Montana Code Annotated 2023

TITLE 7. LOCAL GOVERNMENT

CHAPTER 12. IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS

Part 21. Rural Improvement Districts

Right To Protest Creation Or Extension Of District -- Exception

7-12-2109. Right to protest creation or extension of district -- exception. (1) (a) Except as provided in subsections (1)(b) and (2), at any time within 30 days after the date of the first publication of the notice of the passage of the resolution of intention, any owner of property liable to be assessed for the work proposed in the resolution may make written protest against the proposed work or against the creation or extension of the district to be assessed, or both. The protest must be in writing, identify the property in the district owned by the protestor, and except as provided in 7-12-2141, be signed by all owners of the property. The protest must be delivered to the county clerk, who shall endorse on the protest document the date of its receipt by the county clerk.

(b) If the period described in subsection (1)(a) includes a holiday as enumerated in 1-1-216, other than a Sunday, the period must be extended for an additional 2 days.

(2) The provisions of subsection (1)(a) do not apply if a resolution of intention to create the district is a result of a petition submitted as provided in 7-12-2102(2)(a).

(3) (a) For purposes of this section, "owner" means, as of the date a protest is filed, the record owner of fee simple title to the property.

(b) The term does not include a tenant of or other holder of a leasehold interest in the property.

History: En. Ch. 123, L. 1915; superseded by Ch. 156, L. 1917; amd. Ch. 67, L. 1919; superseded by Sec. 4, Ch. 147, L. 1921; re-en. Sec. 4577, R.C.M. 1921; re-en. Sec. 4577, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 16-1604(part); amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 665, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 198, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 277, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 401, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 488, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 529, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 342, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 140, L. 2017.