15-6-133. Class three property -- description -- taxable percentage. - Montana Statutes

     15-6-133. Class three property -- description -- taxable percentage. (1) Class three property includes:
     (a) agricultural land as defined in 15-7-202;
     (b) nonproductive patented mining claims outside the limits of an incorporated city or town held by an owner for the ultimate purpose of developing the mineral interests on the property. For the purposes of this subsection (1)(b), the following provisions apply:
     (i) The claim may not include any property that is used for residential purposes, recreational purposes as described in 70-16-301, or commercial purposes as defined in 15-1-101 or any property the surface of which is being used for other than mining purposes or has a separate and independent value for other purposes.
     (ii) Improvements to the property that would not disqualify the parcel are taxed as otherwise provided in this title, including that portion of the land upon which the improvements are located and that is reasonably required for the use of the improvements.
     (iii) Nonproductive patented mining claim property must be valued as if the land were devoted to agricultural grazing use.
     (c) parcels of land of 20 acres or more but less than 160 acres under one ownership that are not eligible for valuation, assessment, and taxation as agricultural land under 15-7-202(1), which are considered to be nonqualified agricultural land. Nonqualified agricultural land may not be devoted to a commercial or industrial purpose. Nonqualified agricultural land is valued at the productive capacity value of grazing land, at the average grade of grazing land.
     (2) Subject to subsection (3), class three property is taxed at the taxable percentage rate applicable to class four property, as provided in 15-6-134(2)(a).
     (3) The taxable value of land described in subsection (1)(c) is computed by multiplying the value of the land by seven times the taxable percentage rate for agricultural land.

     History: En. Sec. 3, Ch. 693, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 739, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 773, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 267, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 627, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 485, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 376, L. 2005.