Frequently Asked Questions

A tax lien is a lien (or a legal interest) on a given tax parcel issued by a taxing entity. The I.R.S. and state revenue agencies can place tax liens on parcels, but the county treasurer's office (the county entity responsible for collecting property taxes can also place tax liens on parcels. The Alamosa County Treasurer holds a tax lien auction each year (around November) and any tax parcels which have unpaid/delinquent amounts will have tax liens sold against them. A bidder can offer to pay the remaining taxes, plus interest and fees then due on a parcel and in exchange, they will then hold a tax lien on that parcel until the owners pay off, or "redeem" the tax lien. During the time that the tax lien is held by the bidder, the bidder's investment in the parcel accrues interest (which will be reimbursed to the bidder along with all the invested money upon redemption of the tax lien by the owner). This allows Alamosa County to operate and pay its entities the revenues that they are in need and expecting. It also allows investors to earn interest on their investment in Alamosa County.

When the owner of the property pays off or "redeems" the tax lien. They then pay The Alamosa County Treasurer's Office the total due in taxes, interest accrued and fees and the County Treasurer sends you a reimbursement check.

This is the designation we use in Alamosa County to indicate that there is a prior dated tax lien existing on a parcel at the time of a tax lien auction. Should you as a buyer see this, it simply means that an un-redeemed outstanding lien still exists on the parcel you may be bidding on.

All of the parcels that are delinquent as of early October will be published according to state statute three consecutive weeks in The Valley Courier newspaper. You may view these parcels online to decide if there are parcels you may wish to bid on at the auction.

If you wish to retain your interest in the parcel, you have the right, as a senior (or prior dated) lien holder, to redeem, or pay off the tax lien of that other holder. This money is not money which will be refunded to you in the event of an owner redemption! Unfortunately, this is money due to this other tax lien holder and should you chose to redeem it to protect your interest, you are not entitled to have this money refunded to you should the actual owner of the property redeem your lien. If you wish to simply let the treasurer's deed go through, and not protect your interest in the parcel, you would lose out on the money you had put into your own lien and waive any rights to be reimbursed for that lien.

In the event that there is/are senior (older) tax lien(s) on a parcel, you as a junior lien holder do not have to redeem out the senior lien holder to have a treasurer's deed issued. You simply apply for deed and those lien holders will be notified accordingly that you have applied for deed. If they choose not to redeem your lien (to protect their interest in the parcel), then a deed will be issued to you and they will have waived their interest in the parcel.

When you purchase a tax lien, all sales are final. We cannot refund your investment until it is paid back by the owner. Because of this, buying a tax lien is actually a three to four year commitment. Should you decide that you no longer wish to endorse a lien you hold, that is your choice, but we advise against it. This is because we will take the parcel back to tax auction and sell another tax lien on it. This other lien will put you as a senior lien holder - in direct competition for interest in the parcel. Should a second or third lien be sold, you still hold your lien until the owners redeem it, but should you wish to apply for a treasurer’s deed, you would then have other liens to pay off before we could issue a deed to you.

The rate varies from year to year, but it cannot be less than 8% per annum. It is typically 10% to 15% per annum.

The redemption period for owners in Colorado is three years from the date of the sale of the tax lien. The holder of the tax lien can apply with the County Treasurer for a treasurer's deed on the parcel when this redemption period is up. The treasurer's deed process takes 5 to 6 months typically and costs $1000 or more, but should no redemption of taxes take place, the tax lien holder will be issued a treasurer's deed for the parcel - thus making them the owner.