Title 24
ARTICLE 13
Official Bonds
24-13-105. County board to examine bonds – new bond.
It is the duty of the board of county commissioners of each county, at each regular term, on the first day of each term, to examine and inquire into the sufficiency of the official bond of the county treasurer, sheriff, coroner, county assessor, county clerk and recorder, and county surveyor and all other official bonds given by any county officer, as required by law. If it appears that one or more of the sureties on the official bond of any such county officer have removed from the county, died, or become insolvent or of doubtful solvency, the board of county commissioners shall cause such officer to be summoned to appear before said board, on a day to be named in said summons, to show cause why he should not be required to give a new bond, with sufficient surety. If, at the appointed time, he fails to satisfy said board as to the sufficiency of the present surety, an order shall be entered of record by said board, requiring such officer to file in the office of the county clerk and recorder, within twenty days, a new bond, to be approved as required by law, unless the number and pecuniary ability of other sureties on the bond are such as to satisfy the board that the bond is sufficient, notwithstanding the fact that one or more of the sureties on said bond may have removed, died, or become insolvent or of doubtful solvency, in which case the bond in question, in the discretion of said board, may be held to be sufficient.
24-13-106. Parties interested may offer evidence.
All persons interested in the sufficiency of the official bond of any of the officers or persons named in section 24-13-105 may appear at the prescribed time and place and shall be allowed to introduce any evidence lawfully tending to prove the removal, death, insolvency, or doubtful solvency of any surety on such official bond, and the officer or person interested, or any of his sureties, may also appear and introduce any evidence lawfully tending to establish the sufficiency of such official bond.
24-13-107. Record of examination.
It is the duty of the board of county commissioners to enter upon their respective records, at the time prescribed in section 24-13-105 for an examination, that an examination and inquiry into the sufficiency of the official bonds within their cognizance has been made and that they severally are deemed sufficient or insufficient as the facts may justify.
24-13-108. Failure to file new bond – vacancy.
If any officer or person enumerated in section 24-13-105 fails to file a new bond within the prescribed time when so required by an order entered of record requiring the filing of such new bond, the officer in default shall be deemed to have vacated his office, and the same steps shall be taken to fill such vacancy thus created as are taken to fill a vacancy by the death or resignation of such officer.
24-13-109. Release of sureties – notice.
Any person who is the surety of any sheriff, coroner, county clerk and recorder, county treasurer, county surveyor, or other county officer shall have the power of releasing himself from further liability as such surety for such officer by filing in the office of the county clerk and recorder a notice that he is no longer willing to be surety for such officer. If the person so desiring to be released from such surety is suretyship for the county clerk and recorder, in addition to such filing of notice, he shall deliver a copy of the notice to the chairman of the board of county commissioners or, if he is absent, to some other member of said board.
24-13-110. Duty of county clerk and recorder.
When any notice is filed with the county clerk and recorder, he shall immediately give notice thereof to such officer, who shall thereupon file other surety, to be approved by the board of county commissioners if the same is then in session or if a session thereof is commenced within ten days after notice has been given, but, if said board is not in session nor a session thereof is commenced within ten days thereafter, the officer within ten days shall file said bond with the county clerk and recorder, who shall judge of the sufficiency of said bond, subject to the decision and approval of said board of county commissioners at their first meeting thereafter. If such notice relates to the surety of the county clerk and recorder, it is the duty of the county commissioner to whom the copy of such notice is given immediately to require said clerk to file other surety to be approved by the board of county commissioners in like manner, but, if said board is not in session, the county commissioner to whom such notice may be given may approve such surety, subject to the decision and approval of the said board at its first meeting thereafter.
24-13-111. Effect of new bond – release.
If a new bond is given by any officer, then the former sureties shall be entirely released and discharged from all liability incurred by any such officer as to any business which may have been transacted from and after the time of the approval of the new bond, and the sureties to the new bond shall be liable for all official delinquencies of said officer, whether of omission or commission, which may occur after approval of the new bond.
24-13-112. Embezzlement – vacancy.
If any master, clerk of the district court, sheriff, coroner, county judge, county treasurer, county assessor, county clerk and recorder, or other officer embezzles or appropriates to his own use any money which may be paid to him by virtue of his office and is convicted therefor, the court pronouncing such judgment shall declare the office held by such officer to be vacant, and such vacancy shall be filled as provided by law.
24-13-113. Failure to file bond.
It is the duty of such sheriff, coroner, county treasurer, county assessor, county clerk and recorder, or other officer, if he fails to give bond, to deliver over to his sureties forthwith all books, moneys, vouchers, papers, and every description of property whatever, pertaining to his office; and the sureties, at any time after failure to file bond, may maintain an action of replevin or other appropriate action to recover such property, money, or effects from their principal.
24-13-114. Officers failing to deliver, not to act – penalty.
If any officer designated in section 24-13-105 fails to deliver any money, property, or effects to his sureties or acts or attempts to act in the performance of the duties of his office after failing to give a new bond, he is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars.
24-13-115. Effect of release of sureties.
The provisions of this article shall not be so construed as to operate as a release of the sureties of any of the aforesaid officers for liabilities incurred previous to the filing of a new bond.
24-13-116. Approval of bonds – clerk of county board.
The county treasurer, county assessor, county clerk and recorder, or any county officer shall file his official bond in the office of the county clerk and recorder, which bond shall be executed as required by law and shall be approved by the board of county commissioners in open session. If said board is not in session on the filing of such bond, then the county clerk and recorder shall judge of its sufficiency, subject to the final decision and approval of said board at its first meeting thereafter. If said board is not in session, the county clerk and recorder, in filing his bond, shall present the same to the chairman of the board of county commissioners or, in case of his absence or inability to act, to one of the other members of said board, who shall judge of its sufficiency, subject to the decision and approval of said board at its first meeting thereafter.
24-13-119. Officers shall not become sureties.
No district judge, district attorney, county commissioner, county attorney, county clerk and recorder, or county judge shall become a surety on any official bond given by any county officer in this state.
24-13-120. Forfeiture of office by becoming surety.
No such officer shall become surety on any bond or obligation given to any board of county commissioners in this state. A violation of this section or section 24-13-119 shall work a forfeiture of any office held by such officer.
24-13-121. Official bond payable to people.
Every official bond of any county officer, if not otherwise provided by law, shall be payable to the people of the state of Colorado, and an action shall lie thereon to the use of any party aggrieved in the name of the people.
24-13-124. Approval or rejection of bonds.
Nothing in this section shall be construed to abridge, limit, or restrict the powers vested by law in boards of county commissioners to approve or reject, in their discretion, the bonds of county officers in their respective counties, to accept or refuse any surety offered thereon, and to require a new bond to be given in any case when they may deem the bond of any county officer insufficient from any cause for the public security.
24-13-125. Official bonds – expense of premiums.
Any state, county, municipal, district, or court officer required by law to give a bond or other obligation as such officer may include, as part of the lawful expenses of executing and performing the duties of his office, such reasonable premium as may be charged by a company authorized under the laws of this state so to do for becoming his surety on such bond or obligation and such reasonable premium as may be charged by such company for becoming surety upon the bond of any deputy, clerk, or employee of such officer who is required by law or by such officer to give bond. Such premium shall not exceed one-half of one percent per annum on the amount or penalty of each bond or obligation.