Redemption

C.R.S. tit. 39, art. 12
in effect

C.R.S. § 39-12-101 Limitation of actions for recovery of land

39-12-101. Limitation of actions for recovery of land. No action for the recovery of land for which a tax deed was issued under the provisions of article 11 of this title for delinquent taxes shall lie unless the same is brought within five years after the execution and delivery of the deed therefor by the treasurer, any laws to the contrary notwithstanding; except that, when any owner of such land, for which a tax deed has been issued, at the time of the execution and delivery of the deed by the treasurer is under legal disability, it shall be lawful for him to bring a suit or action for the recovery of the land within the period during which he has the right to make redemption of such land from the tax sale upon which the deed is based. When a recovery of any of such land is effected in any suit, action, or proceeding, the value of all improvements made in good faith on such lands, and all sums paid for the tax lien on said land and for improvements, and all costs incident to the issuance and recording of the treasurer's deed, and all taxes and assessments paid thereon after the sale of the tax lien thereof, including the redemption value of all tax sale certificates redeemed, held, or surrendered for redemption by the grantee in such treasurer's deed or his heirs or assigns, shall be ascertained by the court or jury trying the action for recovery and shall be paid, together with interest thereon at the rate of twelve percent per annum, by the person recovering said land to the persons entitled thereto, and the payment of such sum shall be a condition precedent to the entry of judgment or decree in such suit, action, or proceeding. All such treasurer's deeds executed by the treasurer purporting to convey lands and improvements thereon for all purposes shall be deemed to be color of title from and after the time the same is recorded in the office of the county clerk and recorder for the county in which said lands are located. The term "improvements" includes sums and amounts of money expended thereon in good faith by the grantee and his successors and assigns in search of minerals and oil, as well as other expenditures for the improvements of such lands which add to the cost and value thereof.

C.R.S. § 39-12-102 Action to recover mining property

39-12-102. Action to recover mining property. No action shall be maintained for the recovery of mining or placer claims unless such action is brought within a period of two years from the commencement of actual possession obtained under tax deed.

C.R.S. § 39-12-103 Redemption made - interest

39-12-103. Redemption made - interest. (1) Real property for which a tax lien was sold under the provisions of article 11 of this title as a result of delinquent taxes may be redeemed by the owner thereof or his agent, assignee, or attorney, or by any person having a legal or equitable claim therein, or by a holder of a tax sale certificate; except that such holder may redeem such real property from any sale of a tax lien thereof made subsequent to the time of the issuance of the tax sale certificate upon which he is relying, and the amount paid for the redemption of the subsequent certificate of purchase shall be endorsed as subsequent taxes paid on the certificate upon which he is relying. (2) An undivided interest may be redeemed upon payment of a ratable share of the sum required to redeem the whole even though a tax lien for the whole has been sold. In case a tax lien on any tract of land sold for delinquent taxes under the provisions of article 11 of this title belongs to two or more separate and distinct parties in severalty, the treasurer, when satisfied of the fact and upon application of any one of the parties or his agent, assignee, or attorney and upon payment of the proper proportional amount, shall issue a certificate of redemption for such party's interest in said land. (3) The redemption may be made at any time before the execution of a treasurer's deed to the purchaser or his heirs or assigns upon payment to the treasurer, to be held by him subject to the order of the purchaser, of the amount of taxes, delinquent interest, and costs for which the tax lien on the property was sold, with redemption interest thereon from the date of sale at the rate which is determined as provided in this subsection (3), together with the amount of all taxes accruing on such real property after the sale, paid by the purchaser and endorsed on his certificate of purchase, with redemption interest at the rate which is determined as provided in this subsection (3) on such taxes so endorsed on the certificate of purchase. Any payment under this section shall be deemed received by the treasurer on the date that it is actually received in the treasurer's office. The annual rate of redemption interest shall be nine percentage points above the discount rate, which discount rate shall be the rate of interest a commercial bank pays to the federal reserve bank of Kansas City using a government bond or other eligible paper as security, and shall be rounded to the nearest full percent. The commissioner of banking shall establish the annual rate of redemption interest based upon the computation specified immediately above. Such annual rate of redemption interest shall be so established as of September 1, 1981, to become effective October 1, 1981. Thereafter, on September 1 of each year, the annual rate of redemption interest shall be established in the same manner, to become effective on October 1 of the same year. (4) If subsequent taxes are paid before the time when they would become delinquent, interest shall be computed only from the time of their delinquency. Such taxes shall bear interest at the annual rate set forth in subsection (3) of this section, and no more, from the time when the purchaser becomes entitled to a deed up to the time of issuance of such deed. (5) All statutory fees paid by the purchaser in connection with such certificate shall bear the same rate of interest as the original amount for which the tax lien on the property was sold, the same to be prorated among the several tracts described in said certificates. (6) In computing the amount of interest due, portions of months shall be counted as whole months.

C.R.S. § 39-12-104 Redemption of real property of person under disability

39-12-104. Redemption of real property of person under disability. (1) When the owner of real property for which a tax deed was issued under the provisions of article 11 of this title as a result of delinquent taxes is under legal disability at the time of execution and delivery of a tax deed therefor, such person shall have the right to make redemption of such property at any time within nine years from the date of the recording of such tax deed. In the event that the disability of such person is removed or ceases within such nine-year period, such redemption must be asserted and take place within a period of not more than two years after the removal or cessation of such legal disability. All redemptions under this section shall take place within nine years of the recording of the tax deed, irrespective of the time that such disability was removed or ceased. (2) In order to make such redemption, such owner, or some person in his behalf, shall pay to the treasurer the sum for which the tax lien on such real property was sold, and the cost of the tax deed and the recording of the same, with interest thereon from the date of such sale at the rate of fifteen percent per annum, and all other taxes, costs, and charges which remain unpaid on such real property at the time of making such redemption, levied or accrued thereon subsequent to the assessment date of the taxes for which the tax lien was sold, and all other taxes levied subsequent to the date of such sale, which have been paid by the person to whom the tax lien on said real property was sold, or by any other person claiming under him, with interest thereon at the rate of fifteen percent per annum from the date of such payment, insofar as such payments can be ascertained from the books and records in the office of such treasurer. If the person to whom the tax lien on such real property was sold, or any other person claiming under him, has made improvements, the person redeeming said real property shall pay the then present value of such improvements. The improvements shall be appraised by three disinterested persons appointed by the board of county commissioners. For all the money so paid, the treasurer shall give a certificate of redemption to the persons making such payment. From the time of making the redemption, the deed given upon the same shall be void as against such owner. In the event a redemption is not made within the periods of time provided for in this section, all rights of redemption shall cease and be forever barred as to all persons.

C.R.S. § 39-12-105 Certificate of redemption

39-12-105. Certificate of redemption. (1) Upon application of any party to redeem any real property for which a tax lien was sold or a tax deed was issued under the provisions of article 11 of this title, and being satisfied that such party has a right to redeem the same, and upon the payment of the proper amount, the treasurer shall issue to such party a certificate of redemption, describing the tract redeemed as in the certificate of sale and giving the date of redemption, the amount paid, and by whom redeemed and shall make the proper entries in the book of sales in the treasurer's office. (2) For each certificate so delivered, the treasurer shall be entitled to a fee as provided in section 30-1-102, C.R.S.

C.R.S. § 39-12-106 Entry by county clerk and recorder of redemption certificate

39-12-106. Entry by county clerk and recorder of redemption certificate. (Repealed)

C.R.S. § 39-12-107 Fee for entering certificate

39-12-107. Fee for entering certificate. (Repealed)

C.R.S. § 39-12-108 Payment of redemption money

39-12-108. Payment of redemption money. All moneys received by the treasurer for the redemption of lands under the provisions of section 39-12-104 shall be paid over to the person to whom the tax lien on such land was sold or a tax deed was issued, or those claiming under him, on his deliverance to the treasurer, for the use of the person redeeming the same, a quitclaim deed of all the title to such land acquired under the sale, duly executed and acknowledged.

C.R.S. § 39-12-109 Payment upon surrender of tax certificate

39-12-109. Payment upon surrender of tax certificate. On demand of any person entitled to redemption money in his hands, the treasurer shall pay the same to any such person, upon his surrendering to him the tax certificate to such land or lot as has been redeemed. If only a portion of the land or lots described in the tax certificate has been redeemed, the treasurer shall endorse on such certificate the portion redeemed and the amount of money paid to each person and shall take a receipt therefor.

C.R.S. § 39-12-110 Payment when certificate lost

39-12-110. Payment when certificate lost. If there is a loss or wrongful detention of such certificate and the land therein described has been redeemed, the owner thereof may exhibit to the treasurer evidence of such loss or detention, and, upon his making the same to appear satisfactory to the treasurer and upon his executing a bond with sufficient surety that he will refund such redemption money, with twenty-five percent per annum interest thereon, if any person thereafter shows his right thereto, the treasurer shall pay such redemption money to the person so executing such bond.

C.R.S. § 39-12-111 Land wrongfully sold - repayment

39-12-111. Land wrongfully sold - repayment. (1) When, by mistake or error of the treasurer, county clerk and recorder, or assessor or from double assessment, a tax lien has been sold on land upon which no tax was due at the time, the county shall reimburse the purchaser in the amount paid by him in connection with the purchase of the tax lien on such land, together with interest from the date of purchase at the rate which is determined as provided in this section. Reimbursement shall be made from the various funds to which the tax was originally distributed; except that interest shall be paid from the county general fund. The treasurer, county clerk and recorder, or assessor, as the case may be, and his sureties on his official bond shall be liable to the county for such amounts reimbursed as a result of sales made only through willful misconduct. (2) (a) The annual rate of interest shall be two percentage points above the discount rate, which discount rate shall be the rate of interest a commercial bank pays to the federal reserve bank of Kansas City using a government bond or other eligible paper as security, and shall be rounded to the nearest full percent. (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this subsection (2), the rate of interest shall be no lower than eight percent per annum compounded annually. (3) The commissioner of banking shall establish the annual rate of interest based upon the computation specified in subsection (2) of this section. Such annual rate of interest shall be so established as of September 1, 1981, to become effective October 1, 1981. Thereafter, on September 1 of each year, the annual rate of interest shall be established in the same manner, to become effective on October 1 of the same year.

C.R.S. § 39-12-112 Allowance for erroneous assessments

39-12-112. Allowance for erroneous assessments. The state treasurer shall allow each treasurer to take credit for the amount of state tax that may have been refunded to the taxpayer as double or erroneous assessments or refunded to the purchaser of a tax lien on real estate which lien was erroneously sold.

C.R.S. § 39-12-113 Redemption of proportionate interest

39-12-113. Redemption of proportionate interest. (1) Any person who has or claims an interest in or a lien upon all or any part of any undivided or divided estate or interest in any piece or parcel of land or lot for which a tax lien was sold pursuant to article 11 of this title may redeem such undivided or divided estate or interest by paying to the treasurer his proportionate part of the amount required to redeem the whole. In such case the treasurer shall issue to such party a certificate of redemption for his interest in such land or lot, as provided by law. (2) In the event that the treasurer cannot definitely ascertain the amount required to redeem the portion sought to be redeemed, he shall request the assessor to determine the valuation for assessment on such portion sought to be redeemed as of the original assessment date for the tax upon which the sale of the tax lien was based. Such assessor shall furnish such valuation for assessment to the treasurer forthwith. The treasurer shall thereupon ascertain such proportionate redemption amount as that amount which bears the same proportion to the amount required to redeem the entire piece or parcel of land or lot for which a tax lien was sold as such valuation for assessment so furnished bears to the original valuation for assessment of the entire piece or parcel of land or lot for which a tax lien was sold.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-39.docxFetched: 10/6/2026