Pueblo County treasurer outlines state unclaimed-property program and property tax deferral option

Treasurer Archuleta told the Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners that residents, businesses and the county itself may be owed money through a state program called the Great Colorado Payback and described how people can search and file claims.

The treasurer said the Great Colorado Payback is administered by the Colorado State Treasury, not the county, and called it "an awesome, awesome thing" that returns unclaimed or abandoned intangible property — items such as checking and savings accounts, CD balances, overpayments on bills, insurance checks, escrow, payroll checks and utility refunds — to their rightful owners. "The Great Colorado Payback is not through the treasurer's office. This is through the state treasury department," Archuleta said.

Archuleta said the state's online search lets users look up individuals or businesses and that some matches will show dollar bands (for example, "less than $5" or "over $100"). She said she filed mass claims for the treasurer's office and that last year she "claimed over $14,000 last year for the county treasurer's office, and I claimed a hundred and $1 for myself." She urged residents to search for family, friends and businesses and to file claims when they find matches.

The treasurer described the claim process as requiring identity documentation to ensure money goes to the rightful owner. She said the payout is a paper check that typically takes "roughly about 6 to 8 weeks" from claim approval. Archuleta also noted that her office holds overbid funds from foreclosure sales and that, "from my office alone, over $2,000,000 in unclaimed overbid funds from our foreclosure sale" could be returned to owners if claimed or otherwise sent to the state as unclaimed property.

Archuleta also summarized a separate state program that she described as a property tax deferral, not an exemption. She said the program provides a low-interest loan to homeowners who meet eligibility rules and that applications must be submitted between Jan. 1 and April 1. She described eligibility as including homeowners who experienced a 4% average increase in property taxes since 2022, seniors 65 or older, or active military. Archuleta said she did not believe more than a very small number of Pueblo County homeowners were currently using the deferral and urged taxpayers to be proactive: "Open your mail...that's why we send your property tax notices every year."

Why it matters: The two state programs discussed affect residents' personal finances and the county's handling of unclaimed funds from county-administered processes such as foreclosure sales. The treasurer's office said reclaiming unclaimed funds has delivered six-figure gains to the county office and to individuals, and the deferral program can provide temporary relief for eligible homeowners facing tax payment difficulty.

The presentation included Q&A with commissioners and county staff on process details — how search results are presented, documentation required for claims, bulk-claiming for organizations and the timing of payouts. Archuleta cautioned that some elements (for example, claiming on behalf of a deceased person's estate) may require contacting the state's help line or following estate procedures. She also said the county's foreclosure process produces overbid balances that may be returned to former owners if the owners can be contacted and claim the funds.

Archuleta referenced state-level outreach she had seen from State Treasurer Dave Young and recommended residents use the state's online search tools and filing process to pursue unclaimed property or the tax-deferral option.

Archuleta concluded by offering to provide additional briefings on other treasurer-office services if the commissioners desired.