Title 7, Title 7

After notice and appraisal are given as provided in 7-8-2212 and 7-8-2214, if no bid or offer is made for any property offered for sale at public auction, the board of county commissioners may, at any time after the auction, sell the property at private sale and may at the privat…

The funds derived from property disposed of in accordance with 7-8-2211, in the discretion of the board of county commissioners, may be credited to any account that is in the best interest of the county.

(1) The board of county commissioners has jurisdiction and power, under limitations and restrictions that are prescribed by law, to lease and transfer county property, however acquired, that is not necessary to the conduct of the county's business or the preservation of county pr…

(1) All revenue derived from leases authorized by 7-8-2231, except as otherwise provided, must be paid to the county treasurer and may be deposited in the county general fund. (2) The revenue described in subsection (1) may be used for any county purpose, including maintaining or…

(1) Whenever the county acquires land by tax deed, it is the duty of the board of county commissioners, within 6 months after acquiring title, to enter an order to: (a) sell the land at public auction; (b) donate the land to a municipality, as provided in subsection (3), if the l…

(1) Notice of the sale, donation, or retention of tax-deed lands provided for in 7-8-2301 must be given by publication as provided in 7-1-2121. (2) The notice must be signed by the county clerk and must include a list of all lands to be sold, donated, or retained, the fair market…

At any time up to 24 hours before the time fixed for the first offering of property for sale or the time fixed for the donation or retention of the property pursuant to 7-8-2301, the taxpayer or the taxpayer's successor in interest or legal representative may repurchase the prope…

(1) A sale must be made for cash or, in the case of real property, on terms that the board of county commissioners approves. (2) (a) If the sale is made on terms, at least 20% of the purchase price must be paid in cash at the date of sale and the remainder may be paid in installm…

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2), upon payment of the purchase price in full, together with all interest that may become due on any installment or deferred payments, the presiding officer of the board of county commissioners shall execute a deed attested to by the …

The proceeds of each sale or lease under this part or part 25 must be paid over to the county treasurer, who shall apportion and distribute the proceeds in the following manner: (1) (a) Upon a sale of the property, the proceeds of each sale must be credited to the county general …

(1) On January 1 following the execution of a contract or deed, the land is subject to taxation in the name of the purchaser or the purchaser's assignee. (2) If the taxes are not paid and become delinquent, the contract is subject to cancellation and all payments made must be reg…

(1) All real property acquired by any county under tax title which in the judgment of the board of county commissioners is suitable for the production of trees or as a watershed or for other national forest purposes may be conveyed by deed to the United States by the board in exc…

(1) Any timber acquired from the United States in any exchange may be disposed of by the county commissioners by agreement with the United States department of agriculture that the timber must be cut and removed by any agency selected by the United States department of agricultur…

The execution by the board of county commissioners of a deed of conveyance to the United States of any county land conveyed under this part shall operate to discharge and cancel all tax levies, tax liens, and special assessments of every sort and kind against such land and to con…

The purposes of this part are to authorize a board of county commissioners to acquire real property and to establish procedures for the disposal of real property so that the property is used or disposed of in the best interests of the county and for the public benefit and welfare…

As used in this part, the following definitions apply: (1) "Board" means the board of county commissioners. (2) "Multiple use" means: (a) the management of the various surface and subsurface resources so that they are utilized in the combination that will best meet the present an…

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2), when considered in the best interests of the county, the board may: (a) enter into agreements for the pooling of acreage with others for unit operations for the production of oil or gas or both and for the apportionment of oil or g…

(1) The county commissioners shall, before they sell, exchange, or lease lands with an estimated value of more than $20,000 under the provisions of this part, have the lands appraised by a disinterested certified general real estate appraiser to determine the value of the lands f…

(1) When granting a lease for oil, gas, or other mineral exploration or development, the board may reserve to the county a royalty interest as fixed by agreement between the board and the lessee. (2) In trading, exchanging, or selling such lands, the board may make such reservati…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2), all proceeds from use or disposition of lands pursuant to the terms of this part must be deposited in the county's general fund. (2) Revenue realized by a county from the sale, exchange, or disposal of lands dedicated to public use for pa…

The board may purchase, receive by donation, or retain as provided in this part any real property that the board determines to be necessary or useful for the operation and management of the county.

(1) Unless otherwise provided by law, a county may not purchase real property in an amount in excess of $20,000 or a conservation easement using public funds in an amount in excess of $80,000 unless the value of the property or conservation easement has been previously estimated …

(1) The board shall, after holding a public hearing noticed as provided in 7-1-2121, adopt a resolution providing for sale and disposition of county real property. The resolution must include: (a) approved locations for sales, including whether sales may be conducted by use of an…

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section and a resolution adopted pursuant to 7-8-2521, the board may make trades, exchanges, or donations of real property owned by the county. (2) In an exchange of real property, the properties must be appraised and an exchange of county pr…

The board of county commissioners of any county may provide money for the purposes of forest protection, improvement, and management.

(1) The board of county commissioners of any county in Montana is hereby authorized to create county forests from any lands in such county which: (a) are principally valuable for the timber thereon or for the growing of timber; and (b) have been acquired by such county by tax dee…

After any lands acquired by the county by tax deed have been offered for sale at public auction and not sold, the board of county commissioners may exchange such lands for other lands which are principally valuable for the timber thereon or for the growing of timber if, in the op…

(1) Subject to the requirements of subsection (2), the board of county commissioners may sell the timber crop and other crops of county forests under such rules as it may establish. The board may reject any or all bids, or it may award the sale to the highest responsible bidder. …

(1) Upon award of sale, the purchaser shall execute a formal agreement. (2) The formal agreement shall: (a) describe the area on which the timber is to be cut, the approximate amount to be cut by species, and the rate for each product of each species; (b) stipulate that all timbe…

As a guarantee for the faithful performance of the agreement, the purchaser shall be required to furnish a bond, with sufficient securities, to the county in an amount equal to at least 20% of the estimated value of the timber sold.

Upon breach of any timber sale agreement, the board of county commissioners is authorized to suspend cutting or removal of the timber and, upon advice and counsel of the county attorney, to take such steps as are deemed by it necessary to adjust the breach or to liquidate the cou…

Permits may be issued free of charge to residents and settlers of the county for dead, down, or inferior timber for fuel and domestic purposes, in such quantities and under such restrictions and regulations as the board of county commissioners may approve.

Permits may be issued to citizens of Montana for commercial purposes at commercial rates without advertising, under such restrictions and rules as the board of county commissioners may approve, for timber in quantities of 100,000 feet board measure or less. Repeated permits of th…

The proceeds of every such sale or of the issuance of any such permit shall be paid over to the county treasurer who shall apportion and distribute the same in the following manner: (1) The proceeds of each sale up to the amount of $10 shall be credited to the county general fund…

Nothing in this part shall be construed as repealing part 23 of chapter 8 or Title 76, chapter 13, parts 1 and 2.

It is the policy of the state of Montana: (1) to promote the conservation of the natural resources of the state; (2) to provide for the conservation, protection, and development of forage plants and for the beneficial use of forage plants for grazing by livestock, under regulatio…

(1) In this part, the term "board" shall mean the county land advisory board. (2) In this part, the term "lands" shall mean all lands now owned by the respective counties which have been acquired by the counties through tax deed proceedings and any lands to be hereafter acquired …

(1) There is hereby created in each county a department of county government of the state of Montana, to be known and designated as "the county land advisory board". (2) The general purposes of this department shall be to cooperate with the board of county commissioners of each c…

The board of each county shall consist of five residents of the county to be appointed by the judge of the district court.

(1) The citizen members first appointed pursuant to 7-8-2704 serve the following terms: (a) two for a 2-year term; (b) two for a 4-year term; and (c) one for a 6-year term. (2) On the expiration of the terms of the initial appointees, the succeeding members shall be appointed for…

The members shall serve without pay.

(1) The board shall select a presiding officer from its members. The county clerk is the clerk of the board. (2) The board shall hold regular meetings on the first Wednesday following the first Monday of each month and may hold meetings whenever considered necessary upon a call o…

(1) The board shall advise boards of county commissioners in the direction, control, care, management, appraisal, lease, sale, exchange, and disposition of all lands, when so requested by said board of county commissioners. (2) The board may recommend the examination, classificat…

(1) The board may cooperate with boards of county commissioners in establishing grazing districts or entering into agreements with other landowners for the establishment of grazing districts whereby county lands may be leased either on a per-head or per-acre basis. (2) The board …

The city or town council has power to build or hire all necessary buildings for the use of the city or town and to heat and light the same.

(1) Subject to the provisions of subsection (2), the city or town council may sell, dispose of, donate, or lease any property belonging to the city or town. (2) (a) Except for property described in subsection (3), the lease, donation, or transfer must be made by an ordinance or r…