C.R.S. Section 39-5-121
Notice of valuation

  • legislative declaration
  • definition
  • repeal
(1)(a)(I) No later than May 1 in each year, the assessor shall mail to each person who owns land or improvements a notice setting forth the valuation of such land or improvements. For agricultural property, the notice must separately state the actual value of such land or improvements in the previous year, the actual value in the current year, and the amount of any adjustment in actual value. For all other property, the notice must state the total actual value of such land and improvements together in the previous year, the total actual value in the current year, and the amount of any adjustment in total actual value. The notice must not state the valuation for assessment of such land or improvements or combination of land and improvements. Based upon the classification of such taxable property, the notice must also set forth the appropriate ratio of valuation for assessment to be applied to said actual value prior to the calculation of property taxes for the current year and that any change or adjustment of the ratio of valuation for assessment must not constitute grounds for the protest or abatement of taxes. The assessor shall include in the notice an estimate of the taxes, or an estimated range of the taxes, owed for the current property tax year. The notice must clearly state that the tax amount is merely an estimate based upon the best available information. The notice must state, in bold-faced type, that the taxpayer has the right to protest any adjustment in valuation but not the estimate of taxes if such an estimate is included in the notice, the classification of the property that determines the assessment percentage to be applied, and the dates and places at which the assessor will hear such protest. The notice must also set forth the following: That, to preserve the taxpayer’s right to protest, the taxpayer shall notify the assessor either in writing or in person of the taxpayer’s objection and protest; that such notice must be delivered, postmarked, or given in person no later than June 8; and that, after such date, the taxpayer’s right to object and protest the adjustment in valuation is lost. The notice must be mailed together with a form that, if completed by the taxpayer, allows the taxpayer to explain the basis for the taxpayer’s valuation of the property. Such form may be completed by the taxpayer to initiate an appeal of the assessor’s valuation. However, in accordance with section 39-5-122 (2), completion of this form does not constitute the exclusive means of appealing the assessor’s valuation. For the years that intervene between changes in the level of value, if the difference between the actual value of such land or improvements in the previous year and the actual value of such land or improvements in the intervening year as set forth in such notice constitutes an increase in actual value of more than seventy-five percent, the assessor shall mail together with the notice an explanation of the reasons for such increase in actual value.

(II)

Repealed.

(b)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(I)

Commencing as provided in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (b), the notice of valuation for the first year of each reassessment cycle that is mailed to each person who owns land or improvements pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) shall include, in addition to the information specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), an itemized listing of the land and improvements and the characteristics that are germane to the value of such land and improvements.

(II)

In a county with a population in excess of fifty thousand people, the information specified in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) shall be included in notices of valuation mailed on or after January 1, 2001. In a county with a population of twenty-five thousand people or more but not more than fifty thousand people, the information specified in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) shall be included in notices of valuation mailed on or after January 1, 2003. In a county with a population of less than twenty-five thousand people, the information specified in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b) shall be included in notices of valuation mailed on or after January 1, 2005.

(1.2)

A notice of valuation included with the tax bill shall fulfill the requirements of subsection (1) of this section. The general assembly hereby finds and declares that the notice procedure set forth in this subsection (1.2) facilitates the efficient and economic operation of local governments, consistent with the expressed purpose of section 20 of article X of the state constitution to reasonably restrain most the growth of government, and still fulfills the purposes of section 20 (8)(c) of said article X in the intervening year of each reassessment cycle when there is no change in value for the property in such year.
(1.5)(a)(I) No later than June 15 each year, the assessor shall mail to each person who owns taxable personal property a notice setting forth the valuation of the personal property. The notice must state the actual value of such personal property in the previous year, the actual value in the current year, and the amount of any adjustment in actual value. The notice must not state the valuation for assessment of the personal property. The notice must also set forth the ratio of valuation for assessment to be applied to said actual value prior to the calculation of property taxes for the current year. With the approval of the board of county commissioners, the assessor may include in the notice an estimate of the taxes owed for the current property tax year. If such an estimate is included, the notice must clearly state that the tax amount is merely an estimate based upon the best available information. The notice must state, in bold-faced type, that the taxpayer has the right to protest any adjustment in valuation but not the estimate of taxes if such an estimate is included in the notice, and the dates and places at which the assessor will hear protests. The notice must also set forth the following: To preserve the taxpayer’s right to protest, the taxpayer shall notify the assessor either by mail or in person of the taxpayer’s objection and protest; that the notice must be postmarked or physically delivered no later than June 30; and that, after such date, the taxpayer’s right to object and protest the adjustment in valuation is lost. The notice must be mailed together with a form that, if completed by the taxpayer, allows the taxpayer to explain the basis for the taxpayer’s valuation of the property. The form may be completed by the taxpayer to initiate an appeal of the assessor’s valuation. However, in accordance with section 39-5-122 (2), completion of this form does not constitute the exclusive means of appealing the assessor’s valuation.

(II)

Repealed.

(b)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(I)

Notwithstanding subsection (1.5)(a) of this section, for taxable real property and personal property on oil and gas leaseholds or lands for which the operator has filed the statement required by section 39-7-101 (1), the assessor shall send the notice of valuation only to the operator, who shall accept it. The acceptance of the notice of valuation by the operator shall not be construed as an indication that the operator agrees with the amount of the actual value of the property stated in the notice or as obligating the operator to pay the tax attributable to property in which the operator has no ownership interest. Upon the written request of the county treasurer, the operator shall submit to the treasurer a written statement containing the name and address of each person who has an ownership interest in the property. If the operator fails to submit the statement within thirty days after receiving the request, the operator shall pay a penalty to the treasurer in the amount of one hundred dollars or the amount of tax due on the property, whichever is less.

(II)

As used in this article 5, “well or unit operator” means the operator of each wellsite or, if there is no operator, the owner who filed the statement with the assessor pursuant to section 39-7-101.

(1.7)

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a taxpayer may request to receive by electronic transmission the notices of valuation required by subsections (1) and (1.5) of this section. The taxpayer shall submit along with the request an electronic address to which the assessor may send future notices of valuation. The assessor, upon receipt of such request by a taxpayer to receive notices of valuation electronically, may send all future notices of valuation by electronic transmission to the electronic address supplied by the taxpayer; except that, if a taxpayer subsequently requests to cease the electronic transmission of such notices and requests to receive future notices of valuation by mail, the assessor shall comply with the request. Failure of a taxpayer to receive the electronic notice of valuation shall not preclude collection by the treasurer of the amount of taxes due from and payable by the taxpayer.

(1.8)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the assessor may mail abbreviated notices of valuation on a postcard. The property tax administrator shall approve the form of the abbreviated notice of valuation as required in section 39-2-109 (1)(d).

(b)

At a minimum, the postcard must:

(I)

Provide an accurate summary of the valuation information required under subsections (1) and (1.5) of this section;

(II)

Provide contact information for the assessor’s office;

(III)

Include a link to the assessor’s website where taxpayers can access the long form notice of valuation that includes all of the information required under subsections (1) and (1.5) of this section; and

(IV)

State that the taxpayer may request to cease the transmission of the notice of valuation by postcard and may instead request to receive future long form notice of valuation mailed in an envelope.

(c)

If the taxpayer would prefer to not use the link to the assessor’s website to access the long form notice of valuation, the taxpayer may contact the assessor’s office and request a long form notice of valuation be mailed instead.

(d)

If a taxpayer makes a request described in subsection (1.8)(b)(IV) of this section, the assessor shall comply.

(e)

Failure of a taxpayer to receive the notice of valuation by postcard does not preclude collection by the treasurer of the amount of taxes due from and payable by the taxpayer.

(2)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

The assessor shall, no later than August 25 of each year, notify each taxing entity subject to the provisions of section 29-1-301, C.R.S., the division of local government, and the department of education of the total valuation for assessment of land and improvements within the entity and shall also report: The amount of the total valuation for assessment attributable to annexation or inclusion of additional land, and the improvements thereon, and personal property connected therewith, within the taxing entity for the preceding year; the amount attributable to new construction and personal property connected therewith, as defined by the administrator in manuals prepared pursuant to section 39-2-109 (1)(e), within the taxing entity for the preceding year; the amount attributable to increased volume of production for the preceding year by a producing mine if said mine is wholly or partially within the taxing entity and if such increase in volume of production causes an increase in the level of services provided by the taxing entity; and the amount attributable to previously legally exempt federal property that becomes taxable if such property causes an increase in the level of services provided by the taxing entity.

(b)

In addition to the information specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), the assessor shall, no later than August 25 of each year, notify each taxing entity except school districts of the total actual value of all real property within the taxing entity and the total actual value of all real property within the taxing entity from construction of taxable real property improvements, minus destruction of similar improvements, and additions to, minus deletions from, taxable real property, in accordance with the manner prescribed by the administrator in manuals prepared pursuant to section 39-2-109 (1)(e).

(3)

Repealed.

(3.5)

[Editor’s note:
Subsection (3.5) takes effect only if a ballot issue is referred to and approved by the registered electors in accordance with section 24-77-202, Colorado Revised Statutes. See the editor’s note following this section.]

(a)

On or before March 1, 2024, the administrator shall prepare a description of the property tax classes and subclasses set forth in sections 39-1-104 and 39-1-104.2, the valuation for assessment for the different classes and subclasses, the property tax years that the various valuations for assessment apply, and information about the application process set forth in section 39-1-104.6 (3). The assessor shall either include the description along with a notice of valuation that is required to be sent in the 2024 calendar year under subsection (1) or (1.5) of this section or make it available on the assessor’s website.

(b)

This subsection (3.5) is repealed, effective July 1, 2025.

(4)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

Any notice of valuation required by subsections (1) and (1.5) of this section sent to the owner of any real property must include the following statement: “If a property owner does not timely object to their property’s valuation by June 8 under section 39-5-122, C.R.S., they may file a request for an abatement under section 39-10-114, C.R.S., by contacting the county assessor.”.

(b)

Any notice of valuation required by subsections (1) and (1.5) of this section sent to the owner of commercial property must include contact information for the relevant county assessor along with the following statement: “If you would like information about the approach used to value your property, please contact your county assessor.”.

Source: Section 39-5-121 — Notice of valuation - legislative declaration - definition - repeal, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-39.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

39‑5‑101
Duties of assessor 39‑5‑102
When schedules required - nonresident owners listed 39‑5‑103
Property described 39‑5‑103.5
Maps of parcels of land in the county 39‑5‑104
Valuation of property 39‑5‑104.5
Valuation of personal property 39‑5‑104.7
Valuation of real and personal property that produces alternating current electricity from a renewable energy source 39‑5‑105
Improvements - water rights - valuation 39‑5‑106
Purchase of state land 39‑5‑107
Personal property schedule 39‑5‑108
Schedule sent to taxpayer - return 39‑5‑108.5
Furnished residential real property rental advertisements - information to be provided to the assessor - legislative declaration 39‑5‑110
Property brought into state after assessment date - removal before next assessment date 39‑5‑113
Movable equipment - apportionment of value 39‑5‑113.3
Oil and gas drilling rigs - apportionment of value 39‑5‑113.5
Works of art - apportionment of value 39‑5‑114
Unclassified property shown on schedule 39‑5‑115
Taxpayer to furnish information - affidavit on mineral leases 39‑5‑116
Failure to file schedule - failure to fully and completely disclose 39‑5‑117
Property improvements destroyed after assessment date 39‑5‑118
Failure to receive schedule - validity of valuation 39‑5‑119
Refusal to answer - court order 39‑5‑120
Tax schedules endorsed and filed - availability for inspection 39‑5‑121
Notice of valuation - legislative declaration - definition - repeal 39‑5‑121.5
Valuation - inspection of data by taxpayers 39‑5‑122
Taxpayer’s remedies to correct errors 39‑5‑122.7
Alternate protest and appeal procedure for specified counties 39‑5‑123
Abstract of assessment or amended abstract of assessment 39‑5‑124
Property tax administrator to examine abstract 39‑5‑125
Omission - correction of errors 39‑5‑126
Wrongful return by assessor 39‑5‑127
Correction of assessments 39‑5‑128
Certification of valuation for assessment - repeal 39‑5‑129
Delivery of tax warrant - public inspection 39‑5‑130
Informality not to invalidate 39‑5‑132
Assessment and taxation of new construction 39‑5‑133
2011 modification of statutory definition of “agricultural land” - TABOR election - adjustment of district mill levy 39‑5‑134
Controlled environment agricultural facility - valuation - affidavit - definition - repeal 39‑5‑201
Legislative declaration 39‑5‑202
Taxation of mobile homes - effective date 39‑5‑203
Mobile homes - determination of value 39‑5‑204
Notification concerning mobile homes in a county for part of a year 39‑5‑205
Relocation of a mobile home - collection of taxes
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 39-5-121’s source at colorado​.gov