Real Estate Tax Lien Sale Information
General Information
The Morgan County Real Estate Tax Lien Sale will be held online in 2025.
Dates TBD
Delinquent Real Estate Tax List
The full delinquent real estate tax list will be advertised in The Morgan County Times. The updated list is also posted on the auction web site shown above and on this website.
Registration
All potential bidders must register BEFORE the auction opens even if they were registered last year. Registration is online at the auction website. Registration includes the completion of an IRS required W-9 form. Further details of the registration process are available on the website. We encourage everyone to register in advance of the registration deadline so that they have time to conduct any necessary research.
Premium Bids
A premium bid is an amount over and above the tax lien being offered. Minimum premium bids are $1.00. If there are competing bids, the investor offering the highest premium bid purchases the tax lien. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT SUCCESSFUL PREMIUM BIDS ARE NOT REFUNDED.
Payment Terms
At the end of the auction the successful high bidders are notified by email. Auction results will be available on the auction website for examination for a minimum of five (5) days after closing.
- Payment for all winning bids will be made by ACH from the bidder’s account that was supplied in the registration process. This is the only form of payment accepted.
- The bidder is responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient funds in their account for any successful bids immediately following the auction.
- The ACH transfer will be initiated as soon as practicable following the close of the auction.
Non-payments or payments that are rejected due to lack of funds or for other reasons may result in cancellation of the corresponding bid(s). Pursuant to CRS 39-11-116, the treasurer may prohibit a person who fails to pay the amount due from bidding on sales for up to five years.
County Held Liens
Taxes not sold at the auction are held by the county and are normally available for purchase from the Treasurer's office. Follow the County Held Certificates Available For Sale link at the top of the page for current figures.
Rate of Return
The interest rate on taxes purchased at the tax lien sale is nine percentage points above the discount rate paid to the Federal Reserve Bank on September 1st. The rate on the certificate will remain the same for the life of that certificate.
Following the Sale
Successful purchasers will receive a listing or copies showing each tax lien purchased. The original certificates will be held in the Treasurer’s office for safekeeping. If the taxes in ensuing years become delinquent, the holder of the tax lien will be notified in July and given the opportunity to pay and add (endorse) the taxes to the certificates they hold. The interest rate on subsequent taxes remains the same as on the original certificate. When tax liens are redeemed, a check will be forwarded to the holder of the tax lien for the amount of the tax lien purchased plus interest from the month of sale to the month of redemption. The redemption payment will not include any premium bid refunds. Each year a Form 1099 showing the amount of redemption interest paid will be sent to the investor with a copy also being sent to the IRS.
Colorado State Statutes
Colorado State Statutes may be found at your local library or on the internet at http://leg.colorado.gov/colorado-revised-statutes.
Bidder Eligibility
Morgan County's tax lien sale is an open internet auction. However, Morgan County employees and their immediate families may not purchase tax liens from Morgan County.
Disclaimerl
Investors are purchasing a property tax lien but they are not being granted any property rights. There is a three year redemption period for most properties sold at the tax lien sale and during that time the property still belongs to the assessed owner. Most investors participate in the tax lien sale because the interest rates are attractive. Very few property tax liens actually go to deed. The Treasurer of Morgan County makes no assertions or guarantees concerning the properties for which the tax liens are being offered. As with any investment, there is a certain degree of risk involved in purchasing tax liens and potential buyers should consider consulting with a financial advisor before investing.
Manufactured Housing Tax Lien Sale Information
Current law specifies that after the distraint sale of a mobile home to collect delinquent property taxes, any surplus proceeds from the sale must be credited to the county general fund. Passage of Senate Bill 24-183 temporarily suspended such distraint sales as well as the accrual of delinquent interest. It also created a task force to make recommendations for statutory changes in order to bring state law into compliance with the United States Supreme Court's recent decision affirming a property owner's constitutional right to the value of their property in excess of their tax debt.