest amount is issued a Certificate of Purchase.  This is a negotiable document representing a lien on the property.  It is valid for 15 years.  The buyer does not recover the premium paid over the starting amount.  The certificate earns interest at the rate stated on the certificate with portions of calendar months considered as whole months.

A buyer list showing certificate numbers, parcel numbers and total paid will be provided to the taxpayer.  Buyers are responsible for keeping adequate records.  The Treasury Division is responsible for the public auction of the tax lien, immediate notification to buyers of redemptions and payment upon surrender of the redeemed certificate.  (We will hold your certificate if you wish and provide copies to you.)

The redemption amount paid is the certificate amount (tax, interest, advertising, and fees), plus redemption interest.  The annual redemption interest rate for each year’s public auction is established by adding 9% to the September 1^st Federal Reserve discount rate.  One twelfth of this rate accrues for each month or portion thereof.  The September 1, 2022 discount rate was 2.50%.  The redemption rate for certificates sold in November of 2022 will be 12% or 1.00% per month.  Upon redemption, we notify the buyer to return their certificate for payment of the certificate face value plus accrued interest.  If we are holding your certificate, a check will be mailed immediately.

Buyers may after July 1^st pay the subsequent year’s unpaid taxes for endorsement onto their certificates.  These payments earn the same rate of interest as does the original public auction.

If the property has not been redeemed after three years from the date of public auction, the buyer can apply for and receive a Treasurer’s Deed to the property.  Buyers return their certificates to us and deposit expense money.  After a title search, advertising, and notification of all interested parties, a Treasurer’s Tax Deed is issued if there has been no redemption.

Erroneous sales are paid interest at the rate of 2% above the discount rate rounded to the nearest full percent but no lower than 8%.  The lower redemption interest rate is applicable to discoveries made after May 23, 1988 and can be applied to the entire certificate regardless of when the certificate was purchased.

If you wish to participate in our public auction, visit our auction website at https://denver.coloradotaxsale.com for the rules and any details.  The list of parcels for sale will be available at the auction website about two weeks before auction starts.

The subject of Tax Lien Public Auctions, Deeds, Redemptions, etc., which are administered by County Treasurers, is covered by Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 39, Articles 11, and 12.  Any questions should be referred to the Taxpayer Service Unit at (720) 913-9300.

Registration/deposits:

Each bidder must register on the Auction Website before they will be allowed to participate in the tax lien sale.  After registering, each bidder will receive a bidding number from the Auction Website that will enable the bidder to place bids.  All bidders must make a deposit on the Auction Website before their bids will be accepted.  Registration and deposits may be made starting October 20, 2022, and must be completed no later than November 1, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. M.D.T.  No registration or deposits will be allowed after this time.  Each bidder shall make a deposit equal to ten percent (10%) of the total dollar amount of tax liens the bidder anticipates winning.  All deposits shall be made by electronic funds transfer.  Final determination regarding the acceptability of any deposit will be at the discretion of the Treasurer.  If a bidder’s deposit drops below ten percent (10%) of the total dollar amount of all tax liens won, plus the amount of active bids, while there are still active bids, the active bids will not be accepted.  Buyers are responsible to ensure the information on their registration is correct since certificates of purchase, redemption checks, and refund checks are prepared from this information.

In accordance with §39-11-115 (2) (c) and (d), C.R.S., minimum bids and bid increase increments are as follows:

Minimum bids:  The minimum starting bid for each tax lien is equal to the amount of the unpaid taxes, interest, penalties, and fees (the tax lien face value).

Bid increments:  Bid increments shall be one dollar ($1.00).  Tax liens are awarded to the highest bidder, or in the event of a tie, the winner will be selected at random by the Auction Website, and the winning bid amount will equal the amount of the tie bid.   

Tax liens will be grouped into batches and sold in one-hour increments starting on November 9, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. M.D.T. and concluding on November 9, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. M.D.T.  Tax liens in each batch will be identified with a closing time.

Bids may be made starting November 7, 2022, at 8:00 a.m. M.D.T.  Bids will be accepted for each tax lien until the batch containing it closes.  The Auction Website stores the bids for each tax lien until the batch containing it closes.  Prior to the closing of the batch, bidders may change or withdraw their bids.  Once a batch closes, the bids become final and may not be changed or withdrawn. 

Payment for the total amount of the bidder’s winning bids shall be automatically initiated via an Automated Clearing House (ACH) debit no later than November 10, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. M.D.T.  The account debited will be the last successful deposit account.  If a winning bidder fails to pay the amount due by this time, the Treasurer may, in the Treasurer’s sole discretion, award the tax liens to another bidder or may offer the tax lien for sale.  The Treasurer may prohibit a person, who fails to pay the amount due from bidding, from participating in any tax lien sales for up to five years in accordance with § 39-11-116, C.R.S. 

The certificate of purchase issued on a successful bid will show the legal description, purchase amount, and buyer’s name (as entered in registration), interest rate, and date of sale.  Buyers will be notified when their certificates are ready to be picked up.  The City and County of Denver will keep them if the buyer wishes and provide copies.

Redemption interest is 12% per annum.  If parcels are redeemed prior to delivery of certificates, redemption checks will be mailed to buyers and notations made on buyers’ lists of purchases.

Employees and officials of the City and County of Denver, and members of their families are not allowed to purchase at the Public Auction.

PLEASE NOTE!     

• Those investing in tax liens do so at their own risk and are advised to exercise due diligence in carefully analyzing which tax liens to bid on.  There are no guarantees expressed or implied regarding whether a tax lien will prove to be a profitable investment.
• The property information accessible on the bid pages was obtained from the Assessor’s office prior to the start of the current auction and is for reference only (please note that this property information, provided by the Assessor’s office, represents the most current assessment year, not the tax year associated with this tax lien sale, as taxes are paid one year in arrears). It is the buyer’s responsibility to research auction items thoroughly prior to placing bids.
• Do not attempt to make any name changes to your existing account.  To make a name change, you must contact the Treasury Division at 720-913-9500.

The Colorado Revised Statutes - 39-11-119 - provide that a holder of a certificate of purchase may pay any subsequent taxes on the property on which the buyer has an unredeemed certificate, and that this payment will be endorsed on the certificate and the tax lien sale book of record in the Treasurer's Office.

The payment is made to protect your certificates and to prevent the subsequent delinquent taxes from being sold again at the tax lien public auctions.  Payment is recorded on the certificate and on the tax lien sale book to ensure that you will be reimbursed for this additional payment in the event of a redemption.  This fee for the endorsement of these payments is $5.00 per certificate.  This fee will also be recovered on redemptions.  Delinquent Local Improvement installments may be endorsed on to tax certificates.  Certificates must be brought in, left, and processed in the order they are received.

Subsequent payments of delinquent taxes endorsed on certificates purchased in November 2022 draw interest at the rate of 1.00% per month or fraction thereof (12% per annum), from the date of payment.  This interest is computed monthly to the date of redemption.

This may be done at any time but accrues interest from date of payment to date of redemption. Buyers wishing to make subsequent tax payments should bring or send their certificates to the following: 

City and County of Denver

Treasury Division/Special Accounts Unit

201 West Colfax Ave, Dept 1009, MC 401, Wellington E Webb Municipal Office Building

Denver, CO  80202-5330

(720) 913-9500

Treasury will determine the amounts required and will notify buyers so that payment can be made.  We will then process the payments and make the necessary entries to the tax lien sale books.

For payment of general taxes, most buyers bring their certificates in during the last two weeks of July.  Processing takes several weeks.  If redemptions are received during this time, we pull the certificate and mail a check to the taxbuyer.

TPS 022

9/21

THESE LISTS INCLUDE ALL DELINQUENCIES ON ACCOUNT WITH INTEREST THROUGH OCTOBER 31 OF GENERAL TAXES ON REAL ESTATE, SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS FOR LOCAL PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS, MAINTENANCE DISTRICTS, IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS, AND DELINQUENT SANITARY SEWER AND STORM DRAINAGE CHARGES.  INQUIRE AT THE TREASURER’S OFFICE AS TO PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX DELINQUENCIES.

OFFICE OF THE MANAGER OF FINANCE EX-OFFICIO TREASURER

CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, STATE OF COLORADO

WELLINGTON E WEBB MUNICIPAL OFFICE BUILDING, DENVER, COLORADO

Public notice is hereby given that I will, according to the law, offer at Public Auction, by means of the internet at https://denver.coloradotaxsale.com, which Public Auction shall begin on November 7, 2022 at  8:00 a.m. M.D.T. and end on November 9, 2022 at 5:00 p.m. M.D.T., tax liens on the following described real estate situated in said City and County of Denver, State of Colorado, on which general taxes for the year 2021 and earlier have not been paid and on which any part of the principal or interest of the special assessments for Storm Drainage Charges, Sanitary Sewer Charges, Improvement Districts, and/or Maintenance Districts levied by the City of Denver, the City and County of Denver, or the duly constituted authorities, have not been paid, as shall be necessary to pay the taxes along with interest, penalties, and applicable fees, to-wit:  Bidding rules for the Public Auction will be posted on the internet at https://denver.coloradotaxsale.com beginning on October 20, 2022.

Computer workstations that are available to the public and information about how to obtain instructions on accessing the Public auction and submitting bids are available at City and County of Denver, Treasury Division, 201 West Colfax Avenue, Wellington E Webb Municipal Office Building, Denver, Colorado.

Download the Delinquent Real Property Tax List (Microsoft Excel)(XLSX, 616KB)