How to Buy at Judicial Auctions in Colombia: Apartments and Cars Through the Judicial Branch

Quick answer: a judicial auction (remate judicial) is a sale held within an enforcement proceeding. To bid, you deposit 40% of the appraised value to the court's account, offers start at a minimum of 70% of that appraisal, and if you win you have 5 days to pay the balance and the 5% auction tax.

Many people come to this topic because of the promise of a "super cheap" apartment. I would lower expectations right away: the discount is measured against the appraisal made in the proceeding, not against what the property is worth between private parties. That difference can be large or nonexistent, and bidding can push the price up. What is real is a clear procedure, regulated by the General Procedural Code (Ley 1564 de 2012), which you can follow without paying anyone for a "spot".

Where the auction notice appears

A civil auction is announced with prior publication, and a recent certificate of title and free encumbrance (certificado de tradición y libertad) is added to the case file (art. 450; the court indicates the exact medium). To find it, go to the single portal of Publicaciones Procesales de la Rama Judicial and filter the Remates category. The portal lets you filter by department, municipality and court.

Then copy the case number (radicado) and check it in the Consulta de Procesos before depositing a single peso. There you confirm that the case exists and what stage it is in.

Be careful with the confusion: the notices page of the Unidad de Asistencia Legal lists coercive collections of the Judicial Branch itself, not the universe of civil court auctions. And a new labor auction is governed by art. 280 of Ley 2452 de 2025, which also mentions a 70% base, a 40% deposit and notice on the electronic bulletin board and in a newspaper; the Judicial Branch's page marks this code as in force from April 2, 2026, with a transition for proceedings already underway. Do not mix up the three procedures.

What must be ready before the date

In the civil enforcement case, the attachment (embargo), the seizure (secuestro) and the appraisal of the property come first. Only with those in place does the judge set a date, and the order that calls the auction sets the auction base at 70% of the appraisal. I repeat: of the appraisal in the case, not the commercial price.

That is why your preliminary task is to read the case file: the appraisal, who occupies the property, what debts weigh on it and, if it is a car, what liens it has. That review is worth more than any WhatsApp advice.

How the bid deposit works

Anyone who wants to make a bid must deposit in advance, in cash and to the court's account, 40% of the appraisal. Bids can be submitted within the 5 days before the auction or at the hearing. There is one exception: a sole enforcing creditor or the creditor with the best right may bid on account of their credit without that deposit, but only if the credit covers at least that 40%; otherwise, they deposit the difference.

The official channel is the deposits portal of the Banco Agrario: concept 4 Remate is issued only with a PIN, and the PIN lasts 5 calendar days. The 12-digit account number is provided by the court. If someone gives you a personal account or charges you to "secure" your place, that is the sign to run.

On the day of the hearing

The offer goes in a sealed envelope and is irrevocable. The envelopes are opened after the receipt deadline and the property is awarded to the best bidder; those who do not win get their deposit back. If you filed your offer within the deadline, you do not need to be present. Some courts accept electronic bidding when their system guarantees transparency, but it depends on the court. If a lawyer represents you, they must have express power to bid.

The five days that follow

This is where many people fall through. You must deposit the balance of the price, minus the deposit, within the 5 days following the hearing, and present the receipt for the auction tax.

• Auction tax: 5% of the final value, payable by the buyer (Ley 1743 de 2014, art. 12). Without that payment, the auction is not approved.
• If you do not complete: the judge disapproves the auction and you lose half of the deposit, as a fine.
• Different rule for the creditor: a creditor who bought on account of their credit and does not pay on time sees that credit cancelled in the amount equivalent to 20% of the appraisal. That rule does not apply to a private bidder who deposited the 40%.

In addition, the withholding tax on the transfer is applied by the buyer (adjudicatario), at the rate that corresponds to the property and the parties, according to a DIAN concept from January 2026. There is no single rate: confirm it with an accountant. And do not count on a bank financing the balance within 5 days.

Approval, registration and handover

Once payment is made, the judge approves the auction within the following 5 days. If the property is subject to registration, a copy of the minutes and the order is recorded and notarized at the notary office of the place where the case is held. The order cancels mortgages or pledges, the family home designation and the family patrimony, and orders the handover by the custodian (secuestre).

Physical handover does not happen on the day of the auction. If the custodian does not hand over the property within 3 days of notice, the buyer asks the judge to carry out the handover, in a proceeding that art. 456 limits to a period of no more than 15 days. Do not enter the property on your own or count on immediate vacating. For notary and registration fees, request a written breakdown from each office.

If the property is a car

After the auction, the decision must be registered with the transit authority. A circular from the Ministry of Transport from August 2025 clarifies that, in adjudications due to insolvency, the court ruling is the title, but the RUNT fee for transfer or lien removal is still paid. It is a circular on insolvency, not the list of documents for every civil auction, so ask the transit office what they require in your case. Before bidding, check the case file for liens and the vehicle's history.

My honest opinion: if you do not have the 40% available or a way to pay the balance within 5 days, an auction is not for you. Buying a car from a private seller is slower, but without fine deadlines.

According to the active listings on Colombia Move (October 2026), there are 7 cars for sale posted by private sellers.

If the property is an apartment

Read the registration and the certificate of title, confirm who occupies it and what debts the property has. The judge sets aside from the auction proceeds taxes, utilities, administration fees and parking until handover, but do not assume amounts: review the case file. To compare with a direct purchase, you can look at the housing section.

If you later sell the property, the occasional capital gains tax is a different calculation, and the betterment levy (participación en plusvalía) is a municipal procedure separate from the 5% auction tax. And if one day you sell without an agency, here is how to sell your apartment without an intermediary.

When an auction is not worth it

Skip it if the appraisal is opaque, if the property is occupied and you do not know by whom, if you cannot pay within 5 days, or if the 5% cost plus withholding and registration expenses wipe out the supposed discount. This guide is informational; it does not advise on a specific bid.

Frequently asked questions

❓ Is the 70% based on the commercial price of the apartment or the car?

No. It is the minimum base of the auction on the appraisal set by the judicial proceeding, not on the market price. The winning offer can be higher, and the appraisal can differ from what the property is worth between private parties (verify with the official source).

❓ How much must be deposited to be able to bid?

40% of the appraisal, in cash and to the court's account, except for the exception of the enforcing creditor whose credit covers that percentage. If their credit is smaller, they deposit the difference. The deposit of those who do not win is returned (verify with the official source).

❓ Is the deposit made to an account handled by an intermediary?

No. A judicial deposit is issued on the Banco Agrario portal, concept 4 Remate, with a PIN that lasts 5 calendar days, and the 12-digit account number is confirmed by the court. Never deposit to personal accounts or pay for a "spot" (verify with the official source).

❓ What happens if I win and do not complete the price within five days?

The judge disapproves the auction and half of what was deposited to bid is lost, as a fine. The balance is paid by subtracting the deposit and also presenting the auction tax receipt within those 5 days (verify with the official source).

❓ Is the 5% included in the auction price?

No. It is a separate tax on the final auction value, payable by the buyer under Ley 1743 de 2014, art. 12. Without the receipt for that payment the auction is not approved, so budget for it from the start (verify with the official source).

❓ Do they hand over the keys on the day of the auction?

No. The handover is ordered by the approval order and carried out by the custodian (secuestre). If the custodian does not hand it over within the legal period, the buyer asks the judge for the proceeding. Do not enter the property on your own or count on immediate vacating (verify with the official source).

❓ Is the car in my name just with the minutes?

No. The decision must be registered with the transit authority and the corresponding RUNT fee paid; the 2025 insolvency circular does not set that amount in pesos. Ask the transit office what documents they require in your case (verify with the official source).