Ouray County, CO tax sales
How tax lien certificate and tax deed sales work in Ouray County, seat of Ouray: sale calendar, auction platform, over-the-counter lists, and the offices that run each sale.
Verified Jul 30, 2026 against official county and state sources.
New here? Read how Colorado tax sales work, the difference between a lien and a deed, and redemption periods.
How Ouray County sells delinquent taxes
Tax certificate sale (lien)
- Run by
- Ouray County Treasurer & Public Trustee
- Frequency
- annual
- Typical timing
- October, run online over several days. The county's 2026 brochure states registration "BEGINS OCTOBER 1, 2026, AND CLOSES MONDAY OCTOBER 19, 2026, AT 12 NOON" and that "BIDDING OPENS 8:00 A.M. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 & CLOSES 5:00 P.M. MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2026."
- Next expected
- by the second Monday in December, 2026 (window; exact date posts closer to the sale)
Registration and deposit
Register online at zeusauction.com during the October registration window. The brochure states "Registration is required to participate" and "No deposit is required at time of registration. Registration is limited to one bidder and one entity such as a dba or LLC." Bidder names must match the US Taxpayer ID because W-9 forms, certificates, redemptions and refunds are prepared from that information. A demo site is available on the same platform, and SRI provides bidder support at 1-800-800-9588.
Bidding opens at the taxes, interest, advertising and fees due, and competing bidders raise it: "The tax lien is sold to the person bidding the highest amount." Any premium above the advertised amount is at the investor's expense and is not returned on redemption. Winning bids are paid by ACH from the account used at registration, and the brochure states ACH is the only form of payment accepted, with transfers initiated after midnight on the closing date. The redemption rate is set by the Colorado Banking Commission on September 1 each year at 9 points above the federal discount rate and stays fixed for the life of the certificate; the 2026 brochure leaves the coming year's rate blank pending that announcement, so confirm it with the Treasurer. Certificates sold in error earn 8%. Certificate holders get first option to pay subsequent years' taxes unpaid as of August 1, endorsed at the same rate. County employees, their immediate family and their agents may not bid. The advertising list runs three consecutive Thursdays in the Ouray County Plaindealer starting in October and appears on zeusauction.com and the county website on or about October 1.
Register on SRI / ZEUSTax deed sale
- Run by
- County Treasurer
- Frequency
- on application
- Typical timing
- There is no fixed calendar. A public auction is scheduled only when a certificate holder applies for one, at least three years after the tax lien sale, and the treasurer must hold it between 110 and 125 calendar days after the known interested party notice is first published or mailed.
Registration and deposit
What sells is a certificate of option for treasurer's deed, not the parcel outright. The treasurer may only accept bids above the combined amount owed to the lawful holder plus the treasurer's fees and costs. County officials, county employees acting in their individual capacity, and their immediate family members may not bid. Payment is by cash, cashier's check, bank check, or electronic funds transfer subject to the treasurer's bidding rules. Any overbid goes to junior lienors who filed a notice of intent to redeem and then to the property owner. Confirm the notice, the bidding rules, and the auction venue with the county treasurer.
This Article 11.5 process replaced direct deed issuance on July 1, 2024. Colorado does not hold a routine calendar tax deed sale, so treat this as an occasional, application-driven auction rather than a recurring event.
Over-the-counter (leftover) purchases
Liens that draw no bid are struck off to the county and the treasurer issues the county a certificate of purchase. The county may then assign, sell, or transfer those certificates in the manner, at the times, and on the terms set by resolution of the board of county commissioners, which is how county-held liens are sold between annual auctions. A certificate on property owing more than ten thousand dollars in taxes needs the property tax administrator's approval after published notice. Whether a county maintains a published county-held list, and on what terms, varies. Contact the county treasurer.
New to this path? Read how over-the-counter certificates work.
County offices
Tax Collector (runs the certificate sale)
Ouray County Treasurer & Public Trustee
PO Box 149, Ouray, CO 81427 (Ouray County Courthouse, 541 4th Street, Ouray, CO 81427)
Official websiteNotes for Ouray County
- 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 statewide rules
- Redemption
- Redemption may be made at any time before a treasurer's deed is executed, so the practical window runs well past the three-year mark and through the Article 11.5 auction process. The treasurer must hold that public auction between 110 and 125 calendar days after the known interested party notice is first published or mailed, which gives owners and junior lienors a further defined period to pay. A separate rule lets an owner who was under a legal disability when the deed was executed redeem within nine years of the deed being recorded, at 15 percent per year plus the present value of any improvements.
- Deed deposit
- The treasurer may require the applying lawful holder to post a deposit covering the recording fee plus the actual and reasonable cost of administering the auction, and all Article 11.5 fees and costs are chargeable as additional amounts owing under the tax lien. For bidders, the treasurer accepts cash, cashier's check, bank check, or electronic funds transfer subject to the treasurer's bidding rules. The statute sets no fixed bidder deposit percentage, so the deposit terms come from county bidding rules.
- Surplus proceeds
- Any overbid goes first to junior lienors in order of recording priority, measured as of the recording date of the application for public auction, who filed a notice of intent to redeem and whose liens are unredeemed, up to each lien's unpaid amount plus fees and costs. Whatever remains is paid to the property owner. The treasurer must post a public notice about these funds and mail the owner a notice within thirty calendar days of the auction. Unclaimed remaining overbids sit in escrow for six months without interest, then transfer to the state administrator under the Revised Uniform Unclaimed Property Act. An agreement to pay someone to recover an owner's overbid is unenforceable, and inducing one is a class 2 misdemeanor.
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.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ouray County, Colorado sell tax liens or tax deeds?
- Ouray County follows Colorado's tax lien state system.
When is the Ouray County tax certificate sale?
- October, run online over several days. The county's 2026 brochure states registration "BEGINS OCTOBER 1, 2026, AND CLOSES MONDAY OCTOBER 19, 2026, AT 12 NOON" and that "BIDDING OPENS 8:00 A.M. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 & CLOSES 5:00 P.M. MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2026.". Registration and bidding happen on the county's online platform. Always confirm the exact date with the Tax Collector before the sale.
How often does Ouray County hold tax deed sales?
- on application. Each sale is scheduled and advertised in advance, so check the county's tax deed calendar for the next posted date.
Tax Sale Atlas publishes educational information about public tax sale processes. This is not legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules, dates, and fees change; confirm with the county office before you bid.
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