Dolores County Colorado Delinquent Tax Sale


In Dolores County Colorado tax lien certificates are sold at the Dolores County tax sale which is held annually during the month of November but no later than the second Monday in December of each year.

In Dolores County Colorado property taxes are due January 1st for the previous year. Payment may be paid in two equal installments or in one full installment. First half payment is due February 28th. The second half of real estate property taxes is due on June 15 and are delinquent June 16th. Delinquency notices are mailed beginning July 1st.

Beginning at least (4) four weeks before the Dolores County tax sale the Dolores County Treasurer will post a written or printed notice in the Dolores County Treasurer's Office. Colorado law C.R.S 39-11-102 specifies that properties to be offered at the Dolores County tax sale must be advertised in a newspaper of general circulation or having general circulation in Dolores County for (3) three consecutive weeks prior to the Dolores County tax sale.

Tax Sale List

Contact the Dolores County Treasurer (C.R.S. 39-11-102) for instructions on obtaining the Dolores County tax sale list. The tax sale list will include item number, parcel number, legal owner, and the legal description of the property.

Copy's of the newspaper where the advertisement of tax liens on property's subject to sale at the Dolores County Colorado tax sale are available for purchase through the Dolores County Colorado Treasurer's Office. In addition, a digital copy of the advertisement may also be available for download.

Tax Sale Registration

Anyone wishing to bid must register before the Dolores County tax sale. Contact the Dolores County Treasurer C.R.S. 39-11-101 for registration instructions and requirements.

Registration requirements specify that bidders must supply the Dolores County Colorado Treasurer's Office with a completed Bidder's Card, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification (IRS Form W-9 or W-8BEN).

If the Dolores County Colorado tax sale is conducted on the Internet, registration must be completed online beginning October 1st of each year. Generally there is no charge to register however bidders may be required to post a deposit via the Tax Sale Website Payments Page.

The Dolores County Colorado Treasurer's Office may require that bidder's post anywhere from 10% to 100% of the estimated amount in tax lien certificates they intend to purchase at the Dolores County tax sale.

Upon successfully meeting the registration requirements the Dolores County Colorado Treasurer's Office will assign a bidders number to identify each bidder when purchasing tax liens from Dolores County.

Tax Sale Time and Location

The Dolores County Colorado tax sale is held during the month of November of each year. Contact the Dolores County Colorado Treasurer's Office to determine the time and location of the Dolores County Colorado tax sale.

In accordance with C.R.S. 39-11-108 (1) the Dolores County Treasurer will commence the public auction of the Dolores County Colorado tax liens on those property's for which the taxes, interest, and fees have not been paid and continue's from day to day until the tax liens on each property are sold with the exception of Saturday's and Sunday's.

Colorado law specifies that the Dolores County tax sale auction is to be held at the Dolores County Treasurer's office or at another location in Dolores County designated by the Treasurer.

Tax Sale Bidding Process

In accordance with C.R.S. 39-11-115 (2) Colorado laws grants the Dolores County Treasurer broad powers in setting and determining bidding rules governing the Dolores County public tax sale auction.

Currently, there are several bidding methods being used to sell Dolores County tax lien certificates.

The Dolores County Treasurer may utilize one or more of the following bidding methods to sell Colorado tax lien certificates:

Rotational Bid Method: In a public oral bid tax sale where Dolores County is utilizing the Rotational Bid Method the first tax lien certificate offered for sale will be offered to the investor holding bidder number (1) one, who has the right of first refusal. If bidder number (1) one refuses the tax lien certificate, bidder number (2) two may then bid. However, bidder number (1) one will not be offered another tax lien certificate until his number comes up again in the rotation. The next tax lien certificate will go to the next number in line.

Premium Bid Method: In a public oral bid tax sale where Dolores County is utilizing the Premium Bid Method C.R.S. 39-11-115 the winning bidder at the Dolores County Colorado tax sale is the bidder who pays the largest amount in excess of the delinquent taxes, delinquent interest, and fees. The excess amount shall be credited to the county general fund. Each tax lien shall be sold for an entire piece of property.

Proxy Bid Method: In a public oral bid tax sale where Dolores County is utilizing an Proxy Bid Method, the auction system submit's the bids on behalf of the bidders. Prior to the tax sale bidders must login to the Tax Sale Website and enter the maximum premium amount that they are willing to pay over the face value for each tax lien certificate they intend to purchase. This dollar amount is referred to as a "premium". At the time of the tax sale the auction system will submit bids on behalf of each bidder.

The result of the auction system is that the electronic agent keeps increasing the bid to submit by one dollar ($1.00) increments until either they are the only bidder left, (in which case they get the tax lien certificate at one dollar more than the previous bid) or until they reach the maximum amount they have set.

In the case of a tie at the winning bid rate, the system awards to one of the bidders through a random selection process using a random number generator.

Unsold Dolores County Colorado tax lien certificates that receive no bid are "struck off" or sold to Dolores County.

Tax Sale Payment

Pursuant to C.R.S. 39-11-111 the Dolores County Treasurer may accept payment in the form of cash, negotiable paper, or electronic funds transfer, for the tax lien certificate.

In accordance with C.R.S. 39-11-117 upon payment of the back taxes, penalties and charges, the winning bidder will be issued a tax lien certificate or certificate of purchase ("CP") by the Dolores County Treasurer's Office evidencing the sale of the tax lien certificate. Fees include a $4.00 certificate fee and a $5.00 auction fee plus any premium bid. If payment has not been made, the parcel(s) / tax lien certificates may be re-offered.

Subsequent Taxes

Colorado law C.R.S. 39-11-119 provides that subsequent taxes (referred to as Subtax) may be added to the existing tax lien protecting the investor's fiduciary interest in the property. Amending the current year's taxes onto the existing tax lien begins during the last two weeks in July. All remaining delinquent property taxes go to the annual Dolores County tax lien sale in November.

It is the investor's responsibility to research and track the parcel's delinquent property taxes. The subsequent taxes consist of taxes, interest, and fees accrued up to the date on which the taxes are paid. There is an additional charge of $5.00 applied for each request to purchase subsequent taxes for each year.

Purchases may be made in person or by mail. Payment must be included with the purchase request. The Dolores County Colorado Treasurer's Office requires that buyers submit a list of the subsequent taxes they intend to purchase, along with a cashier's check, money order, certified check, or wire transfer for the approximate total.

The interest earned on subsequent tax is the annual redemption interest rate which is established by adding 9% to the September 1st Federal Reserve discount rate.

Redemption Period

From the date sold, the delinquent owner has (3) three years C.R.S. 39-11-120 to redeem his or her interest in the property.

To redeem the delinquent owner must tender the amount the investor paid to purchase the Colorado tax lien certificate plus interest. The interest rate the delinquent owner will be charged at the time of redemption is the rate awarded at the time the tax lien certificate was purchased.

Interest Rate

The delinquent owner may redeem the Colorado tax lien certificate at any time before the execution of the Dolores County Treasurer's deed to the purchaser of the tax lien certificate the amount of taxes, delinquent interest, and costs for which the tax lien certificate on the property was sold, with redemption interest from the date of the sale at the rate specified in C.R.S. 39-12-103 (3).

In accordance with C.R.S. 39-12-103 (3) the annual rate of redemption interest is (9) nine percentage points above the federal discount rate and shall be rounded to the nearest full percent. On September 1 of each year, the annual rate of redemption interest shall be established and become effective on October 1 of the same year.

It's important to note that according to C.R.S. 39-11-115 (1) the excess amount shall be credited to the county general fund. Each tax lien shall be sold for an entire piece of property. The taxes, delinquent interest, and fees shall draw interest at the rates fixed by law, and, when the tax liens on any lands are bid in by the county, city, town, or city and county, the amount for which they are bid in shall draw interest at the same rates. Real property for which a tax lien is sold may be redeemed in the manner provided by law.

Tax Deed

If the delinquent owner fails to redeem the Dolores County Colorado tax lien certificate prior to the expiration of (3) three years from the date when the Colorado tax lien certificate was purchased from Dolores County, the investor may apply for a court ordered tax deed to the property.

Pursuant to C.R.S. 39-11-128 before any purchaser of a Colorado tax lien certificate for delinquent taxes is entitled to a deed for the land, he shall make request upon the Dolores County Treasurer, who shall then comply with the following:

C.R.S. 39-11-128 (a) The treasurer shall serve a notice of such purchase on every person in actual possession or occupancy of such land and also on the person in whose name the property was taxed and upon all persons having an interest or title of record in or to the property if, not more than five months nor less than three months before the time of issuance of such tax deed. In such notice the Dolores County Treasurer shall state when the applicant or his assignor purchased the Colorado tax lien certificate in whose name such property was taxed, the description of the land for which a Colorado tax lien certificate was purchased, for what year taxed and when the time of redemption will expire or when the tax deed shall be issued.

C.R.S. 39-11-128 (b) In all cases or instances where the valuation for assessment of the property is five hundred dollars or more, the Dolores County Treasurer shall publish such notice, three times, at intervals of one week, in some daily, weekly, or semiweekly newspaper published in Dolores County, not more than five months nor less than three months before the time at which the tax deed may issue, and he shall send by registered or certified mail a copy of such notice to each person not found to be served whose address is known or can be determined upon diligent inquiry.

Pursuant to C.R.S. 39-11-130 in case the Dolores County Treasurer is compelled to serve or to publish such notices in a newspaper, then before any person who may have a right to redeem such land or lot from the Dolores County tax sale is permitted to redeem, he shall pay the officer or person who by law is authorized to receive such redemption money the entire amount paid by the applicant for a tax deed for such notices, for abstract and search fees, and for the cost of publishing such notices for the use of the person compelled to pay such charges. If the property therein described is redeemed before the expiration of the period of redemption named in such notice, the purchaser or his assigns shall recover, in addition to his interest and costs, the cost of such publication and the abstract and search fee.

Pursuant to C.R.S. 39-11-136 (1) the tax deed shall be signed by the Dolores County Treasurer in his official capacity and when so signed shall vest in the purchaser all the right, title, interest, and estate of the former owner in and to the land conveyed and also all right, title, interest, and claim of the state and county thereto.

Unsold Tax Sale Properties

Unsold Dolores County Colorado tax lien certificates that receive no bids are "struck off" or sold to Dolores County.

Unsold Dolores County Colorado tax lien certificates "struck off" or sold to the Dolores County are available for purchase by investors through assignment. Assignment or "over the counter" purchases may be made in person or by mail. Payment must be included with the purchase request.

The Dolores County Colorado Treasurer's Office requires that buyers submit a list of the property tax lien certificates they intend to purchase, along with a cashier's check, money order, certified check, or wire transfer for the approximate total. Purchase requests will be recorded and processed in the order in which they are received.

When an offer to purchase is made and received by the Dolores County Treasurer's Office, the Dolores County Treasurer's Office will request that the offer be scheduled as an agenda item at an upcoming Dolores County Board of Supervisors' meeting.

At the meeting the Dolores County Board of Supervisors will consider the offer along with higher offers from anyone else present at the meeting. At the public meeting, the Board of Supervisors may vote to accept and approve the offer of the highest bidder for cash, or they may choose not to accept any of the current offers.

If an offer is approved, the Dolores County Board of Supervisors will direct the Clerk of the Board to convey a quit claim deed to the party whose offer was approved. The Clerk of the Board will prepare a quit claim deed, record that deed with the Dolores County Recorder and then issue the deed to the new parcel owner.

Join the Dolores County Colorado Tax Sale Discussion

Below you will find a collection of the latest user questions and comments relating to the sale of tax lien certificates and tax deed properties in Dolores County Colorado.

Cities / Towns located in Dolores County Colorado

The following is a list of cities and towns located in Dolores County Colorado. Tax Lien Certificates for properties located in the following cities are sold at the Dolores County Colorado tax sale.

Counties / Municipalites located in Colorado

The following is a list of counties located in the state of Colorado. Tax Lien Certificates for properties located in the following counties are sold at Colorado county tax sales.

Learn more about each county's individual tax sale process by clicking on the name of the county for which you are interested from the list below:

County/Municipality:  Population: 
Adams County, CO  363,857
Alamosa County, CO  14,966
Arapahoe County, CO  487,967
Archuleta County, CO  9,898
Baca County, CO  4,517
Bent County, CO  5,998
Boulder County, CO  291,288
Broomfield County, CO  38,282
Chaffee County, CO  16,242
Cheyenne County, CO  2,231
Clear Creek County, CO  9,322
Conejos County, CO  8,400
Costilla County, CO  3,663
Crowley County, CO  5,518
Custer County, CO  3,503
Delta County, CO  27,834
Denver County, CO  554,636
Dolores County, CO  1,844
Douglas County, CO  175,766
Eagle County, CO  41,659
El Paso County, CO  516,929
Elbert County, CO  19,872
Fremont County, CO  46,145
Garfield County, CO  43,791
Gilpin County, CO  4,757
Grand County, CO  12,442
Gunnison County, CO  13,956
Hinsdale County, CO  790
Huerfano County, CO  7,862
Jackson County, CO  1,577
Jefferson County, CO  527,056
Kiowa County, CO  1,622
Kit Carson County, CO  8,011
La Plata County, CO  43,941
Lake County, CO  7,812
Larimer County, CO  251,494
Las Animas County, CO  15,207
Lincoln County, CO  6,087
Logan County, CO  20,504
Mesa County, CO  116,255
Mineral County, CO  831
Moffat County, CO  13,184
Montezuma County, CO  23,830
Montrose County, CO  33,432
Morgan County, CO  27,171
Otero County, CO  20,311
Ouray County, CO  3,742
Park County, CO  14,523
Phillips County, CO  4,480
Pitkin County, CO  14,872
Prowers County, CO  14,483
Pueblo County, CO  141,472
Rio Blanco County, CO  5,986
Rio Grande County, CO  12,413
Routt County, CO  19,690
Saguache County, CO  5,917
San Juan County, CO  558
San Miguel County, CO  6,594
Sedgwick County, CO  2,747
Summit County, CO  23,548
Teller County, CO  20,555
Washington County, CO  4,926
Weld County, CO  180,936
Yuma County, CO  9,841