Rules for Annual Tax Lien Sale

Offered online at the Zeus Auction website

Sale Date: November 2, 2023 
Beginning at 8:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time (MDT)

Auction Format

SRI, Inc. (SRI) is offering a service for buyers to bid through an online auction format. SRI may take action against a registered user for their conduct, and reserves the right to exclude any company or individual from access to our services if we determine their action to be inappropriate.

The internet being the fragile environment that it is, SRI cannot be held responsible for server down time, or your inability to access our site. Notifications sent by E-mail may possibly take longer than expected, and cannot be counted on to inform you of an item's status. In the event of technical problems, we reserve the right to cancel, restart, or extend an auction as the circumstances may dictate.

The tax lien sale will be held as an internet auction administered by SRI.  Tax liens available for bid will be listed on the SRI website; see the list of tax liens. Liens will be broken up into random batches with bidding scheduled to begin at 8 am. The first batch is scheduled to close at 11 am and every 30 minutes after that until all original batches have closed. A final batch will be created from any unsold properties from the original batches, and be scheduled to close at 3 pm. Each tax certificate will have the closing time for that certificate posted. Bidders can discuss arrangements for computer use in the Delta County Treasurer's Office.  Call 970-874-2135 or email the Treasurer's Office.  Questions regarding the operation of the auction should be addressed to SRI at 1-800-800-9588.

Registration

You must register as a member of the auction system once and then register for each county auction that you wish to participate in. Each county has different rules of sale.

Bidders are responsible for seeing that the information supplied on all registration forms is entered correctly (W-9, Tax Sale Registration & Declaration of Statutory Compliance). This is the information that will be used for the preparation of the Certificates of Purchase (COP). No changes will be allowed. This means that both the name and address supplied on this form is correct. Each bidder will bid and purchase in the name listed.

Each bidder will be required to enter their checking account information into the auction system. At the conclusion of the sale, the funds will be debited from the account that was used in the registration process.

All registrations for the sale will take place on the SRI Zeus Auction website. SRI will forward registration information to the Delta County Treasurer for approval to participate in the auction. Once a bidder has registered for the auction, the Treasurer's Office and SRI will approve the bidder to participate in the auction. Registration will take place Friday, October 20, 2023, through Thursday, October 26, 2023. NO REGISTRATIONS WILL BE ALLOWED AFTER OCTOBER 26, 2023 11:59 pm (MDT).

Bidders must fill out both the W-9 and the Tax Sale Registration & Declaration of Statutory Compliance form completely using the secure auction system (name, address, social security or employer ID number) and then electronically sign the forms. Information for registration with SRI can be found on the SRI website.

Sale

Property owners will be able to pay their taxes and avoid having them go to the sale through Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 5:00 pm MDT. No postmarks accepted. After this date, all tax liens will be sold. The auction listing as of the tax lien sale date will reflect a $14 increase in bid amounts; this is for the Certificate of Purchase and auction fee.

All successfully placed bids are final. Once a bidder has placed a bid amount, it cannot be lowered or cancelled for any reason. No changes in, or cancellation of a purchased lien, will be made after a bid has been made on a lien or the item has closed.

Silent Auction Bidding

In order to bid in an auction, you must first register as required. On every item in an auction, a minimum bid and minimum increase (also called "bid increment") is set by the system. The system will not accept a bid lower than either the opening bid, or the current bid plus the minimum bid increment (increase). If an inappropriate bid is placed, a bidder will be notified immediately that their bid was not accepted, and provided with an option to correct the bid. Any current high bidders who are overbid at this time will receive notification by e-mail. For this sale the “bid increment” is $1.00.

A maximum bid may be placed when bidding on an item (this is sometimes called a "proxy bid"). A proxy Bid is confidential and will be used by the system to increase your bid automatically in case another bidder outbids you. The system will only bid high enough to outbid the current high-bidder, according to the minimum bid increment (increase). This is a very nice feature because it allows the system to bid on your behalf so you don't have to constantly monitor an auction.

Upon payment of the bid amount, the Treasurer will issue the purchaser a receipt. You are purchasing only the tax lien on the property. This does not give you ownership or legal rights to the property in any way. Treasurer Deed application procedures can be obtained by contacting the Office of the Delta County Treasurer at 970-874-2135.

BEFORE BIDDING ON AN ITEM, YOU SHOULD FULLY UNDERSTAND YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS A BUYER, AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THE ITEM ON WHICH YOU ARE BIDDING.

By placing a bid, you are placing a legally-binding and irrevocable offer to purchase the item at any price up to your maximum bid amount. If your bid is the high bid and accepted by the seller, you are legally obligated to complete the transaction. Failure to complete the transaction is a breach of the User Agreement and may be grounds for legal action by SRI.  Additionally, SRI will suspend or terminate your user account if payment is not made according to these terms and conditions and we deem such action as appropriate.

The amount bid that is over the starting bid amount is considered a premium. The premium amount is not part of the delinquency, and therefore is not part of your lien. The premium will not be returned to you should the parcel redeem.

Silent Auction Closing

Bids are announced on the system by displaying the amount bid. Each auction has its own ending time listed on the bidding form. Auctions end automatically at this time. Bids will be recognized up to the time announced for closing and the highest bid received at that time will be the winning bid. A bidder should not wait until the last few seconds of the auction to place their bids. Bids are processed in the order they are received. If a bid is submitted prior to the close of the auction, but not processed prior to the close of the auction, it will still be processed. Any bid received by the system after the closing will not be processed as the item will be deemed as closed. Notifications of auction results are sent out by email to the winning bidders at the conclusion of each batch (batch summary). The bidder will receive a final invoice after the closing of the last batch.

An Automated Clearing House (ACH) transaction will be submitted as soon as is practical to do so after the conclusion of the last batch. However, we cannot tell a bidder for certain when the funds will be debited from their account as there are factors out of our control. It is the bidder's responsibility to make sure that there are sufficient funds in the account.

Silent Auction Prices

All real estate auctions for liens have a required minimum bid. The amount is posted on the item as the starting bid. The starting bid includes all taxes, penalties, interest and costs due to the County, as well as the auction fee of $10.00. The $10.00 fee that is paid to the auction company is included as part of your tax certificate amount. The first acceptable bid must be for this amount. The bid increment for this sale is $1.00. Successive bids will automatically add the increment to the current bid.

How to Bid

You must be an authorized bidder to bid. Authorization requires registering with SRI for the right to use the system and the approval of the Delta County Treasurer.  You will find the link to the registration requirements on the SRI website.

You may bid or track more than one item at a time in the list. You may also select the title of an item for more detailed information and bid from there.

You may add an item to your watch list without placing a bid.  Simply select the "thumbs up" button to add the item to your watch list. Access the "watch list" from the menu. You will then be able to view the status of the item quickly, along with the rest of the items you have tracked or bid on.

The initial bid will be accepted for the “amount” identified on the property listing.  Subsequent bids will increase by the minimum bid increment of $1.00, unless a higher amount is bid.

Proxy Bidding

You may enter the largest amount you are willing to pay for an item in the bid box. The amount entered must be in an amount that will equal the minimum plus the increment rounded to the nearest total by using the established increment. The auction system will place the lowest bid necessary for you now, and then will bid on your behalf if someone else bids against you, up to the amount of the proxy bid placed. A bidder may increase the amount of the proxy bid any time before the bid is accepted as the final bid (auction closing).

Payment

When the auction ends, the high bidders are notified by email. Auction results are also available for anyone to examine for a minimum of five (5) days after closing. If the high bidder fails to pay according to the terms for each sale, the high bidder will lose the right to the item purchased and will be barred from bidding on this site in all future auctions for up to five (5) years, per Colorado Revised Statute (C.R.S.) 39-11-116.

  • Payment for all winning bids will be made by ACH. This is the only form of payment accepted.
  • The bidder is responsible for ensuring that there are sufficient funds in the account that was used in the registration process. The bidder is also responsible to ensure that the account used in the registration process is an account that an ACH transaction can be completed on.
  • The transfer will be initiated after the close of the sale on November 2, 2023, as soon as it is practical to do so.

Non-Payments or payments that are rejected due to lack of funds or other reasons may result in cancellation of the corresponding bid(s).

Strike Off to the County

A list of properties being struck off to the County will be available after the auction, and will also be posted in the Treasurer's office at 501 Palmer Street, Suite 202, in Delta.

General Information

  • No individual updated publications will be available.
  • A weekly updated listing of available liens is available before the auction.
  • The asset you are purchasing is the tax lien, not ownership to the property.
  • The auctioning process will provide all bidders with an opportunity to compete for each parcel. 
  • The County Treasurer may change the method of sale at his or her discretion prior to commencement of the sale.
  • In accordance with C.R.S. 39-11-148, a lien shall be cancelled 15 years after the date of issuance unless the lien is held by the county, city, county and city, or district.
  • If the lien you hold has multiple owners and the deed specifies the percentage of ownership, you may receive a portion of your investments should one of the owners redeem their interest.
  • Any property not sold by the time the sale closes shall be struck off to the County.
  • If the lien you purchase has an existing lien that is older than 2012, you will be required to pay off the senior lien holder(s) should you go to deed.
  • There is currently legislation being considered that may change the Treasurer’s deed process.

Buyer Beware

Neither the auctioneer nor the seller makes any warranties or representations of any kind or nature with respect to said property. All sales are final. Descriptions are for simple identification purposes only; no representations are made to the authenticity, age, origin or value. Buyer relies solely on his/her own judgment when bidding. All sales are final. It is the bidders' responsibility to know what they are bidding on.

Successful internet bidders will be notified by email within several hours after the auction ends. It is the bidder's responsibility to ensure that there are sufficient funds in the account.

  • Bid on an item
  • Win the item
  • Receive email invoice after the conclusion of the auction
  • Make sure that funds are in your account

An ACH transaction will be submitted as soon as it is practical to do so after the close of the sale on November 2, 2023.

All bidders are required to register and give full identification with the auction company prior to October 26, 2023, 11:59 PM MDT. Register early to ensure that you are approved to bid on the auction. The auction company will send your information to the county for the final approval to bid on the auction.

If you have a question as to how you have registered with the Delta County Treasurer for previous auctions, you may contact their office at 970-874-2135 or email the Treasurer's Office.

Should a dispute arise after the auction, the auctioneer's records shall be conclusive in all respects.

This is a privately owned and operated auction system. They reserve the right to refuse admittance to any person(s). 

Bidder agrees to pay any and all charges and expenses incurred by reason of any breach of terms and conditions of auction or in case of default, including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees, as well as any dollar deficiencies which may result in the resale of the property, and the cost of remarketing said property. Additional commissions shall be due and payable.

The auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any item at any time prior to the time of sale of such item.

By bidding on any item, the bidder shows acceptance of the terms of the auction.

The above stated terms and conditions of auction cannot be altered except in writing by all parties of the contract, or by verbal changes to terms given by auctioneer at time of auction.

Bidder does hereby indemnify and hold harmless auctioneer and seller from any and all damages, claims, or liabilities from injuries to persons or property of any type whatsoever, caused before, during, or after the auction.

A bidder is deemed to have accepted an item when making a bid. No bidder shall retract their bid. Online bidding during the auction is a fast process, and therefore there may be no confirmation given.  Bids will be taken immediately and are irrevocable.

  • All tax lien COPs will be kept electronically at the Delta County Treasurer's Office. You will be emailed a list of tax liens that you purchased at the sale.
  • Certificates may be issued in a name other than the name on the W-9, if the "Name on Certificate" area is completed on the Tax Sale Registration & Declaration of Statutory Compliance form 
  • Every lien will be offered in compliance with C.R.S. Chapter 39, Article 11.
  • Each lien will be subject to online bidding and will be sold to the person who pays the highest amount, in excess of said taxes, penalty, interest, and costs.

See our Annual Sales web page for more information about tax lien sales.

Interest begins in November 2023 at 15% per annum.