THE TAX BILL IS LATE · COMPLETE GUIDE 07
Behind on Denver property taxes
The October 30 cutoff comes first.
Pay Denver Treasury by 3:30 p.m. on Friday, October 30, 2026, if you want the delinquent tax kept out of the lien auction without redemption interest.Most of this job is not showing houses. It is the contract, the calendar, the negotiation, and staying steady while the money is decided.
WHAT THIS GUIDE DOES
Know the October 30, 2026, 3:30 p.m. cutoff, what the November auction actually sells, and which questions belong with Treasury or a Colorado attorney.
- 01THE CUTOFF
What has to arrive by October 30?
Delinquent real estate tax payments must reach Denver Treasury by 3:30 p.m. local time on Friday, October 30, 2026. After that, the city does not accept the payment without redemption interest.
- 02THE LIEN
What does the auction sell?
Buyers bid on the tax lien, not the house. The winner gets a treasurer's certificate of purchase. Your deed does not change, and you can still sell.
- 03THE CLOCK
How long is the redemption window?
The earliest deed-process application is three years after the sale. For liens sold in November 2026, the city says that point is November 2029. Confirm your own last day with Treasury.
- 04THE SALE
Can a sale clear it?
A title company can pay the lien from the sale proceeds. Robert prices that path as a licensed broker. He does not buy the house, and there is no fee to talk.
The cutoff, then the auction.
Delinquent Denver property tax payments must reach the Treasury Division by 3:30 p.m. local time on Friday, October 30, 2026. After that time the city does not accept the payment without redemption interest (VERIFIED, City and County of Denver Treasury, Real Estate Delinquent Taxes and Tax Lien Sale, read 2026-10-25). The office is 201 West Colfax Avenue. The city's auction line on that page is (720) 913-9300.
The same rules say bidding began October 12, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. local time and closes November 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. local time. Batches sell in one-hour increments from November 2, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. through that noon close. The auction site is https://denver.coloradotaxsale.com. Other Front Range counties use their own dates.
A BusinessDen story published October 12, 2026, and carried in full by the Denver Post, says the delinquent-tax list the city published the month before totaled $45.5 million, 7 percent of the total (PROBABLE, that story's full text, read 2026-10-25). The Treasury page does not print this total, and it is not your bill.
What the buyer gets, and what you keep.
The city says a tax lien is what the buyers are buying, not the property. The buyer receives a treasurer's certificate of purchase. You still own the house, you can still live there, and you can still sell. The earliest application for a public auction of a certificate of option for a treasurer's deed is three years after the sale, which the city puts at November 2029 for liens sold in November 2026 (VERIFIED, same Treasury page). That deed process names C.R.S. 39-11.5 for the research and notice.
The city states the September 1, 2026 discount rate as 3.75 percent, and it states the redemption rate for November 2026 certificates as 13 percent a year, or 1.08333 percent per month. On a $10,000 example, 13 percent is $1,300 a year before fees. That is arithmetic, not a quote of your bill.
If nobody redeems and the lien later goes to the deed auction (no earlier than November 2029 for these liens), Colorado law since 2024, rewritten in 2026, pays any overbid at THAT auction to other lienholders first and the remainder to the owner (PROBABLE, leg.colorado.gov SB26-144 summary). That follows the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision on surplus equity. A premium bid at the November lien sale is not paid to you (VERIFIED, Treasury page). Confirm your parcel with Treasury or a Colorado attorney.
Three ways to deal with the bill.
Pay by the October 30, 2026, 3:30 p.m. cutoff and the lien stays out of the auction. If the lien sells, redeem by paying what Treasury calculates, and confirm the last day with the city rather than guessing from the three-year date alone. Or sell the house and have the title company pay the lien from the proceeds.
Robert An, Realtor, Compass, prices a sale as a licensed Colorado broker. He does not buy the house and he does not give legal or tax advice. There is no fee to talk. Call 303-529-1213 or start at /contact/. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice.
THE ACTUAL HANDOUT
TAX DELINQUENT · original field guide
The real first page is visible below. Open the complete handout or original PDF for every page.TAX DELINQUENT · ASKED FIRST
The questions that come before price.
- What is the deadline to pay delinquent Denver property taxes before the 2026 lien auction?
- Denver Treasury says delinquent real estate tax payments must be received by 3:30 p.m. local time on Friday, October 30, 2026. Payments are not accepted after that time without redemption interest. The city's rules say bidding began on October 12, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. and closes on November 4, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. local time. Tax liens are grouped into batches sold in one-hour increments from November 2, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. through that noon close. Confirm the payoff with Treasury before you pay.
- Does the Denver tax lien auction sell my house?
- No. The City and County of Denver says a tax lien is what the buyers are buying, not the property. The buyer receives a treasurer's certificate of purchase, a claim for the taxes, interest, and fees, not a deed. Your deed does not change at the auction. You can still live in the house, and you can still sell it. The minimum bid starts at the unpaid taxes, interest, penalties, and fees. The city runs the auction online at denver.coloradotaxsale.com. Other Front Range counties set their own dates.
- How long do I have after a Denver tax lien sells?
- The city says the earliest application for a public auction of a certificate of option for a treasurer's deed is three years after the lien sold. For liens sold in November 2026, that point is November 2029. You may still redeem until that later auction ends, so confirm your date with Treasury. The city states the November 2026 redemption rate as 13 percent a year, or 1.08333 percent per month. On a $10,000 example, 13 percent is $1,300 a year before fees. That is arithmetic, not your bill.
- Can I sell my Denver house if it has a tax lien?
- Yes. At closing the title company orders a payoff, and the delinquent taxes, interest, and fees are paid from the sale proceeds. You keep what remains. The city says the lien buyer does not own your house. A late payoff is what slows the sale. If the taxes sit inside a larger money problem, selling before a treasurer's deed process starts keeps the remaining equity with you. Robert prices that sale as a licensed Colorado broker. He does not buy the house.
- What does Robert charge, and what can he not do about a Denver tax lien?
- There is no fee to talk. Robert An, Realtor, Compass, works only as a licensed Colorado broker, paid if a listed house sells, under a written agreement. He does not give legal advice or tax advice, and he does not buy the house. Denver Treasury confirms the payoff and whether you are still ahead of the October 30, 2026, 3:30 p.m. cutoff. A Colorado real estate attorney answers questions about the lien or a treasurer's deed. A tax professional answers the tax questions. Reach Robert at 303-529-1213 or at /contact/.
WHERE ROBERT STOPS
Robert helps only as a licensed Colorado broker pricing or selling the house. He charges no fee to talk, does not buy the house, and does not give legal or tax advice. Denver Treasury confirms the payoff and the redemption deadline. Legal questions belong with a Colorado attorney. Tax questions belong with a tax professional.
THE RECORD, PUBLICLY CHECKABLE