Statute of Limitations for Trespass to Chattels / Conversion in Colorado

Overview

In Colorado, claims for trespass to chattels (often framed today as interference with personal property) and conversion (a common-law claim for wrongful dominion over personal property) are typically treated as civil actions involving injury to personal property. The statute of limitations determines the deadline to file in court, not when the harm happened in a purely abstract sense.

For many property-interference disputes, the timeline flows from three practical questions:

• What type of claim is being asserted? (trespass to chattels-style interference vs. conversion)
• When did the interference occur? (the event date)
• Is there a different accrual trigger? (for example, discovery-based theories in limited contexts)

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator can help you model the deadline based on a given event date and the relevant limitations period. Use it to get a sense of timing—not to replace a case-specific legal analysis.

Limitation period

The general limitations period for property interference

Colorado’s limitations period for many civil actions “for injury to personal property” is 2 years under the general statute of limitations framework in Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-80-102.

In practice, Colorado courts often look to the nature of the injury (personal property) when choosing the limitations period, even if a party labels the claim as “trespass to chattels.” Conversion is a close cousin in how it treats wrongful exercise of control over personal property, and the 2-year period frequently becomes the operative yardstick for time-to-file calculations tied to personal property harm.

How accrual affects your deadline

Two different disputes can have the same “event date” but different filing deadlines if the accrual date differs. Accrual is the point at which the claim is considered to have “started” for limitations purposes.

Common accrual scenarios that can shift the deadline include:

• Direct knowledge accrual: if the wrongful taking or control is obvious and the owner knows or should know.
• Later discovery theories: in some legal contexts, Colorado may apply a discovery rule to certain claims, though that does not automatically apply to every property tort label.
• Ongoing interference: repeated interference can raise questions about whether damages are treated as part of a continuing wrong or distinct acts.

Checklist to model your filing deadline more accurately:

Key exceptions

Colorado has exceptions and related timing rules that can materially change the outcome. The two most common categories you’ll want to check in real disputes are:

1) Tolling based on legal disabilities or circumstances

Colorado allows tolling in certain circumstances, such as when a plaintiff is under a legal disability or when a statute specifically provides for interruption/suspension.

You should treat tolling as fact-dependent:

Because these rules are specific, it’s not enough to assume tolling will apply just because the dispute felt complicated or delayed.

2) Different statutes or claim types that may apply

Parties sometimes blend multiple theories—property interference plus related claims (for example, fraud, statutory claims, or contract-based theories tied to the same facts). If the case is pleaded as a different kind of claim, the limitations period can change.

Practical steps:

Statute citation

Colorado’s limitations framework for many civil actions involving injury to personal property is commonly anchored by:

• Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-80-102 (2-year period for certain civil actions, including injury to personal property)

If your claim is being asserted with a theory that falls outside the “personal property injury” category (for example, a distinct statutory cause of action with its own time limit), another Colorado limitations statute may apply. The safest way to tighten the timeline is to confirm the precise statutory category for the claim as pled and as the court is likely to view it.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you convert the limitations period into an actionable “last day to file” date: /tools/statute-of-limitations.

If you’re modeling 2 years from the wrongful interference, the typical inputs are:

• Jurisdiction: Colorado (US-CO)
• Claim type: conversion / trespass to chattels (select the closest option available in the tool)
• Event date (accrual basis): the date of the taking, wrongful control, or refusal to return
• Accrual assumption: event date vs. discovery date (if your dispute supports a discovery-based approach)

How the outputs change when you adjust inputs:

• Later event/accrual date → later deadline. Moving the accrual date forward by 30 days generally moves the calculated “file by” date forward by about 30 days (subject to the calculator’s day-counting method).
• Discovery-based accrual → potentially much later deadline. If your accrual assumption shifts from event date to discovery date, the limitations period can start later, extending the filing window.
• Tolling assumption (if supported in the tool): When tolling is applied, the effective countdown pauses or resets according to the tool’s logic—usually increasing the “file by” date.

To get the most reliable result from the calculator:

Primary CTA: Start your Colorado timeline now at /tools/statute-of-limitations.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Colorado and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison