Tax authorities seize Granby Ranch ski resort — until $104,200.86 bill is paid

Granby Ranch was in turmoil Tuesday morning as local law enforcement officials moved into the area and seized the Grand County resort property for failure to pay more than $100,000 in local taxes.

Grand County sheriff’s deputies shortly before 9 a.m. Tuesday seized property including the Granby Ranch base lodge, Base Camp 1 building and the resort’s golf course. Deputies closed off several buildings and escorted resort employees off the premises before chaining the doors closed. A locksmith was also called to change locks on several buildings.

Dustin Lombard, Granby Ranch’s chief financial officer, arrived at around 10:30 a.m. and presented Grand County Treasurer Christina Whitmer with a check for $104,200.86, covering unpaid business personal property taxes for Granby Realty Holdings LLC and Granby Amenities LLC.

The property was immediately released.

The unpaid taxes pertained to all personal property owned by the two entities, including equipment within the ski area’s base lodge, golf course, a gravel pit in the area and additional out buildings, Whitmer said.

Whitmer confirmed that the balance was paid in full, but said the resort has not paid its real estate taxes — which are taxes on immovable properties and lands — to the county for the past two years.

Granby Ranch CEO Melissa Cipriani called the incident a “misunderstanding that has been taken care of,” in a phone interview Tuesday morning with Sky-Hi News, but did not elaborate. She added that the resort was now back to “business as usual.”