HB 26-1120

HB 26-1120, also known as the Mobile Home Property Taxation bill, aims to improve how mobile home property taxes are handled in Colorado. It increases the value threshold for tax exemptions from $28,000 to $52,000 (adjusted for inflation starting January 1, 2027), and requires notices about delinquent taxes to be sent in multiple languages commonly spoken in mobile home communities. The bill also changes how counties can collect unpaid property taxes on mobile homes by requiring them to use a public auction process instead of selling the mobile homes directly. This affects mobile home owners who might face tax issues, providing clearer and more equitable processes for dealing with delinquent payments. Since the status is "signed," this means that the bill has been approved by both houses of the Colorado legislature and signed into law by the governor, making these changes effective moving forward.

Official Summary

Beginning July 1, 2026, act requires the county treasurer to provide notice of delinquent property taxes on a mobile home written in English and Spanish, and to include a statement explaining how and where a mobile home owner may obtain language translation or interpretation services. The county treasurer is required to provide the multilingual notice by mail and by personal service to the mobile home owner at the mobile home.     The act modifies the process for collection of delinquent property taxes on a mobile home by allowing a county treasurer, at their discretion, to sell a tax lien on a mobile home, strike off a tax lien to the county, or determine the taxes to be uncollectible and recommend cancellation to the board of county commissioners. A tax lien must be sold in accordance with the provisions for tax lien sales on real property. The act extends the redemption period for mobile home owners whose property is subject to a tax lien to any time within 3 years from the date of the tax lien sale, or at any time before the execution of a certificate of ownership to the mobile home. Like a real property owner, an individual who both owns a mobile home and is a person with a legal disability at the time a certificate of ownership to the mobile home is issued is also allowed an extended redemption period of up to 9 years from the issuance of a certificate of ownership to their mobile home. If the mobile home owner has not exercised the right of redemption at least 3 years from the date of the tax lien sale, the purchaser or lawful holder of the certificate of purchase may apply for public auction of a certificate of option for treasurer's certificate of ownership to the mobile home, using the same procedures used for issuance of a treasurer's deed to real property. Any surplus resulting from the public auction that is deemed overbid proceeds must be disbursed to the persons entitled to receive them by law.     The act specifies that if a mobile home that is subject to a tax lien or stricken off to the county is located on real property that is not owned by the mobile home owner, then the underlying landowner has a right of first refusal to pay the delinquent taxes owed on the mobile home and all other fees, costs, and expenses incurred by the county treasurer in connection with the tax lien sale process and obtain a certificate of purchase for a tax lien on the mobile home; except that an owner of a mobile home park does not have a right of first refusal unless the owner is an association of mobile home owners. If an underlying landowner exercises this right, no tax lien will be sold or stricken off to the county.     When a tax lien is stricken off to the county under certain circumstances, the act allows the most recent mobile home owner to redeem the mobile home after 1 year but no later than 3 years from the date of strike off by paying the amount of delinquent taxes plus interest, fees, and costs. If a mobile home is not redeemed, and after notice to the last-known owner and any lienholder of record, the treasurer or county assessor may declare the mobile home abandoned, remove the mobile home from the county tax roll, and authorize the removal and disposal of the mobile home; except that, if an occupant of a mobile home establishes proof of ownership, the most recent mobile home owner has only a 1 year redemption period, after which the treasurer may issue the occupant a certificate of ownership for the mobile home.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

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