Colorado Code § 38-38-101

Holder of evidence of debt may elect to foreclose
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(1) Documents
required. Whenever a holder of an evidence of debt declares a violation of a covenant of a deed
of trust and elects to publish all or a portion of the property therein described for sale, the holder
or the attorney for the holder shall file the following with the public trustee of the county where
the property is located:
(a) A notice of election and demand signed and acknowledged by the holder of the
evidence of debt or signed by the attorney for the holder;
(b) The original evidence of debt, including any modifications to the original evidence of
debt, together with the original indorsement or assignment thereof, if any, to the holder of the
evidence of debt or other proper indorsement or assignment in accordance with subsection (6) of
this section or, in lieu of the original evidence of debt, one of the following:
(I) A corporate surety bond in the amount of one and one-half times the face amount of
the original evidence of debt;
(II) A copy of the evidence of debt and a certification signed and properly acknowledged
by a holder of an evidence of debt acting for itself or as agent, nominee, or trustee under
subsection (2) of this section or a statement signed by the attorney for such holder, citing the
paragraph of section 38-38-100.3 (20) under which the holder claims to be a qualified holder and
certifying or stating that the copy of the evidence of debt is true and correct and that the use of
the copy is subject to the conditions described in paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section;
or
(III) A certified copy of a monetary judgment entered by a court of competent
jurisdiction;
(c) The original recorded deed of trust securing the evidence of debt and any original
recorded modifications of the deed of trust or any recorded partial releases of the deed of trust,
or in lieu thereof, one of the following:
(I) Certified copies of the recorded deed of trust and any recorded modifications of the
deed of trust or recorded partial releases of the deed of trust; or
(II) Copies of the recorded deed of trust and any recorded modifications of the deed of
trust or recorded partial releases of the deed of trust and a certification signed and properly
acknowledged by a holder of an evidence of debt acting for itself or as an agent, nominee, or
trustee under subsection (2) of this section or a signed statement by the attorney for such holder,
citing the paragraph of section 38-38-100.3 (20) under which the holder claims to be a qualified
holder and certifying or stating that the copies of the recorded deed of trust and any recorded
modifications of the deed of trust or recorded partial releases of the deed of trust are true and
correct and that the use of the copies is subject to the conditions described in paragraph (a) of
subsection (2) of this section;
(d) A combined notice pursuant to section 38-38-103; except that the combined notice
may be omitted with the prior approval of the public trustee;
(e) A mailing list;
(f) Any affidavit recorded pursuant to section 38-35-109 (5) affecting the deed of trust
described in paragraph (c) of this subsection (1), which affidavit shall be accepted by the public
trustee as modifying the deed of trust for all purposes under this article only if the affidavit is
filed with the public trustee at the same time as the other documents required under this
subsection (1);
(f.5) If there is a loan servicer of the evidence of debt described in the notice of election
and demand and the loan servicer is not the holder, a statement executed by the holder of the
evidence of debt or the attorney for such holder, identifying, to the best of such person's
knowledge, the name of the loan servicer;
(g) A statement executed by the holder of an evidence of debt, or the attorney for such
holder, identifying, to the best knowledge of the person executing such statement, the name and
address of the current owner of the property described in the notice of election and demand; and
(h) Repealed.
(2) Foreclosure by qualified holder without original evidence of debt, original or
certified copy of deed of trust, or proper indorsement. (a) A qualified holder, whether acting
for itself or as agent, nominee, or trustee under section 38-38-100.3 (20), that elects to foreclose
without the original evidence of debt pursuant to subparagraph (II) of paragraph (b) of
subsection (1) of this section, or without the original recorded deed of trust or a certified copy
thereof pursuant to subparagraph (II) of paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this section, or
without the proper indorsement or assignment of an evidence of debt under paragraph (b) of
subsection (1) of this section shall, by operation of law, be deemed to have agreed to indemnify
and defend any person liable for repayment of any portion of the original evidence of debt in the
event that the original evidence of debt is presented for payment to the extent of any amount,
other than the amount of a deficiency remaining under the evidence of debt after deducting the
amount bid at sale, and any person who sustains a loss due to any title defect that results from
reliance upon a sale at which the original evidence of debt was not presented. The indemnity
granted by this subsection (2) shall be limited to actual economic loss suffered together with any
court costs and reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred in defending a claim brought as a
direct and proximate cause of the failure to produce the original evidence of debt, but such
indemnity shall not include, and no claimant shall be entitled to, any special, incidental,
consequential, reliance, expectation, or punitive damages of any kind. A qualified holder acting
as agent, nominee, or trustee shall be liable for the indemnity pursuant to this subsection (2).
(b) In the event that a qualified holder or the attorney for the holder commences a
foreclosure without production of the original evidence of debt, proper indorsement or
assignment, or the original recorded deed of trust or a certified copy thereof, the qualified holder
or the attorney for the holder may submit the original evidence of debt, proper indorsement or
assignment, or the original recorded deed of trust or a certified copy thereof to the officer prior
to the sale. In such event, the sale shall be conducted and administered as if the original evidence
of debt, proper indorsement or assignment, or the original recorded deed of trust or a certified
copy thereof had been submitted at the time of commencement of such proceeding, and any
indemnities deemed to have been given by the qualified holder under paragraph (a) of this
subsection (2) shall be null and void as to the instrument produced under this paragraph (b).
(c) In the event that a foreclosure is conducted where the original evidence of debt,
proper indorsement or assignment, or original recorded deed of trust or certified copy thereof has
not been produced, the only claims shall be against the indemnitor as provided in paragraph (a)
of this subsection (2) and not against the foreclosed property or the attorney for the holder of the
evidence of debt. Nothing in this section shall preclude a person liable for repayment of the
evidence of debt from pursuing remedies allowed by law.
(3) Foreclosure on a portion of property. A holder of an evidence of debt may elect to
foreclose a deed of trust under this article against a portion of the property encumbered by the
deed of trust only if such portion is encumbered as a separate and distinct parcel or lot by the
original or an amended deed of trust. Any foreclosure conducted by a public trustee against less
than all of the property then encumbered by the deed of trust shall not affect the lien or the
power of sale contained therein as to the remaining property. The amount bid at a sale of less
than all of the property shall be deemed to have satisfied the secured indebtedness to the extent
of the amount of the bid.
(4) Notice of election and demand. A notice of election and demand filed with the
public trustee pursuant to this section shall contain the following:
(a) The names of the original grantors of the deed of trust being foreclosed and the
original beneficiaries or grantees thereof;
(b) The name of the holder of the evidence of debt;
(c) The date of the deed of trust being foreclosed;
(d) The recording date, county, book, and page or reception number of the recording of
the deed of trust being foreclosed;
(e) The amount of the original principal balance of the secured indebtedness;
(f) The amount of the outstanding principal balance of the secured indebtedness as of the
date of the notice of election and demand;
(g) A legal description of the property to be foreclosed as set forth in the documents to
be provided to the public trustee pursuant to paragraph (c) of subsection (1) of this section;
(h) A statement of whether the property described in the notice of election and demand
is all or only a portion of the property then encumbered by the deed of trust being foreclosed;
(i) A statement of the violation of the covenant of the evidence of debt or deed of trust
being foreclosed upon which the foreclosure is based, which statement shall not constitute a
waiver of any right accruing on account of any violation of any covenant of the evidence of debt
or deed of trust other than the violation specified in the notice of election and demand;
(j) The name, address, business telephone number, and bar registration number of the
attorney for the holder of the evidence of debt, which may be indicated in the signature block of
the notice of election and demand; and
(k) A description of any changes to the deed of trust described in the notice of election
and demand that are based on an affidavit filed with the public trustee under paragraph (f) of
subsection (1) of this section, together with the recording date and reception number or book and
page number of the recording of that affidavit in the records.
(5) Error in notice. In the event that the amount of the outstanding principal balance
due and owing upon the secured indebtedness is erroneously set forth in the notice of election
and demand or the combined notice, the error shall not affect the validity of the notice of
election and demand, the combined notice, the publication, the sale, the certificate of purchase
described in section 38-38-401, the certificate of redemption described in section 38-38-402, the
confirmation deed as defined in section 38-38-100.3 (5), or any other document executed in
connection therewith.
(6) Indorsement or assignment. (a) Proper indorsement or assignment of an evidence
of debt shall include the original indorsement or assignment or a certified copy of an
indorsement or assignment recorded in the county where the property being foreclosed is
located.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (6), the original
evidence of debt or a copy thereof without proper indorsement or assignment shall be deemed to
be properly indorsed or assigned if a qualified holder presents the original evidence of debt or a
copy thereof to the officer together with a statement in the certification of the qualified holder or
in the statement of the attorney for the qualified holder pursuant to subparagraph (II) of
paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section that the party on whose behalf the foreclosure was
commenced is the holder of the evidence of debt.
(7) Multiple instruments. If the evidence of debt consists of multiple instruments, such
as notes or bonds, the holder of the evidence of debt may elect to foreclose with respect to fewer
than all of such instruments or documents by identifying in the notice of election and demand
and the combined notice only those to be satisfied in whole or in part, in which case the
requirements of this section shall apply only as to those instruments or documents.
(8) Assignment or transfer of debt during foreclosure. (a) The holder of the evidence
of debt may assign or transfer the secured indebtedness at any time during the pendency of a
foreclosure action without affecting the validity of the secured indebtedness. Upon receipt of
written notice signed by the holder who commenced the foreclosure action or the attorney for the
holder stating that the evidence of debt has been assigned and transferred and identifying the
assignee or transferee, the public trustee shall complete the foreclosure as directed by the
assignee or transferee or the attorney for the assignee or transferee. No holder of an evidence of
debt, certificate of purchase, or certificate of redemption shall be liable to any third party for the
acts or omissions of any assignee or transferee that occur after the date of the assignment or
transfer.
(b) The assignment or transfer of the secured indebtedness during the pendency of a
foreclosure shall be deemed made without recourse unless otherwise agreed in a written
statement signed by the assignor or transferor. The holder of the evidence of debt, certificate of
purchase, or certificate of redemption making the assignment or transfer and the attorney for the
holder shall have no duty, obligation, or liability to the assignee or transferee or to any third
party for any act or omission with respect to the foreclosure or the loan servicing of the secured
indebtedness after the assignment or transfer. If an assignment or transfer is made by a qualified
holder that commenced the foreclosure pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, the qualified
holder's indemnity under said subsection (2) shall remain in effect with respect to all parties
except to the assignee or transferee, unless otherwise agreed in a writing signed by the assignee
or transferee if the assignee or transferee is a qualified holder.
(c) If an assignment or transfer is made to a holder of an evidence of debt other than a
qualified holder, the holder must file with the officer the original evidence of debt and the
original recorded deed of trust or, in lieu thereof, the documents required in paragraphs (b) and
(c) of subsection (1) of this section. An assignee or transferee shall be presumed to not be a
qualified holder, and as such, shall be subject to the provisions of this paragraph (c), unless a
signed statement by the attorney for such assignee or transferee that cites the paragraph of
section 38-38-100.3 (20) under which the assignee or transferee claims to be a qualified holder is
filed with the officer.
(9) Partial release from deed of trust. At any time after the recording of the notice of
election and demand but prior to the sale, a portion of the property may be released from the
deed of trust being foreclosed pursuant to section 38-39-102 or as otherwise provided by order of
a court of competent jurisdiction recorded in the county where the property being released is
located. Upon recording of the release or court order, the holder of the evidence of debt or the
attorney for the holder shall pay the fee described in section 38-37-104 (1)(b)(IX), amend the
combined notice, and, in the case of a public trustee foreclosure, amend the notice of election
and demand to describe the property that continues to be secured by the deed of trust or other
lien being foreclosed as of the effective date of the release or court order; except that the
amended combined notice may be omitted with the prior approval of the public trustee. The
public trustee shall record the amended notice of election and demand upon receipt. Upon receipt
of the amended combined notice, if provided by the holder or the attorney for the holder, the
public trustee shall republish and mail the amended combined notice in the manner set forth in
section 38-38-109 (1)(b). If the amended combined notice was omitted pursuant to this
subsection (9), upon recordation of the amended notice of election and demand, the public
trustee shall supply an amended combined notice and shall then republish and mail the amended
combined notice in the manner set forth in section 38-38-109 (1)(b).
(10) Deposit. (a) The public trustee may require the holder or servicer to make a deposit
of up to five hundred dollars plus the amount of the fee permitted pursuant to section 38-37-104
(1)(b)(I), at the time the notice of election and demand is filed, to be applied against the fees and
costs of the public trustee.
(b) The public trustee may allow the attorney for the holder or servicer or the holder or
servicer, if not represented by an attorney, to establish with the public trustee one or more
accounts, from which the public trustee may pay the fees and costs of the public trustee in any
foreclosure filed by the holder or the attorney for the holder and through which the public trustee
may transmit refunds or cures, overbids, or redemption proceeds.

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