Opinion ID: 2587299
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The Recording Act

Text: Colorado's Recording Act is intended to make titles to and interests in real property more secure and marketable so that subsequent purchasers and encumbrances may rely on the record title. See § 3 8-34-101, C.R.S. (2005). To protect subsequent purchasers from secret prior interests, the Recording Act dictates that every interest affecting land be recorded. See Hallett v. Alexander, 50 Colo. 37, 41-42, 114 P. 490, 492-93 (1911). The pertinent portion of the statute provides: No such unrecorded instrument or document shall be valid against any person with any kind of rights in or to such real property who records first ... except between the parties thereto and against those having notice thereof prior to acquisition of such rights. This is a race notice recording statute. § 38-35-109. In Colorado, a judgment creditor may record a transcript of his judgment in any county, and such judgment shall become a lien upon all the real estate ... owned by such judgment debtor in that county. § 1352-102. A properly recorded judgment lien grants rights identical to those of a bona fide purchaser for value. Sky Harbor, Inc. v. Jenner, 164 Colo. 470, 475, 435 P.2d 894, 896 (1968); Wedman v. Carpenter, 65 Colo. 63, 65, 173 P. 57, 58 (1918). Consequently, if a judgment creditor records the transcript of his judgment prior to and without notice of a later conveyance, the lien of his judgment is superior even to the rights of a new owner. Fleming v. McFerson, 94 Colo. 1, 4, 28 P.2d 1013, 1014 (1933). In the present case, Hicks properly recorded his judgment lien prior to and without notice of Grubbs' later conveyance to the Londres. Therefore, unless the doctrine of equitable subrogation operates to elevate the Londres and Chase to the priority position of Washington Mutual, Hicks' lien enjoys the first priority lien position and he would be entitled to foreclose on the lien with the proceeds of sale going first to satisfy his lien and only then to satisfy the Chase deed of trust. Any balance would go to the Londres.