Tax-Sale Deeds in Colorado: When Can a Treasurer’s Deed Be Insured?

Bottom line: a treasurer’s deed makes you the owner on paper, but it is not the same as an insurable title. A treasurer’s deed is the deed the county issues after unpaid property taxes go to sale. Our rule of thumb: nine years of undisputed ownership, or a quiet title court order plus its six-month appeal period. Until one of those happens, plan to hold the property, not resell it with a title policy.

Two ways to get there

Wait it out — no court case · about 9 years

Year 0You get the deedThe county records the treasurer’s deed in your name. The clock starts here.
Year 5Most rights to sue expireThe general five-year window for anyone to sue to recover the property closes.
Year 9InsurableThe last redemption right — for an owner who was a minor or legally incapacitated when the deed issued — runs out. Subject to the underwriter’s approval on the specific file.

Go to court — a quiet title case · about 1 to 2 years

MonthsIn courtYou hire an attorney and file a quiet title action asking the district court to confirm you own the property.
DecreeThe court’s orderThe judge rules in your favor. This is not the finish line.
+ 6 monthsAppeal window closes → insurableAnyone has six months to appeal. We insure once that window closes with no appeal filed.

Why underwriters wait

The old owner’s rights outlast the deedAnyone with a claim can sue to recover the property for five years after the deed is delivered. An owner who was a minor or legally incapacitated when it issued can redeem — buy it back — for nine years after recording. A title policy insures against exactly these claims, so the underwriter (the insurance company behind the policy) waits for the clock to run.
The faster path: a quiet title actionA quiet title action is a lawsuit asking the district court to confirm you own the property and cut off everyone else’s claims. The decree isn’t the finish line: a six-month appeal period follows it, and underwriters wait for that to close. You hire the attorney; we review the decree. Budget months plus six, and legal fees.

Heads up — county treasurers say it too. Most Colorado treasurers warn bidders that a treasurer’s deed is unmarketable for years. That’s the statute, not a flaw in your deed.

What we look at before a policy issues

Your situation	What to expect from us
Recent deed, no court order	We’ll open the file, but a quiet title decree will be required before an owner’s policy issues.
Quiet title decree is final	Usually insurable six months after the decree. We confirm who was named, how they were served, and that no appeal was filed.
Deed over nine years old, undisputed possession	Often insurable without a lawsuit, subject to underwriter approval. At five to nine years, we check for owners under disability.
Problem with the sale itself	Wrong parcel, bad notice, no authority to sell. Time doesn’t fix this — it needs a fix on record or a court, however old the deed.

Before you bid

Not every lien dies at the tax sale. Easements, federal liens, and special assessments can survive. We’ll tell you which.
Check the legal description. The parcel the county taxed, the tax certificate, and the deed must describe the same ground. Mineral and partial interests get the same scrutiny as any file.
The law changed July 1, 2024. Treasurer’s deeds now issue through a public auction (HB24-1056), and the former owner may be owed any surplus. Older deeds followed a different process — the date on the deed matters.
Plan the resale around the clock. Buying at auction starts it at zero: nine years, or a quiet title suit plus six months, before the next buyer can get a policy.

Common questions

I just won a treasurer’s deed at the county auction. Can I get title insurance right away?

Usually not. A new treasurer’s deed carries the former owner’s rights for years — five for most claims, nine for an owner who was under a legal disability. Underwriters generally require either a quiet title decree (plus its six-month appeal period) or nine years of undisputed ownership before an owner’s policy issues.

What is a quiet title action, and how long does it take?

It’s a lawsuit asking the district court to confirm you own the property and cut off everyone else’s claims. You hire the attorney; the case typically runs months. After the decree there is a six-month appeal window, and we insure once that closes with no appeal filed — so budget roughly one to two years from filing, plus legal fees.

Can you look at a property before the auction?

Yes. Send us the parcel number before auction day and we’ll pull the record, tell you what’s on it and what would survive a tax sale, and lay out the path to an insurable title. Ask us for current pricing on a pre-auction search.

Does a treasurer’s deed wipe out everything on the property?

No. Easements, federal liens, and special assessments can survive a tax sale, and a deed with a problem in the sale itself — wrong parcel, bad notice, no authority to sell — isn’t cured by time. That’s why the record review matters before you bid, not after.

Educational only — not legal or tax advice. Whether a treasurer’s deed can be insured depends on the property, the deed, and the underwriter’s review of that file (C.R.S. §§ 39-12-101, 39-12-104; HB24-1056). Coverage, exclusions, and premiums follow the policy issued and Colorado’s filed rates, and vary by transaction. Policies underwritten through First American and Westcor (WLTIC). As of October 2026.