USA Foreclosure Wiki

Boulder County, CO

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Boulder County, Colorado — Tax Sale & Surplus Procedure

Local operations layer. The legal framework (redemption periods, surplus rights, statutes, case law) lives on the parent page → colorado. This page covers how Boulder County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Boulder · Population: ~330,759 (2020 Census) · Recording unit: county
  • County seat address: 1325 Pearl St., Boulder, CO 80302
  • FIPS: 08013
  • Parent legal framework: colorado

C1. Local Tax Sale

Platform & Format

Boulder County conducts its tax-lien sale in-person, not via an online platform. The sale is held at the Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street, 3rd Floor, Boulder, CO 80302. No third-party online vendor (RealAuction, GovEase, Bid4Assets, etc.) is used. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. on sale day; bidding begins as soon after 8:30 a.m. as all bidders register. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ — bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/taxes/tax-lien-sale/frequently-asked-questions/, fetched 2026-06-02]

Calendar

  • Frequency: Annual.
  • Typical month: November (2025 Real Property Tax Lien Sale was held November 14, 2025).
  • Mobile home sale: Separate sale in December (2025: December 5). Mobile home tax liens are struck off to the county rather than auctioned per C.R.S. § 39-10-111.5.
  • 2025 statistics: 520 properties offered; 25 investors participating; average premium 5.6%; $5,676,649.59 in taxes collected. [Source: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/taxes/tax-lien-sale/, fetched 2026-06-02]

Interest Rate

The 2025 rate is 14% per annum (9 percentage points above the Kansas City Federal Reserve discount rate, rounded to the nearest whole percent, per C.R.S. § 39-12-103(3), set each September). Interest accrues monthly on the first of each month. [Source: bouldercounty.gov tax lien sale page, fetched 2026-06-02; colorado § 39-12-103]

Bidding Method

Premium bid (open bidding format, no predetermined bidder rotation). Bidders call out premium dollar amounts above taxes, interest, and fees owed. The premium does not earn interest, is not returned on redemption, and goes to the County General Fund. Historically premiums have averaged 5%–7.6% over the past five years. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]

Registration & Deposit

  • No advance registration; registration opens 7:30 a.m. on sale day.
  • Required: full name (exact spelling becomes certificate name), mailing address, Social Security or Tax ID number, completed signed IRS W-9 form.
  • No specific deposit requirement mentioned on county materials; day-of registration only.
  • Bidders receive an 8-hour free parking pass for downtown Boulder lots upon registration.
  • Observers permitted if seating available. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]

Delinquent List

Published in local newspapers 4 weeks before the sale for 3 consecutive weeks, plus the week before the sale. A current list is also posted on the county website near the time of the sale (updated weekly once posted), listed alphabetically by owner name. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]

  • Delinquent list access: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/taxes/tax-lien-sale/ (updated seasonally)

C2. Local Redemption → framework: right-of-redemption

  • Where to redeem: Treasurer’s Office — 1325 Pearl St., 1st Floor, Boulder, CO 80302 (main); also Longmont (515 Coffman St., Suite 113, Mondays only) and Lafayette (1755 S. Public Road, Tuesdays only Jan. 27–Sep. 1, 2026).
  • Redemption method: Must be made through the Treasurer’s office in certified funds only (cash, cashier’s check, or money order). Personal checks not accepted.
  • Minimum redemption amount: Taxes + costs + redemption interest (§ 39-12-103); at least one month’s interest charged because interest begins accruing immediately on the date of sale.
  • Subsequent taxes: The CP holder receives an August notice of subsequent-year taxes eligible for endorsement. Endorsement is optional but strategically important (unpaid subsequent taxes re-enter the lien sale). An endorsement fee of $5 per certificate is charged and paid by the property owner at redemption (not by the investor). [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • IRS reporting: The county files 1099 forms annually for properties redeemed.
  • Contact: 303-441-3520 · treasurer@bouldercounty.gov · bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/
  • Deviations from state default: None identified; Boulder County follows C.R.S. § 39-12-103 standard redemption framework. The $5 endorsement fee is a locally-set administrative fee. Mobile homes are struck off to the county (not auctioned) per § 39-10-111.5, which is a statewide rule applied locally.

C3. Local Surplus / Excess Proceeds → framework: surplus-funds

Tax Treasurer’s-Deed Overbid (Article 11.5, HB24-1056)

  • Claim filing venue: Boulder County Treasurer’s Office, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder, CO 80302. The treasurer holds overbid in escrow and distributes per C.R.S. § 39-11.5-109(1). Contact: 303-441-3520 · eforeclosures@bouldercounty.gov. [Source: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/taxes/treasurers-deeds/, fetched 2026-06-02; colorado § 39-11.5-109]
  • Current active auction: As of 2026-06-02, the county lists one active Article 11.5 public auction: Property R0022066 (Jeanette M. McInerney), auction date July 9, 2026. [Source: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/taxes/treasurers-deeds/, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Claim form: Contact the Treasurer’s office directly; no specific form name or URL identified on the county website. (needs_verification: dedicated claim form for Article 11.5 overbid.)
  • Local deadline notes: Treasurer mails overbid notice within 30 days of auction (§ 39-11.5-109(2)). Unclaimed overbid held in escrow 6 months, then transferred to Colorado State Treasurer as unclaimed property. See colorado § 39-11.5-109 for full waterfall.
  • Unclaimed-funds list: Not separately published by Boulder County; tracked through Colorado State Treasurer’s Great Colorado Payback program at treasury.colorado.gov.

Mortgage / Deed-of-Trust Foreclosure Overbid (§ 38-38-111)

  • Claim filing venue: Boulder County Treasurer / Public Trustee Office (same office — see C9 note on consolidation). 1325 Pearl St., 1st Floor, Boulder, CO 80302.
  • Contact: 303-441-3520 · eforeclosures@bouldercounty.gov
  • Procedure: Contact the Public Trustee after the foreclosure sale to request overbid funds; unclaimed funds held 6 months then transferred to State Treasurer.
  • Forms: Junior Lienor Intent to Redeem form available at bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/public-trustee/foreclosure/ [Source: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/public-trustee/foreclosure/, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Finder’s-fee rules: Governed by C.R.S. § 38-38-111 statewide (see colorado § 38-38-111); void during PT custody and first 2 years of State Treasurer custody; capped at 20% / 30% thereafter.

▸ For Investors / Operators — Boulder County’s annual tax-lien sale is held in-person at the Courthouse, 1325 Pearl St., 3rd Floor, with registration opening at 7:30 a.m. and bidding starting after 8:30 a.m. (typically November; 2025: November 14). The bidding format is premium-bid (open auction; the premium does not earn interest and is not returned on redemption). The 2025 rate was 14% per annum. The CP holder acquires only a lien — no possessory rights — and the county retains original certificates, mailing copies to purchasers within one week. The Article 11.5 public auction (HB24-1056) path to a treasurer’s deed now applies in Boulder County and takes several months; as of June 2026 one active auction (Property R0022066, July 9, 2026) is listed. Weekly mortgage foreclosure sales are held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the same office. Quiet title after a treasurer’s deed requires filing in the Boulder County Combined Court (20th Judicial District), 1777 6th St., Boulder.

▸ For Former Owners — Tax lien overbid (Article 11.5 auction proceeds above the lien amount) is held in escrow by the Boulder County Treasurer’s Office (303-441-3520; eforeclosures@bouldercounty.gov). The Treasurer mails an overbid notice within 30 days of the auction; unclaimed overbid is held six months, then transferred to the Colorado State Treasurer’s Great Colorado Payback program (treasury.colorado.gov). For mortgage foreclosure overbid, contact the same office (Public Trustee function is consolidated with the Treasurer). Junior lienholders must file an Intent to Redeem form with the Public Trustee within the statutory window before a foreclosure sale.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeName / NoteAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer / Tax CollectorPaul Weissmann (Treasurer)1325 Pearl St., 1st Floor, Boulder, CO 80302; P.O. Box 471, Boulder, CO 80306303-441-3520bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/
Public TrusteeSame office as Treasurer (consolidated 2019 per state legislation)1325 Pearl St., 1st Floor, Boulder, CO 80302303-441-3520bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/public-trustee/
Clerk & RecorderMolly Fitzpatrick1750 33rd St., Boulder, CO 80301303-413-7770 (recording) · 303-413-7740 (main)bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/clerk-and-recorder/
AssessorCynthia Braddock1325 Pearl St., 2nd Floor, Boulder, CO 80302; P.O. Box 471, Boulder, CO 80306303-441-3530bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/assessor/
District Court (quiet title / civil)Boulder County Combined Court — 20th Judicial District1777 6th St., Boulder, CO 80302; P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306303-441-3750coloradojudicial.gov/location/boulder-county-combined-court

Email addresses:

[Sources: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/, /public-trustee/, /clerk-and-recorder/, /assessor/ — all fetched 2026-06-02; coloradojudicial.gov/location/boulder-county-combined-court, fetched 2026-06-02]

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • In-person sale (deviation from online-county norm): Boulder County conducts its annual tax-lien sale in-person at the Courthouse (3rd Floor, 1325 Pearl St.), not via an online platform. This contrasts with many other Colorado counties (e.g., Garfield, Eagle, El Paso) that use RealAuction. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Treasurer = Public Trustee (consolidated): Per 2019 Colorado legislation, the county treasurer now also serves as the public trustee. This means all functions — tax-lien sales, redemptions, Article 11.5 auctions, foreclosure sales, overbid distribution — run through a single office. [Source: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/public-trustee/, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Foreclosure sale schedule: Weekly on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the Boulder office (1325 Pearl St.). Written bids submitted; lender’s opening bid posted Monday afternoons. Payment in certified funds (cash, cashier’s check, money order, or wire) due by 1:00 p.m. on day of sale. [Source: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/public-trustee/foreclosure/sale/, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Certificate retention: Boulder County Treasurer retains original tax lien certificates; copies mailed to the purchaser within one week of the sale. Transfers require notarization and recording with the Clerk & Recorder (recording fees apply).
  • Mobile home delinquent liens: Struck off to the county per C.R.S. § 39-10-111.5; not sold at auction to private investors.
  • Bankruptcy / subsequent taxes: Certificates cannot be endorsed for subsequent taxes during a property owner’s active bankruptcy; the Treasurer collects through the bankruptcy court instead. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Preliminary injunction / Rule 120: For mortgage foreclosures, borrowers and junior lienors may contest in the Rule 120 proceeding filed in Boulder County Combined Court (20th Judicial District), 1777 6th St., Boulder. The Rule 120 docket is handled by the same court.
  • Article 11.5 auction (HB24-1056): Boulder County implements the new Art. 11.5 procedure effective July 1, 2024. Applicants contact the Treasurer (303-441-3520) to initiate; the auction process takes “several months.” As of June 2026, fewer than ½ of 1% of tax liens proceed to the deed-auction stage. [Source: bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/taxes/treasurers-deeds/, fetched 2026-06-02]

C6. Records Access

ResourceURL
Parcel / property searchhttps://maps.bouldercounty.org/boco/PropertySearch/
Tax account lookup / payment portalhttps://treasurer.bouldercounty.org/treasurer/web/
Recorder / deed search (public records)https://boulder.co.publicsearch.us/ (free watermarked images; ~10 million records back to 1860)
GIS / plats & mapshttps://bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/geographic-information-systems/plats-maps/
Assessor open datahttps://opendata-bouldercounty.hub.arcgis.com/documents/d39100d04be34354b97ad52874f5e7d4
Foreclosure search / statushttps://bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/public-trustee/foreclosure/search/
Treasurer’s Deed auctionshttps://bouldercounty.gov/property-and-land/treasurer/taxes/treasurers-deeds/

Recording fees (eff. July 1, 2025): Colorado uniform flat fee of $40 per document +$3 surcharge = $43 total per recorded document, regardless of page count. [Source: search results confirming Colorado 2025 recording fee reform, retrieved 2026-06-02]

[Sources: search results (maps.bouldercounty.org, boulder.co.publicsearch.us, bouldercounty.gov GIS page), fetched 2026-06-02; bouldercounty.gov/records/recording/search-public-records/, fetched 2026-06-02]

C8. Title & Quiet Title

  • Title type: Tax lien certificate (certificate of purchase); a treasurer’s deed issues only after the Article 11.5 public auction process (3+ years post-lien sale). See colorado for the full statewide framework.

Quiet Title Action

  • Required? Not legally required, but practically required to achieve title insurability or financing. Without a quiet-title decree, insurers will not underwrite for retail sale or financing until the 9-year § 39-12-104 disability-redemption window has run.
  • Type: Judicial — filed under C.R.S. § 39-11-133 (“Suit to quiet title”).
  • Court: Boulder County Combined Court (District Court Division), 20th Judicial District, 1777 6th St., Boulder, CO 80302 · (303) 441-3750. This is the sole district court for Boulder County and has jurisdiction over all quiet-title actions for parcels in the county. [Source: coloradojudicial.gov/location/boulder-county-combined-court, fetched 2026-06-02; C.R.S. § 39-11-133]
  • Typical timeline: 6–12+ months (uncontested: 6 months minimum for document collection, service, publication, and default/decree phases; contested cases longer). [Source: Frascona.com quiet-title primer (confirmed via colorado research, 2026-06-02)]
  • Typical cost range: Simple uncontested quiet title: $2,000–$3,500 in attorney/court/publication fees; rural acreage with multiple defects may exceed $5,000. Additional costs: litigation guarantee title search, service/publication fees. Recording fees effective July 1, 2025:$43/document. [Source: Tax Title Services CO; Frascona.com (confirmed via colorado research)]
  • Title insurers active locally: Land Title Guarantee Company (LTGC — major Colorado operator with significant Boulder County presence); Fidelity National Title; First American Title. All require quiet-title decree before insuring a treasurer’s-deed parcel for retail sale or financing. (Confirm LTGC’s specific Boulder County office — local branch address needs_verification.)
  • Deed seasoning local notes: Insurers require either a quiet-title decree or the passage of the full 9-year disability window under § 39-12-104 before insuring. The 7-year marketable title bar under § 38-41-111 does not eliminate the 9-year disability-redemption right (see colorado § 7. Title & Marketability).

C9. Purchaser Obligations

  • Subsequent tax payment office: All subsequent taxes are paid to the same Boulder County Treasurer’s Office (1325 Pearl St., 1st Floor, Boulder, CO 80302; 303-441-3520; treasurer@bouldercounty.gov). The CP holder receives an August notice of subsequent taxes eligible for endorsement. Online payment via treasurer.bouldercounty.org/treasurer/web/ is available for general tax accounts; endorsement for CP holders is processed through the Treasurer’s office directly. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Notice to owner procedure: Under HB24-1056 (Art. 11.5), the Treasurer (not the CP holder) is responsible for notifying the owner and recorded-interest holders after the CP holder files the Application for Public Auction. The CP holder itself has no statutory duty to send pre-expiration notice to the owner. [Source: C.R.S. §§ 39-11.5-102, -103, -104; colorado Module 10b]
  • Redemption payment office: Owner redeems at the Boulder County Treasurer’s Office in certified funds (cash, cashier’s check, money order). [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Occupancy and access notes: The CP holder acquires only a lien interest — no right of possession, entry, or access to the property. The owner retains all possessory rights throughout the redemption period. The FAQ confirms: “The owner of the property retains all rights.” Any entry by the CP holder without owner consent constitutes trespass. After the Article 11.5 auction and deed issuance, a holdover owner/occupant must be removed by unlawful-detainer (eviction) proceedings in county court. [Source: Boulder County Tax Lien Sale FAQ, fetched 2026-06-02]

C10. Local Restrictions

  • Right of first refusal active locally? No — no locally-enacted ROFR for the municipality or any entity at the Boulder County tax-lien sale or Article 11.5 auction has been identified. The City of Boulder’s 2024 ROFR/ROFO program (implementing statewide HB24-1175) applies only to multifamily rental properties (5+ units, 30+ years old) and does not extend to tax-sale or mortgage-foreclosure auctions. [Source: colorado § 11b; HB24-1175 research (via colorado); search results 2026-06-02]
  • Land bank active? No dedicated Boulder County tax-foreclosure land bank identified. The City of Boulder uses land banking as part of its affordable housing strategy (funded in part by the Affordable and Attainable Housing Tax, extended Nov. 2023 for 15 years, generating ~$16.7M in 2025), but land banking operates through direct purchase — not through the tax-lien or foreclosure pipeline. Boulder County has no formal tax-lien-to-land-bank transfer mechanism analogous to some other jurisdictions. [Source: bouldercounty.gov/government/your-taxes-at-work/affordable-and-attainable-housing-tax/, fetched 2026-06-02; bouldercolorado.gov/guide/affordable-housing-boulder, fetched 2026-06-02]
  • Land bank URL: N/A (no dedicated land bank accepting tax-foreclosure properties).
  • Entity/insider notes: The state insider-prohibition rule (C.R.S. § 39-11-151 — county officials and employees prohibited from purchasing tax liens in the county where they serve; Class 2 misdemeanor penalty) applies in Boulder County. No additional local ordinance further restricting tax-sale purchasers has been identified. Entities (LLCs, corporations, trusts) may purchase certificates of purchase. [Source: colorado § 11b; C.R.S. § 39-11-151]

C7. Meta

  • parent_state: colorado
  • last_verified: 2026-06-02
  • confidence: 0.88
  • completeness_score: 0.91
  • gap_score: 5

sources:

needs_verification:

  • “LTGC and other title insurer local Boulder County branch addresses — confirmed they are active in Colorado statewide but specific Boulder office locations not retrieved.”
  • “Dedicated claim form (name and URL) for Article 11.5 overbid at Boulder County — county website directs contact by phone (303-441-3520) without specifying a form.”
  • “Whether a dedicated delinquent-property-list URL exists on bouldercounty.gov (the FAQ states it is posted ‘near the time of the sale’ but the permanent URL was not confirmed at time of research).”
  • “Foreclosure sale formerly held at 1790 38th Street, Suite 100 — search results referenced this address; the county’s current official page (fetched 2026-06-02) states sales are in ‘our Boulder office’ at 1325 Pearl St. Confirm current sale location.”
  • “Recording fees: Colorado’s July 1, 2025 uniform $43/document rule confirmed via search results; direct retrieval of the Colorado statute enacting this change (SB25-xxx) not performed.”

cross_links: colorado, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, treasurer-sale, sheriff-sale, due-process-notice, tyler-v-hennepin-county, klingsheim-v-cordell-2016, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, federal-tax-lien-redemption, hoa-super-priority, void-vs-voidable, quiet-title-after-tax-sale

changelog:

  • “2026-06-02 — Initial population (autoresearch). Primary sources fetched: Boulder County Treasurer tax lien sale page and FAQ (in-person format, 3rd floor courthouse, registration, fees, premiums, endorsement fee, delinquent list); Treasurer/Public Trustee contact and consolidation (2019); Treasurer’s Deeds / Art. 11.5 page; Public Trustee foreclosure sale page; Assessor (Cynthia Braddock); Clerk & Recorder (Molly Fitzpatrick); District Court (20th Judicial, 1777 6th St.); records portals. State law framework inherited from colorado. Gap items flagged in needs_verification.”

▸ For Investors / Operators — Boulder County’s annual tax-lien sale is held in-person at the Courthouse, 1325 Pearl St., 3rd Floor, with registration opening at 7:30 a.m. and bidding starting after 8:30 a.m. (typically November; 2025: November 14). The bidding format is premium-bid (open auction; the premium does not earn interest and is not returned on redemption). The 2025 rate was 14% per annum. The CP holder acquires only a lien — no possessory rights — and the county retains original certificates, mailing copies to purchasers within one week. The Article 11.5 public auction (HB24-1056) path to a treasurer’s deed now applies in Boulder County and takes several months; as of June 2026 one active auction (Property R0022066, July 9, 2026) is listed. Weekly mortgage foreclosure sales are held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. at the same office. Quiet title after a treasurer’s deed requires filing in the Boulder County Combined Court (20th Judicial District), 1777 6th St., Boulder.

▸ For Former Owners — Tax lien overbid (Article 11.5 auction proceeds above the lien amount) is held in escrow by the Boulder County Treasurer’s Office (303-441-3520; eforeclosures@bouldercounty.gov). The Treasurer mails an overbid notice within 30 days of the auction; unclaimed overbid is held six months, then transferred to the Colorado State Treasurer’s Great Colorado Payback program (treasury.colorado.gov). For mortgage foreclosure overbid, contact the same office (Public Trustee function is consolidated with the Treasurer). Junior lienholders must file an Intent to Redeem form with the Public Trustee within the statutory window before a foreclosure sale.

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes Boulder County and Colorado law and practice as of the last_verified date and may be incomplete or out of date. Verify against the cited primary sources and consult a licensed Colorado attorney before acting.

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