Colorado Code § 13-20-703

Environmental third-party liability - ownership
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this section
(1) Except as preempted
by federal law, no person or entity shall be deemed to be an owner or operator of real or personal
property who, without participating in the management of the subject real or personal property,
holds indicia of ownership primarily to protect a security or lienhold interest in the subject real
or personal property or in the property in which the subject real or personal property is located.
(2) No lender-owner or representative shall, by virtue of becoming the owner of real or
personal property, be liable for any third-party liability arising from contamination or pollution
emanating from said property prior to the date that title vests in the lender-owner or
representative.
(3) No lender-owner or representative shall, by virtue of becoming the owner of real or
personal property, be liable for any third-party liability arising from contamination or pollution
emanating from said property during the period of ownership so long as, and to the extent that, it
does not knowingly or recklessly cause new contamination or pollution or does not knowingly or
recklessly allow others to cause new contamination or pollution if lender-owner has caused an
environmental professional to conduct a visual inspection of the property and a record search of
the recorded chain of title documents regarding the real property for the prior fifty years to
determine the presence and condition of hazardous waste or substances, obvious contamination,
or pollution and, if found by the enforcing agency to be in noncompliance with federal or state
laws, takes steps to assure compliance with applicable laws. This subsection (3) shall apply to
the lender-owner as long as it makes reasonable efforts to resell the property.
(4) This section shall not affect any liability expressly created under federal or state
health or environmental statutes, regulations, permits, or orders.

‹ Prev All Colorado sections Next ›


Lexace provides legal information, not legal advice, and no attorney–client relationship is created. Statute text is provided for general information and may not reflect the most recent amendments; verify against the official state code.