Alamosa County, CO tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •Amy McKinley is the elected Alamosa County Treasurer and Public Trustee. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, phone 719-589-3626, fax 719-589-6118.
• •The Treasurer's FAQ describes the certificate return as "typically 10% to 15% per annum" and says the rate "varies from year to year, but it cannot be less than 8% per annum." The county's published sale rules for the 2024 cycle stated that interest began in October at 15% per annum, with county redemptions computed under C.R.S. 39-12-111(2)(a)(b) and never below 8% per annum.
• •Every lien is offered under Chapter 39, Article 11 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Bidders must certify under section 39-11-151 that they are not an Alamosa County official or employee, not an immediate family member of one, and not acting on behalf of one.
• •Redemption runs three years from the sale date. Certificate holders receive an endorsement letter after August 1 each year listing their active liens, and endorsing subsequent-year taxes protects the position and earns interest on the added amount. The county warns that a holder who stops endorsing risks a competing lien being sold on the same parcel.
• •Parcels already carrying a prior unredeemed lien are flagged P.T.L. on the auction list, which signals an outstanding senior certificate on the parcel you are bidding on.
• •Liens that draw no outside bid are struck off to Alamosa County and are available for immediate assignment at any time after the sale. The buyer pays the taxes, accrued interest and an assignment fee; the Tax Lien Information page cites a $4 assignment fee. The county-held list is updated quarterly and does not carry amounts due, so call the office for a current payoff.
• •Since July 1, 2024, treasurer's deeds are no longer issued automatically to the lien holder. The option to obtain a treasurer's deed is auctioned online to the highest bidder through GovEase, with an opening bid covering the lien amount plus Treasurer fees and costs but excluding tax lien premium bids. The application deposit is $1,200 and the full process runs roughly six to nine months. Scheduled auction dates are posted on the county's Upcoming Scheduled Auction Information page.
• •The Treasurer warns in capitals that not all parcels in Alamosa County are developable, that they may be inaccessible, and that they might not be able to acquire water, and directs bidders to research before participating in any public auction. Treasurer's deeds remain non-marketable for seven to nine years unless taken through a quiet title action.
• •Property tax timing that drives the sale: full payment is due April 30, or half payments on February 28 and June 15. Delinquent real property is advertised for three consecutive weeks beginning in September or October, and advertising costs plus other expenses are added to the amount owed. Redemptions must be paid in certified funds and in full.

Colorado rules

Max interest rate

13% per year, set by statute (bidding is on price)Colorado Division of Banking - Interest Rates set by the Bank Commissioner (rate set under C.R.S. 39-12-103)Verified Oct 1, 2026

Minimum return

No statutory minimum return; what you earn is set by the price at the saleC.R.S. 39-12-103 - Redemption made, interestC.R.S. 39-12-103Verified Oct 12, 2026

Redemption

Redemption may be made at any time before a treasurer's deed is executed, so the practical window runs past the three-year mark and into the Article 11.5 process. Once a deed application is pending, the owner must file an intent to redeem with the treasurer no later than seven calendar days before the scheduled public auction, then pay the amount on the redemption statement while it is in effect, and must redeem the entire property. The auction itself is set 30 to 60 calendar days after the treasurer mails the notice of public auction. A separate rule lets an owner who was under a legal disability when a tax deed was executed under Article 11 redeem within nine years of the deed being recorded, at 15 percent per year plus the present value of any improvements.C.R.S. 39-12-103 - Redemption made, interestC.R.S. 39-12-103Verified Oct 12, 2026

Deed deposit

The treasurer may require the applying lawful holder to deposit up to one thousand dollars plus statutory fees when the application is accepted, applied against the treasurer's fees and costs, and all Article 11.5 fees and costs are chargeable as additional amounts owing under the certificate of purchase. A third-party winner may be charged up to three hundred dollars for processing. The statute sets no bidder deposit percentage, so payment terms come from the treasurer's written auction policies.C.R.S. 39-11.5-102 - Lawful holder, application for treasurer's deed, feeC.R.S. 39-11.5-102Verified Oct 12, 2026

Surplus proceeds

Junior lienors whose liens were recorded before the application for treasurer's deed may file a claim for overbid money within eight business days after the auction. Between the ninth and fifteenth business day the overbid is paid to them in order of recording priority, each up to the unpaid lien plus fees and costs, and whatever remains goes to the property owner. The treasurer mails the owner a notice within thirty days after the claim period ends. Unclaimed overbid stays in escrow for two years without interest to the claimant. Amounts under twenty-five dollars left unclaimed for six months go to the county general fund, and larger amounts left unclaimed for two years go to the state treasurer as unclaimed property. An agreement to pay someone to recover an unclaimed overbid is enforceable only if the fee is capped at ten percent and the agreement is made at least two years after the transfer.C.R.S. 39-11.5-112 - Treatment of overbid, agreement to assist in recovery of overbidC.R.S. 39-11.5-112Verified Oct 12, 2026

Governing statute

C.R.S. Title 39, Article 11C.R.S. 39-11-115 - To whom tax lien shall be soldC.R.S. 39-11-115Verified Oct 12, 2026

A tax deed does not convey marketable title. Most buyers file a quiet title action before they can resell or insure the property. See the due diligence guide.

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