General Information on Tax Lien Sales 1. 2. 3. 4. Tax Lien Sales are held annually. Tax Lien Sales are scheduled during the month of November or early December. Garfield County rarely holds a Deed Sale. Garfield County publishes the Delinquent Tax List three (3) times in a Garfield County newspaper (currently GLENWOOD SPRINGS POST INDEPENDENT) four to five weeks before the Tax Lien Sale. The list is posted in the Treasurer’s offices in Glenwood Springs and Rifle. The listing is also posted on the Treasurer's Delinquent Real Estate Tax webpage and the Delinquent Mobile Home Tax webpage. These pages are generally up-dated daily to reflect payments received the previous day. Investors register the morning of the sale in the office of the Garfield County Treasurer, Suite 204 of the County Courthouse. Registration begins at 9:00 a.m. Garfield County does not require a deposit for the sale. Cash, Cashier’s Check or Wire Transfer are the forms of payment that are acceptable for the Tax Lien Sale. Garfield County uses an auctioneer for the Tax Lien Sale. Bids are awarded to the highest bidder. Bids are in $1.00 increments for liens under $500 and in $5.00 increments for those over $500. The successful bidder at the Tax Lien Sale is issued a Certificate of Purchase.
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10. Other expenses in addition to the tax lien are interest, advertising, Treasurer’s fees and a distraint fee for mobile homes. 11. The foreclosure process is an application for Treasurer’s Deed. All parties with a recorded lien are notified by certified mail. All properties are advertised, regardless of value, in a Garfield County newspaper (currently GLENWOOD SPRINGS POST INDEPENDENT) for three (3) consecutive weeks. If not redeemed, a Treasurer’s Deed is issued within three to five months of the first notification. 12. A $250.00 deposit to be applied to the $75.00 Treasurer’s fee and costs for the title search, postage, etc. must accompany the application. If we receive information during processing that the estimate for the title search exceeds the deposit amount collected with the application, we will request an additional deposit to cover the estimated title costs prior to continuing with the application. 13. Tax liens not purchased during the actual auction may be purchased by telephone. 14. Property tax liens that are not bought at the sale or are not purchased within a few days after the actual auction become County-held. County-held certificates are rarely assigned. Once the certificates are County-held, they must be assigned by the Board of County Commissioners. 15. A copy of the State Statutes regarding Tax Lien Certificates may be purchased at a cost of $15 (copies, postage).