Key Takeaways
- Most files end without a sale: through September 2026, the El Paso County Public Trustee logged 414 withdrawals and 69 cures against 279 sales held (El Paso County Public Trustee, September 2026).
- A county office runs it: the Public Trustee sits inside the El Paso County Treasurer's office, and no lawsuit is needed to start a foreclosure.
- The sale is 110 to 125 days out: the clock starts when the notice of election and demand is recorded, and sales run online on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time.
- The cure deadline is 15 days before the sale: file a written notice of intent to cure by then (C.R.S. 38-38-104). After the sale, owners have no right to redeem.
- Military borrowers may have extra protection: for a mortgage taken out before service, the SCRA requires a court order to foreclose during service and for one year after.
- Free help is a phone call away: the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline, 1-877-601-HOPE (4673), refers homeowners to HUD-approved housing counselors.
If you are behind on your mortgage in Colorado Springs, Colorado, you have more time and more options than the first letter suggests. To stop foreclosure in Colorado Springs, the work happens before one date: the El Paso County Public Trustee sale. Until then, you can catch up, change the loan, or sell the house on your own terms.
This guide covers what is specific to El Paso County and to the military families who make up so much of the city. For the full statewide statute walk-through, see our guide on how to stop foreclosure in Colorado. Here, the focus is the local office, the local numbers, and the choices in front of you.
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Let's chatHow El Paso County Public Trustee Foreclosure Works
El Paso County foreclosure is non-judicial and runs through the county Public Trustee, a county office that conducts the sale instead of a judge (C.R.S. Title 38, Article 38). Colorado mortgages are secured by a deed of trust that names the Public Trustee. When a loan goes into default, the lender's attorney files with that office, and the office runs the process from there.
In El Paso County, the Public Trustee sits inside the Treasurer's office. The county explains that House Bill 19-1295 consolidated Public Trustee operations into each county's Treasurer's office. The county's Public Trustee page names Treasurer Chuck Broerman as Public Trustee.
Where the office is and how sales happen
The El Paso County Public Trustee works from 1675 Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2100, Colorado Springs. Sales are held online on Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. Mountain Time, through a vendor the county contracts with. There is no courthouse-steps event to attend.
The office also keeps a public foreclosure search. You can look up your own file and sale date without calling anyone, which is a calmer place to start.
What Do the Public Trustee's 2026 Numbers Show?
El Paso County foreclosure starts are up in 2026, but most files still end without a sale. The Public Trustee's monthly activity report counted 97 new foreclosure starts in September 2026, up from 65 in September 2025 (El Paso County Public Trustee, September 2026). Year to date, starts reached 775, compared with 732 at the same point in 2025.
The same report shows how files closed out. Through September 2026, the office recorded 414 withdrawals, 69 cures, and 279 sales held (El Paso County Public Trustee, September 2026). A withdrawal ends a foreclosure without a sale. It often follows a payoff, a loan modification, or another arrangement with the lender.
| El Paso County Public Trustee activity | Count |
|---|---|
| New foreclosure starts, September 2026 | 97 (65 in September 2025) |
| New foreclosure starts, January to September 2026 | 775 (732 same period 2025) |
| Withdrawals, January to September 2026 | 414 |
| Cures, January to September 2026 | 69 |
| Sales held, January to September 2026 | 279 |
| Total foreclosure starts, calendar year 2025 | 960 |
These are countywide figures, not Colorado Springs alone, so treat them as a sense of scale rather than odds for any one case.
How Long Do You Have to Stop Foreclosure in Colorado Springs?
You typically have 110 to 125 calendar days from the recorded notice of election and demand to the first sale date, which is the El Paso County foreclosure timeline for a house. The Public Trustee's foreclosure process page lays out each step. Several months of missed payments and lender notices usually come before day one.
1. The notice of election and demand
A Colorado-licensed attorney for the lender files the foreclosure with the Public Trustee. The office records the notice of election and demand, often called the NED, within ten business days or rejects the filing. Recording the NED starts the 110 to 125 day clock.
2. The combined notice, mailed and published
The Public Trustee mails a combined notice of sale, right to cure, and right to redeem within 20 calendar days of recording. It mails the notice again 45 to 60 days before the first scheduled sale. The notice is also published for five consecutive weeks (C.R.S. 38-38-103). Keep every copy, since it lists your deadlines.
3. The Rule 120 order in El Paso County District Court
Before any sale, the lender must get an order authorizing sale under Colorado Rule of Civil Procedure 120 (C.R.S. 38-38-105). The Colorado Judicial Branch says the motion is filed in the district court of the county where your house is located. For a Colorado Springs house, that is El Paso County District Court.
The hearing is narrow. It asks whether a default probably occurred and whether the borrower is protected by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, among a few other issues. A hearing notice is posted on the house at least 14 days ahead.
4. The cure deadline and the sale
The last day to file a notice of intent to cure falls 15 calendar days before the sale. The sale itself happens online on a Wednesday morning. A sale can be continued, which moves both the sale date and the cure deadline later.
| Step | When it happens |
|---|---|
| NED recorded by the Public Trustee | Within 10 business days of the lender's filing (day one) |
| Combined notice mailed | Within 20 days of recording, and again 45 to 60 days before the sale |
| Combined notice published | Five consecutive weeks |
| Rule 120 order, El Paso County District Court | Hearing date no later than the day before the last cure day |
| Notice of intent to cure | No later than 15 calendar days before the sale |
| Cure funds paid | By noon the day before the sale, or the statement's last valid date if earlier |
| Public Trustee sale | 110 to 125 days after the NED, Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. online |
| Junior lienholder intent to redeem | Within 8 business days after the sale |
| Owner redemption | None after the sale |
Can You Still Catch Up Before the Sale?
Yes, you can usually catch up before the sale, as long as you file a written notice of intent to cure no later than 15 calendar days before the sale (C.R.S. 38-38-104). Curing means paying what is past due plus the permitted costs. It reinstates the loan rather than paying it off.
The El Paso County office explains the steps on its right to cure page. You file the notice with the Public Trustee, and the office requests a cure statement from the lender's attorney. The statement includes the missed payments, the foreclosure fees and costs, and a date it stays valid until.
The money is due by noon the day before the sale or by the statement's last valid date, whichever comes first. If the sale is continued, the notice deadline moves with it. Heirs, co-owners, and some others may also cure, with proof of their right to do so.
Get the cure figure in writing from the Public Trustee process, not from a phone estimate. Confirm the exact cutoff with the office at 719-520-6780. Missing the 15-day filing deadline by one day can close the cure option for that sale date.
After the Sale: No Redemption, but Possible Surplus Funds
After an El Paso County Public Trustee sale, the owner has no right to redeem the house. The county's redemption page says it directly: "Owners no longer have a right to redeem." That makes the sale date the real deadline for every option in this guide.
Only junior lienholders, such as a second mortgage lender, may redeem. Each must file an intent to redeem within 8 business days after the sale (C.R.S. 38-38-302). If no one files, title vests in the holder of the certificate of purchase at the end of the eighth business day.
Surplus funds belong to you, not to a finder
If the house sells for more than the amount owed, the extra is called surplus. It goes first to any deficiency the lender stated, then to junior lienholders who filed to redeem. Anything left goes to the borrower (C.R.S. 38-38-111).
The El Paso County office asks borrowers to contact it after the sale to confirm whether surplus funds exist. Colorado law makes an agreement to pay someone for recovering those funds unenforceable. Trying to talk a borrower into one is a misdemeanor. You can claim the money yourself.
Military Borrowers and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
If you took out your mortgage before entering military service, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) adds protection on top of Colorado's process. Colorado Springs is home to Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Foreclosure protection during service and for one year after
Under 50 U.S.C. 3953, a sale or foreclosure on a pre-service mortgage is not valid during service or within one year after it, except with a court order. The Justice Department states that a creditor "must get a court order prior to non-judicially foreclosing on a servicemember's mortgage." Colorado's Rule 120 hearing already asks about SCRA status, so tell the court and the lender's attorney about your service early.
A court can also pause the case or adjust the loan when military service materially affects your ability to pay. That relief applies to actions filed during service or within one year after it.
The 6% interest cap
Under 50 U.S.C. 3937, interest on a pre-service debt is capped at 6% per year. For a mortgage, the cap runs during service and for one year after, according to the Justice Department's SCRA guidance. You must send the lender written notice and a copy of your orders no later than 180 days after your service ends.
These protections do not cover a mortgage taken out after you entered service. Even then, your servicer may offer other options, and your installation's legal assistance office can review your paperwork at no cost. If orders are the reason the payments slipped, our guide to selling a house on PCS orders in Colorado Springs covers the move calendar.
Your Options if You Are Behind on Your Mortgage in Colorado Springs
If you are behind on your mortgage in Colorado Springs, five paths cover the usual situations. You can reinstate, modify or pause the loan, sell before the sale date, sign a deed in lieu, or sell short. The right one depends on your income and your equity.
| Option | What it does | Plain timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Reinstate (cure) | Pay the past-due amount and costs; the loan continues | Notice filed 15 days before the sale; funds by noon the day before |
| Loan modification or forbearance | Changes the loan terms, or pauses or lowers payments for a set period | Weeks to a few months; apply as early as you can |
| Sell before the sale date | Pays the loan off at closing; you keep any remaining equity | Cash sale in as few as 7 days; a listed sale usually takes longer |
| Deed in lieu of foreclosure | You deed the house to the lender, which agrees to end the foreclosure | Set by the lender's review; often weeks to months |
| Short sale | Sell for less than the loan balance with the lender's written approval | Depends on lender approval; often several months |
Reinstating
Reinstating works when the hardship has passed and the regular payment is affordable again. It keeps the house and ends this foreclosure.
Modification or forbearance
A modification changes the loan for good, often by adding the arrears to the balance or stretching the term. A forbearance pauses or lowers payments for a short period, and the paused amount still comes due later. Federal servicing rules limit how a servicer proceeds while a complete application is under review (12 CFR 1024.41), so a full application sent early matters.
Deed in lieu and short sale
A deed in lieu and a short sale both need the lender's agreement. They fit a house worth less than the loan, where keeping it is no longer realistic. Ask whether the lender will waive any remaining balance, and get that answer in writing.
Selling a House Before Foreclosure in Colorado Springs
Selling your house before foreclosure in Colorado Springs pays the loan off and ends the Public Trustee case, if the sale funds before the sale date. You own the house until then. Any equity left after the payoff and closing costs is yours.
Equity is often the deciding factor. The typical house value in Colorado Springs was about $445,000, down about 2% year over year (Zillow ZHVI, June 2026). A sale on your own terms keeps that equity in your hands rather than leaving it to the sale process.
Listing versus a direct cash sale
If the sale date is months away and the house shows well, listing with a local agent may net you more. A financed buyer needs an appraisal and loan approval, which adds weeks. If time is short or the house needs work, a cash sale removes those steps.
Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer. We buy houses ourselves, as-is, with no fees or commissions charged to you, and you pick the closing date. We can close in as few as 7 days. We make one transparent offer based on local market data and show how we got to the number.
The Propcash Promise is simple: our offer stands, there is no aggressive follow-up, and we will say so if we are not the right buyer. Your mortgage payoff is handled at a recorded closing. You can request a cash offer on your Colorado Springs house in about two minutes, or read more on our Colorado Springs cash home buyer page. Our comparison of ways to sell a house for cash in Colorado Springs lays out the other routes.
A legitimate buyer pays your loan off through a title company at closing. Be cautious of anyone who asks you to sign over the deed before the loan is paid, or who wants a fee up front to stop a foreclosure.
Where to Get Free Help
Free foreclosure help is available to every Colorado Springs homeowner, and none of it requires an upfront fee. The Colorado Foreclosure Hotline at 1-877-601-HOPE (4673) refers homeowners to HUD-approved housing counselors. The Colorado Housing and Finance Authority lists the hotline and its partner agencies.
- HUD-approved housing counselors: search the CFPB housing counselor directory by ZIP code.
- El Paso County Public Trustee: 719-520-6780 or eforeclosures@elpasoco.com for sale dates, cure statements, and surplus fund questions.
- Military legal assistance: the legal assistance office on your installation can review SCRA questions for free.
- A Colorado-licensed attorney: worth a consult before a Rule 120 response or a bankruptcy decision.
A counselor can call your servicer with you and help build a modification package. More background is on our foreclosure situation page.
Why wait? Sell your house “as is” for cash today
Tell us about your house. We'll make you a cash offer based on local market data.
Let's chatFrequently Asked Questions
Who runs foreclosures in Colorado Springs?
The El Paso County Public Trustee runs foreclosures on Colorado Springs houses, and that office sits inside the El Paso County Treasurer's office. The county says House Bill 19-1295 consolidated Public Trustee operations into each county's Treasurer's office, and it names Treasurer Chuck Broerman as Public Trustee. The office is at 1675 Garden of the Gods Road, Suite 2100, and its phone number is 719-520-6780.
How long does an El Paso County foreclosure take?
For a residential house, the El Paso County Public Trustee sets the sale 110 to 125 calendar days after it records the notice of election and demand. Missed payments and the lender's earlier notices come before that clock starts, so the whole process usually runs several months longer. A sale can also be continued, which moves the date later.
What is the last day to cure a foreclosure in El Paso County?
You must file a written notice of intent to cure with the Public Trustee no later than 15 calendar days before the sale date (C.R.S. 38-38-104). The Public Trustee then requests a cure statement from the lender's attorney. The El Paso County office says the cure amount is due by noon the day before the sale, or by the statement's last valid date if that comes first.
Can I get my Colorado Springs house back after the Public Trustee sale?
In Colorado, you cannot get the house back after the Public Trustee sale. The El Paso County Public Trustee states plainly that owners no longer have a right to redeem after the sale. Only junior lienholders may redeem, and they must file an intent to redeem within 8 business days after the sale (C.R.S. 38-38-302). The pre-sale cure and a sale you arrange yourself are the windows that matter.
Does the SCRA stop a foreclosure for a servicemember in Colorado Springs?
It can, if the mortgage was taken out before you entered military service. Under 50 U.S.C. 3953, a foreclosure on that kind of mortgage is not valid during service or within one year after it unless a court order is granted first. The Justice Department notes that a lender must get a court order before non-judicially foreclosing on a covered servicemember's mortgage.
What happens to extra money if my El Paso County house sells for more than I owe?
Any surplus is applied first to a deficiency stated by the lender, then to junior lienholders who filed to redeem, and anything left goes to the borrower (C.R.S. 38-38-111). The El Paso County Public Trustee asks borrowers to contact the office after the sale to confirm whether surplus funds exist. You can claim them yourself, and an agreement to pay someone a finder's fee to recover it is not enforceable.
Can I sell my Colorado Springs house after the foreclosure starts?
You can sell your Colorado Springs house after foreclosure starts. You own the house until the Public Trustee sale and the redemption period that follows, so you can sell before the sale date and pay the loan off at closing. If the house is worth less than the loan, the sale becomes a short sale and needs the lender's written approval. A cash sale can close in as few as 7 days, which helps when the sale date is close.
Propcash is a direct cash homebuyer, not a law firm and not a licensed brokerage. Confirm your dates with the El Paso County Public Trustee and speak with a Colorado-licensed attorney or a HUD-approved counselor. Statutes and county procedures cited here were read on official sites in October 2026.