State Foreclosure Law Library

el-paso-co

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El Paso 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 El Paso County actually runs it. Legal information, not legal advice. Last verified: 2026-06-02.

C0. Identity

  • County seat: Colorado Springs
  • Population: ~750,000 (most populous county in Colorado; 2020 Census: 730,395)
  • Recording unit: county
  • FIPS: 08041
  • Parent legal framework: colorado

C1. Local Tax Sale

  • Conducts own sale? Yes — the El Paso County Treasurer & Public Trustee conducts the annual tax-lien-certificate auction.

  • Platform: RealAuction — dedicated subdomain https://elpaso.coloradotaxsale.com/ [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/tax-lien-sale/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Calendar:

    • Frequency: Annual (one sale per year)
    • Typical month: October (El Paso County holds its auction in October, unlike the state’s typical November window; mobile homes sell in November). The 2025 sale was scheduled for October 22, 2025; real estate delinquent taxes are advertised in September, personal property in September.
    • Next known sale: 2026 sale date not yet announced as of 2026-06-02; historically held third or fourth Wednesday of October. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/real-estate-tax-lien-questions/, retrieved 2026-06-02; treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurer-elpasoco-com/important-dates/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Delinquent list publication: The list of unpaid real estate taxes is published in the Colorado Springs Gazette for three consecutive weeks beginning in September each year. For 2025, publication ran September 10, 17, and 24. Archived editions are available on Issuu via the Gazette. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/real-estate-tax-lien-questions/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Registration & deposit:

    • Registration opens approximately September 24 and closes approximately October 15 at 2:00 PM (2025 dates; pattern recurs annually).
    • Bidders register at https://elpaso.coloradotaxsale.com/ and must register with RealAuction before the sale.
    • Deposit: 10% of the total amount the bidder intends to bid, deposited directly on the RealAuction platform. (Example from county page: a 3,000 deposit.)
    • Training webinars are offered through RealAuction (2025 sessions: October 4 and 10; register at https://www.realauction.com/training). [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/real-estate-tax-lien-questions/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Bidder requirements:

    • Must register and fund deposit on the RealAuction platform prior to the registration deadline.
    • The county states: “It is the buyers’ responsibility to know the quality of the property on which they are paying the taxes and receiving a lien.”
    • No additional disclosed qualification criteria (no stated citizenship, entity-type, or residency restrictions beyond platform registration). [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/tax-lien-sale/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Rate within statutory range: The 2025 redemption rate is 14% per annum (set by the State Bank Commissioner; 9 percentage points above the September 1 federal discount rate per C.R.S. § 39-12-103(3)). El Paso County applies the state-set rate — no local deviation. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/real-estate-tax-lien-questions/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Bidding method: Premium (“bonus”) bid — the lien is struck to the bidder paying the largest amount in excess of taxes, interest, advertising, and fees (C.R.S. § 39-11-115). The premium is credited to the county general fund and is NOT returned on redemption and does NOT draw interest. (Note: this “excess” referenced on the county’s general-questions page is the bid premium at the lien sale, distinct from the post-HB24-1056 “overbid” at a treasurer’s-deed public auction.) [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/general-questions/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

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

  • Where to redeem locally: El Paso County Treasurer & Public Trustee, Citizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2100, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
  • How: Pay delinquent taxes + accrued interest + statutory costs to the Treasurer. The Treasurer issues a certificate of redemption. Redemption may be made at any time before the execution of a treasurer’s deed.
  • Functional window: 3 years from the lien-sale date (the CP holder cannot apply for a treasurer’s-deed auction until 3 years post-sale). [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/real-estate-tax-lien-questions/ — “3 years” explicitly stated; retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • Local fees: Redemption amount = delinquent taxes + statutory redemption interest at 14% (2025 rate). Bid premium at lien sale is NOT recovered by the owner — it went to the county general fund. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/real-estate-tax-lien-questions/, retrieved 2026-06-02]
  • Redemption contact:
  • Deviations from state default: None confirmed. El Paso County follows the standard Colorado framework (C.R.S. §§ 39-12-103 et seq.) with no documented local deviations.

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

BUSINESS-CRITICAL (AuctionBlock operations): There are two distinct surplus streams in El Paso County, handled by two different offices. Read both.

C3a. Tax treasurer’s-deed public-auction overbid (HB24-1056, Art. 11.5)

El Paso County Treasurer & Public Trustee conducts public auctions of certificates of option for treasurer’s deed under the new Article 11.5 process. The dedicated auction platform for these sales is: https://elpasoco.treasurersdeedsale.realtaxdeed.com/ (vendor: RealTaxDeed / GovEase network). As of June 2026, the auction calendar shows scheduled sales on March 24, April 21, and May 28, 2026. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurers-deed/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Claim filing venue:

    • Office: El Paso County Treasurer & Public Trustee
    • Address: Citizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2100, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
    • Phone: (719) 520-7900
    • Email: TRSWeb@ElPasoCo.com
    • URL: https://treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurers-deed/ [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurers-deed/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Claim procedure:

    • Junior lienholders: Must file an overbid claim with the Treasurer’s Office after the close of the sale. (Under C.R.S. § 39-11.5-109(1), junior lienors must have filed a notice of intent to redeem; the county page directs lienholders to file an overbid claim post-auction.)
    • Former property owner: Remaining overbid after lienholders is returned to the property owner. County page states: “After that, the remaining funds are returned to the property owner.” [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurers-deed/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Claim form: No specific named form or downloadable link is identified on the county treasurer’s website as of 2026-06-02. The county directs claimants to contact the office directly: (719) 520-7900 / TRSWeb@ElPasoCo.com. needs_verification: confirm whether a specific form name/download exists.

  • Local deadline notes: No county-specific deadline for owner overbid claims is stated on the El Paso County Treasurer website beyond the state statutory framework (§ 39-11.5-109(2): Treasurer mails notice within 30 days of auction; funds held 6 months then transferred to State Treasurer’s unclaimed-property program). See colorado Module 3 for the full statutory waterfall.

  • Application fee (for lawful holder applying): $1,300 per certificate (covers ownership reports, mailing, posting, and auction costs; treated as a title expense and incorporated into the minimum bid). [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurers-deed/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Third-party recovery note: Under C.R.S. § 39-11.5-109(2)(c), agreements to pay compensation to recover an owner’s treasurer’s-deed overbid from the Treasurer are void and unenforceable while funds remain in the Treasurer’s custody, and inducing such an agreement is a Class 2 misdemeanor. See colorado Module 3 for the full prohibition. The county’s Public Trustee page separately warns on mortgage overbids: “There is no reason to contract with a 3rd party to obtain the funds you are owed.”

C3b. Mortgage / deed-of-trust foreclosure overbid (Public Trustee)

El Paso County Public Trustee handles overbids from mortgage (deed-of-trust) foreclosure sales conducted on RealAuction at https://elpasoco.realforeclose.com (auctions every Wednesday at 10:00 AM Mountain Time). [Source: elpasopublictrustee.com, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Claim filing venue:

    • Office: El Paso County Public Trustee (same physical office as Treasurer, same officeholder — Chuck Broerman)
    • Address: Citizens Service Center, 1675 Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2100, Colorado Springs, CO 80907
    • Phone: (719) 520-6780
    • Fax: (719) 520-6781
    • Email: eforeclosures@elpasoco.com
    • URL: https://elpasopublictrustee.com/ [Source: elpasopublictrustee.com, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Claim procedure for former owner: Call (719) 520-6780 or email eforeclosures@elpasoco.com. The office instructs owners they can claim directly and states: “There is no reason to contract with a 3rd party to obtain the funds you are owed.” [Source: elpasopublictrustee.com, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Claim procedure for junior lienholders: File a notice of intent to redeem within 8 business days after sale; filing fee $50. Note: actual redemption is not required to collect overbid funds up to the lien amount. [Source: elpasopublictrustee.com, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Unclaimed funds list: The Public Trustee publishes a current list of persons with unclaimed overbid funds on its website. As of 2026-06-02, the listed individuals are: Clyde M Trees, Carolyn M Bieser, Bessie Lamb and Levertis B. Jackson, Helga T Rodgers. [Source: elpasopublictrustee.com, retrieved 2026-06-02] URL: https://elpasopublictrustee.com/

  • State unclaimed property: Funds unclaimed at 6 months go to the Colorado State Treasurer’s unclaimed-property program (reclaimable; not a hard escheat). See colorado Module 3B.

C4. Offices & Contacts

OfficeNameAddressPhoneURL
Treasurer & Public Trustee (consolidated)Chuck BroermanCitizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd., Suite 2100, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 · Mail: P.O. Box 2018, CO 80901(719) 520-7900 (main) · (719) 520-6627 (direct) · (719) 520-6780 (PT foreclosures)https://treasurer.elpasoco.com/ · https://elpasopublictrustee.com/
Clerk and RecorderSteve SchleikerCitizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd., Suite 2201, Colorado Springs, CO 80907(719) 520-6202https://clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com/
AssessorMark FlutcherCitizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd., Suite 2300, Colorado Springs, CO 80907(719) 520-6600https://assessor.elpasoco.com/
District Court Clerk (4th Judicial District)(no named clerk on website)270 S. Tejon St., Colorado Springs, CO 80903 (Room S101)(719) 452-5490https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/el-paso-county
Sheriff (N/A for foreclosure sales — PT handles)N/AN/AN/Ahttps://www.epcounty.com/sheriff/

Note on consolidated office: Chuck Broerman holds both the Treasurer and Public Trustee positions simultaneously, a consolidation enabled by Colorado HB19-1295 (applied to the ten largest counties; El Paso County is among them). The Treasurer office handles tax-lien sales and treasurer’s-deed auctions; the Public Trustee function (same Suite 2100, different phone line) handles mortgage/deed-of-trust foreclosures and those overbid claims. [Source: elpasopublictrustee.com; cctpta.org/roster-member/el-paso-county-treasurer-public-trustee/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

C5. Local Procedure Notes

  • October tax-lien sale (vs. state-typical November): El Paso County holds its real-estate tax-lien auction in October, not November. This is a documented local deviation from the majority of Colorado counties. Mobile home tax liens sell in November. Personal property is handled via distraint/seizure. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurer-elpasoco-com/important-dates/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Treasurer’s-deed public auction platform: El Paso County uses a dedicated RealTaxDeed/GovEase-network subdomain for its Article 11.5 auctions: https://elpasoco.treasurersdeedsale.realtaxdeed.com/ — distinct from the RealAuction subdomain used for lien sales. Bidders/claimants should monitor this site for upcoming auction dates. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurers-deed/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Mortgage foreclosure — Wednesdays online: Public trustee foreclosure auctions are held online via RealAuction every Wednesday at 10:00 AM MT at https://elpasoco.realforeclose.com — a fixed weekly cadence rather than ad hoc scheduling. [Source: elpasopublictrustee.com, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • $1,300 application fee for Article 11.5 auctions: This fee (paid by the CP holder when applying for the public auction) is among the higher documented county rates in Colorado and is explicitly listed on the county’s web page. [Source: treasurer.elpasoco.com/treasurers-deed/, retrieved 2026-06-02]

  • Surplus at lien sale = to county general fund (lien premium vs. deed overbid): The county’s FAQ clarifies that the “excess” from the lien sale (the bid premium above the taxes owed) goes to the county general fund under § 39-11-115 — consistent with state law. This is NOT the same as the overbid from a treasurer’s-deed auction, which flows to junior lienors and the former owner under Article 11.5.

  • All major county offices co-located: The Treasurer, Public Trustee, Clerk & Recorder, and Assessor are all housed at the Citizens Service Center, 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road, Colorado Springs — different suite numbers.

C6. Records Access

ResourceURL
Parcel / property search (Assessor)https://property.spatialest.com/co/elpaso/
Recorder / deed search portalhttps://publicrecordsearch.elpasoco.com/
GIS Open Data Portalhttps://opendata-elpasoco.hub.arcgis.com/
GIS Parcel Viewer (legacy)http://gis2.asr.elpasoco.com/
Tax payment portal (Paydici)https://www.paydici.com/el-paso-county-treasurer/
Treasurer main sitehttps://treasurer.elpasoco.com/
Tax lien auction platformhttps://elpaso.coloradotaxsale.com/
Treasurer’s-deed auction platformhttps://elpasoco.treasurersdeedsale.realtaxdeed.com/
Mortgage foreclosure auctionhttps://elpasoco.realforeclose.com
Assessor data & recordshttps://assessor.elpasoco.com/assessordata/
Tax payment search (legacy actweb)https://actweb.acttax.com/act_webdev/elpaso/index.jsp

[Sources: assessor.elpasoco.com, retrieved 2026-06-02; clerkandrecorder.elpasoco.com, retrieved 2026-06-02; paydici.com search results, retrieved 2026-06-02]

C7. Meta

sources:

needs_verification:

  • “Specific form name and download URL for overbid claims at the Treasurer’s Office (Article 11.5 / treasurer’s-deed surplus) — county website directs claimants to call/email; no downloadable form identified as of 2026-06-02.”
  • “Exact registration closing date for 2025 lien sale (October 15, 2:00 PM per secondary search result; not confirmed on the Treasurer’s official page text directly retrieved).”
  • “2026 tax lien sale date — not yet announced on the Treasurer’s website as of 2026-06-02; historically third/fourth Wednesday of October.”
  • “Whether El Paso County publishes a separate written list of Article 11.5 overbid claimants (analogous to the Public Trustee’s mortgage-overbid unclaimed list) — the Treasurer website does not show such a list.”
  • “Clerk of Court personal name for 4th Judicial District — not published on coloradojudicial.gov as of 2026-06-02.”
  • “Sheriff name and direct contact for El Paso County (sheriff not involved in tax or mortgage foreclosure sales in Colorado; low operational priority).”
  • “Confirm whether the RealTaxDeed subdomain elpasoco.treasurersdeedsale.realtaxdeed.com is the permanent platform or interim — only the Treasurer’s deed page was fetched; the subdomain itself returned 403.”

cross_links: colorado, right-of-redemption, surplus-funds, third-party-recovery-rules, treasurer-sale, tyler-v-hennepin-county, bankruptcy-automatic-stay, federal-tax-lien-redemption

changelog:

  • “2026-06-02 — Initial population. Sources retrieved: 13 official county URLs plus CCTPTA and Ballotpedia corroboration. Key facts verified: October 2025 sale date on RealAuction; 10% deposit; 14% rate; $1,300 Article 11.5 application fee; March/April/May 2026 deed auction calendar; Public Trustee Wednesday-at-10am foreclosure schedule on elpasoco.realforeclose.com; overbid claim venue (Treasurer for deed surplus; PT for mortgage overbid); unclaimed PT list (4 named individuals). Needs_verification flags for form names, 2026 lien sale date, and overbid claimant list.”

Legal information, not legal advice. This page summarizes El Paso County, Colorado procedures as of the last_verified date and may be incomplete or out of date. Statutes (particularly HB24-1056 / C.R.S. Article 11.5 and § 38-38-111) govern; verify against cited primary sources and the colorado state page. Consult a licensed Colorado attorney before acting on any information here.

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