Montana Code Annotated
Part 2. Certificates of Title
61-3-205. Transfer of ownership of vehicles by insurance company

61-3-205. Transfer of ownership of vehicles by insurance company. (1) (a) Except as provided in subsection (2), an insurance company or its adjuster that has taken possession of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, camper, motorboat, personal watercraft, sailboat, or snowmobile as a result of settling an insurance claim and that transfers ownership of the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, camper, motorboat, personal watercraft, sailboat, or snowmobile shall deliver an assigned certificate of title by the registered owner or owners to the transferee at the time of transfer.
(b) If the certificate of title names one or more holders of a perfected security interest in the motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, camper, motorboat, personal watercraft, sailboat, or snowmobile, the insurance company or its adjuster shall also secure and deliver to the transferee a release from the secured party of the security interest.
(2) (a) The registered owner or owners may use an electronic signature pursuant to Title 30, chapter 18, part 1, on the certificate of title or on a limited power of attorney to assign ownership of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, camper, motorboat, personal watercraft, sailboat, or snowmobile. The department may prescribe the form of the limited power of attorney to be used for this purpose. A power of attorney executed under authority of this subsection (2)(a) does not require notarization.
(b) A secured party may release a perfected security interest in a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, camper, motorboat, personal watercraft, sailboat, or snowmobile under this section by electronic signature pursuant to Title 30, chapter 18, part 1.
(3) The department may adopt rules for the transfer of vehicles in this section.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 12, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 363, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 724, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 53, Ch. 477, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 50, Ch. 542, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 74, L. 2011; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 196, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 197, L. 2019.

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