Treasurer and Public Trustee

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the date, time, and location of the Summit County Treasurer’s annual tax lien sale?
    2. The Annual Tax Lien Sale is scheduled during the month of October, to be held at the Summit County Community & Senior Center, in Frisco, Colorado. Please see the Sale Rules for the address and directions. The sale will start promptly at 9:00 AM. Registration will begin at 8:00 AM.
  2. How often are Summit County’s tax lien sales held?
    3. Tax Lien sales are conducted annually during the last quarter of the year. The Summit County sale is held usually in late October or early November.
  3. Does Summit County hold a Deed Sale in addition to a Lien Sale? And if so, when and where does it take place?
    4. This is the only sale conducted by the County Treasurer. No property is sold, only a lien for unpaid delinquent property taxes.
  4. When and where will the tax liens be published?
    5. The legal publication for Summit County is the Summit County Journal. Pick up a free copy in the boxes around the county or at the Journal office at the Summit Daily building in Frisco.
  5. How and when do I register for the tax lien sale?
    6. You may register on the day of the sale at the sale location. Registration will begin at 8:00 AM for the 9:00 AM sale. You may download and complete the registration form. Mail to the Treasurer’s office prior to the sale date.
  6. What are the payment requirements at the sale (i.e., cashier's check. Personal check, etc.). And is there a deposit required before the sale?
    7. At the Summit County Sale, you may write a personal check for your purchases. Make certain that you have sufficient funds in your account to cover the amount of the check. Checks are required for each submitted sealed bid auction item. Bring plenty of blank checks. See the Tax Lien Sale rules for additional information. No deposit to participate in the sale is required
  7. What is the bidding process?
    8. In past years, the sale is broken into two parts: Round-robin and Sealed-bid. See the Tax Lien Sale rules for details.
  8. What type of document is issued at the sale?
    9. Purchasers are issued a Tax Lien Sale Certificate for each tax lien purchased. The Treasurer recommends that the Treasurer’s Office hold the certificates in safekeeping for safety and efficiency when taxpayer’s redeem the certificate and pay the delinquent taxes.
  9. Are there any other expenses in addition to the cost of the Lien?
    10. Not normally. The base bid amount is the property tax, late interest to the date of sale, advertising fee for the sale and the $4.00 certificate fee. If the tax lien certificate remains unredeemed for a period of three years, the holder of the certificate may choose to apply for a Treasurer’s Deed to the property. Additional fees will be required to process the Treasurer’s Deed. It is expected that the certificate hold will pay subsequent year’s taxes when billed to the holder by the County Treasurer.
  10. What is the property deed process and will Summit County handle the Deed process for a fee? And if so, what is that fee?
    11. After a period of three years, the certificate holder may elect to have a Treasurer’s Deed issued for the property. The owner may still redeem up to the date the Treasurer indicates he will execute the Deed. A deposit of Deed issuance fees is required with the application for the Treasurer’s Deed. Check with the Office at the time of application for the current fee. Additional fees may be required for research and publication, which will be billed to the applicant prior to the issuance of the Treasurer’s Deed.
  11. What happens to the Liens that are not sold at the Tax Lien Sale? Can they be purchased over-the-counter directly from the County? And is that list available for purchase now?
    12. Only rarely have there been any Tax Liens available for purchase after the sale. If available, they are normally sold over-the-counter on the same day or the next day. No lists are available as no liens are available for sale.
  12. Approximately how many County-held Tax Lien Certificates are available in inventory at any given time? And approximately how many of these tax liens are "struck off" to the County?
    13. None. The only time that tax liens are “struck off” to the County is when the value is very small, or if there is some question as to the validity of the lien. The county has in place a resolution refusing to sell any tax lien.
  13. Does the Summit County Treasurer allow investors to invest in Tax Lien Certificates without attending the Auction, via mail, telephone, or fax? Can a representative be sent to the sale to bid for someone else?
    14. You must attend the sale to purchase tax liens. No provision is made for mail, telephone or fax sales. Yes you may send a representative. The representative is allowed to have only one bidder number. Certificates will be issued to the winning bidder in the name (with Social Security Number) submitted on the registration form.
  14. What is the present interest rate? And what is the statutory redemption period?
    15. The statutory certificate rate for the Colorado 2006 Tax Lien Sales is fifteen (15) percent. The annual rate of interest shall be 9 percentage points above the discount rate, which discount rate shall be the rate of interest a commercial bank pays to the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City using a government bond or other eligible paper as security, and shall be rounded to the nearest full percent. The commissioner of banking shall establish the annual rate of interest based upon the computation specified immediately above. Such annual rate of interest is established as of September 1 each year. Interest paid on redeemed certificates will be reported annually to the Internal Revenue Service.
    Any time after the expiration of the term of three years from the date of the sale of any tax lien, the holder of the certificate my present the certificate and upon payment of the proper processing fees, may apply for a Treasurer’s Deed for the property on which the holder has a lawful lien.
  15. What are the Colorado statutes regarding tax lien sales?
    16. See Title 39 Article 11 Colorado Revised Statutes for Sale of Tax Liens.