Public Trustee Foreclosure Registers, 1895-1978

Colorado is the only state in the Union with a Public Trustee system in place. The Governor of Colorado appoints the Jefferson County Public Trustee. All actions of the Office are strictly governed by Chapter 38 of the Colorado Revised Statutes. Duties consist of:

1. Administration of Deeds of Trust within the county that name the Public Trustee as Trustee. This includes releasing Deeds of Trust when a loan has been satisfied and foreclosing on Deeds of Trust in the event of default. The Deed of Trust is an agreement between the Grantor (owner), the Public Trustee (who has the power of sale) and the Beneficiary (lender).

2. The Public Trustee is also responsible for the collection of tax accounts for Land Purchase Contracts for Deed within the County.

Foreclosure is the forced sale of a piece of property to repay a debt. Foreclosures are conducted by the Public Trustee on Deeds of Trust containing a power of sale (right to sell property at public auction in the event of default). A foreclosure is commenced when a Notice of Election and Demand is recorded in the county's real estate records after the Public Trustee receives the required documentation from the foreclosing party or their legal advisor. Foreclosure notices are mailed to all parties. The Combined Notice, which establishes the time and place of sale, is published for five consecutive weeks in the local newspapers. Foreclosure sales are held weekly at the Jefferson County courthouse.

(Information from "Why a Public Trustee," by Margaret Chapman in Historically Jeffco magazine, 2011)