Treasurer - Tax Sale

July 30, 2009
9:00 AM
Laramie County Governmental Complex
309 W. 20th Street
Cheyenne, WY

General Information

The treasurer does not sell property at the tax sale, but sells the county's tax lien on the property.

The county recovers the loss of uncollected property tax revenue at the annual tax sale. The county sells its tax lien on real property to attending purchasers for the amount of taxes, interest, and costs associated with the sale The notice of sale along with the properties listed for sale, must be published for three consecutive weeks in a legal newspaper within the county. The Wyoming Tribune-Eagle is the local newspaper. As a general rule, this office publishes this notice every Thursday for the three weeks preceding Cheyenne Frontier Days™, which takes place the last full week in July. The sale is held the Thursday following the end of Frontier Days™. State statute provides a tax lien purchaser interest at 15% per annum in addition to a 3% penalty the day of purchase. Subsequent year taxes may be paid by the purchaser and also earn 15% interest.

Four years from the date of the tax sale, the treasurer will accept applications and issue tax deeds for unredeemed real property to purchasers upon proof of compliance with the statutory notice requirements. A tax deed cannot be issued by the county treasurer after six years have lapsed since the original date of sale.

It is important to take notice that Laramie County does not warrant the property when selling the tax lien. It is a buyer beware market.

Procedures

• Pre-Registration
  For information concerning pre-registration please call the property tax department at 307-633-4225. You can also print the IRS Form W-9, then fill out and return to us by fax to (307) 633-4408. All pre-registration forms must be received in this office no later than 5 p.m. MDT Tuesday, July 28, 2009.
• Registration
  Registration begins at 7:45 a.m. the day of the sale. Participants are asked to be registered by 8:45 a.m. as the sale will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m. All registrants are required to complete a W-9 Form (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification) for the reporting of interest earned to the IRS. Upon registration, participants are given a number. Only one number per person is allowed. Participants must be eighteen years of age. No tax lien will be sold to an employee of the County Treasurer's Office.

Sale

A participant of the sale cannot pick and choose properties for purchase. Instead, the treasurer announces each delinquent property by owner name and amount due. After each announcement, a number is drawn. The participant's number which matches the number drawn has the option to purchase the lien or pass. In the case of a pass, another number is drawn until the lien is purchased. This process is repeated until all liens are sold.

All liens purchased at the sale must be paid at the Laramie County Treasurer's Office, Room 1300 by 4:00 p.m. the day of the sale or another buyer will be found. At the time of payment, receipts will be issued.

Cash, ceritified funds, personal checks and credit cards ( Discover, VISA, MasterCard, AmEx ) are accepted methods of payment. When using a credit Card, a user fee is charged. Returned checks may result in the loss of liens purchased.

Certificate of Purchase

A certificate of purchase is issued to the purchaser of a tax lien the day of the tax sale. Laramie County maintains custody of the certificates of purchase. As redemption occurs, this office will send payment directly to the purchaser.

A 3% penalty of the amount purchased the first year is earned by the purchaser, as well as the statutory 15% interest earned from the date of the sale. Application for a tax deed can be made no earlier than four years from the date of sale after complying with specific notice requirements set forth in Wyoming Statute 39-13-108. A tax deed cannot be issued by the county treasurer after six years have lapsed since the original date of sale.

Subsequent Year Taxes

A certificate holder is under no obligation to pay subsequent taxes. Subsequent taxes, when paid by the certificate holder, attach to the original lien and earn the same rate of interest (15%) as the original certificate. Payments of subsequent taxes will be accepted on September 1 but the interest will not apply until the taxes are delinquent the day after the payable dates listed below:

• First installment - November 10
• Second installment - May 10

When paying subsequent year taxes, this office needs the CP numbers from the tax receipts along with the CP holder's name. To pay in person, bring in the tax receipts. If paying by mail, furnish this office with the above information prior to the payment dates. We will provide the amount due and upon receiving payment, return paid receipts.

Redemptions

The legal owner of the property may redeem taxes sold at the tax sale. To redeem, the owner must pay to the treasurer’s office the amount of tax sold at the sale, a 3% penalty, 15% simple interest, and a redemption fee. Any subsequent year taxes paid by the certificate holder must also be paid, with interest, at the time of redemption. The purchaser can obtain a Tax Deed for the property if taxes are not redeemed by the property owner within four years from the date of the sale.

Tax Deeds

If the legal owners or mortgages of property do not redeem the property within four years from the date of the sale, holders of Certificates of Purchase can apply for a tax deed by submitting an application showing that they have complied with strict notice requirements. If all requirements have been met, the Certificate of Purchase holder will be given a tax deed to the property.

Historical Data