Ouray County, CO tax sales

County offices

County notes

• •The annual tax lien certificate sale is online through Zeus Auction, but the separate Treasurer's Deed public auction is held live in person. County policy says it is "Conducted at 10:00 a.m. on the first possible Tuesday auction date unless postponed at the Ouray County Courthouse Front Entrance, 541 4th Street, Ouray, CO 81427," with the winning bidder remitting certified funds by noon that same day. The policy states: "NO personal checks, Cashiers Checks Only."
• •A certificate holder may apply for a Treasurer's Deed after holding the original certificate three years. The county requires a $1,500 deposit against deed expenses (advertising, certified mail, title search, legal and technology fees) and says to allow up to 8 months before issuance. A public auction sets full market value and the investor keeps the right to redeem out the winning bidder; deposit and redemption money is returned if the property redeems or an outside bidder wins.
• •The brochure notes a lien lifespan change: liens from 2026 forward are extinguished after 7 years, while 2025 and earlier liens are extinguished after 15 years. It advises applying for a deed before that deadline.
• •The Treasurer reports that transfer of deed has occurred on under 1% of Ouray County tax lien purchases, so investors should treat these as interest-bearing positions rather than a path to land.
• •Notices of application for a public auction of a certificate of option for Treasurer's Deed and any auction continuances are posted under Public Notices on ouraycountyco.gov, with legal publication for three consecutive Thursdays in the Ouray County Plaindealer.
• •The county's main courthouse switchboard is 970-325-7320; the Treasurer's direct line is 970-325-4487. Treasurer office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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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