Montana Code Annotated
Part 2. Board of Land Commissioners
77-1-235. Alternative rental market valuation -- open competitive bidding process -- rules

77-1-235. Alternative rental market valuation -- open competitive bidding process -- rules. (1) (a) In order to establish full rental market value, the board shall establish an open competitive bidding process for all vacant cabin site properties. Except as provided in subsection (1)(c), the minimum bid must be initially set at 2% of the most recent cabin site appraisal value as determined by the department of revenue.
(b) (i) The board shall, within 180 days from the date that a cabin site property becomes vacant, put that site up for open competitive bidding.
(ii) In providing notice of the open competitive bidding process, the board shall notify prospective bidders that a bidder other than the current lessee or licensee is obligated to purchase the improvements pursuant to 77-1-208(4) if that bidder offers the highest bid.
(iii) A lease or license term for a bidder that offers the highest bid and acquires a lease or license must be for a minimum period of 15 years.
(iv) The fee for each subsequent year must be adjusted using the average annual consumer price index as published by the U.S. bureau of labor statistics.
(c) If pursuant to subsection (1)(a) the board does not receive the minimum bid within 180 days, the board may reduce the bid incrementally until a bid is received.
(2) Subject to 77-1-236, a lessee or licensee may voluntarily put the lessee's or licensee's cabin site up for open competitive bid as provided in subsection (1) of this section. A lessee choosing to voluntarily place a cabin site lease up for competitive bid is not entitled to a preference right to meet the high bid. Prior to the open competitive bidding process, the board shall follow the procedures provided in 77-1-208(3) to establish the market value of improvements.
(3) By January 1, 2012, the board shall adopt rules to ensure that:
(a) the open competitive bidding process authorized pursuant to this section is orderly and consistent with the board's constitutional fiduciary duties and that the number of leased cabin or home sites or city or town lots made available for competitive bid at any given time is consistent with the board's constitutional fiduciary duty of attaining full rental market value; and
(b) the information used to determine the rental market percentage pursuant to this section is posted on the department's website and periodically updated.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 401, L. 2011.

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