15-7-103. Classification and appraisal -- general and uniform methods. - Montana Statutes

     15-7-103. Classification and appraisal -- general and uniform methods. (1) It is the duty of the department of revenue to implement the provisions of 15-7-101 through 15-7-103 by providing:
     (a) for a general and uniform method of classifying lands in the state for the purpose of securing an equitable and uniform basis of assessment of lands for taxation purposes;
     (b) for a general and uniform method of appraising city and town lots;
     (c) for a general and uniform method of appraising rural and urban improvements;
     (d) for a general and uniform method of appraising timberlands.
     (2) All lands must be classified according to their use or uses and graded within each class according to soil and productive capacity. In the classification work, use must be made of soil surveys and maps and all other pertinent available information.
     (3) All lands must be classified by parcels or subdivisions not exceeding 1 section each, by the sections, fractional sections, or lots of all tracts of land that have been sectionized by the United States government, or by metes and bounds, whichever yields a true description of the land.
     (4) All agricultural lands must be classified and appraised as agricultural lands without regard to the best and highest value use of adjacent or neighboring lands.
     (5) In any periodic revaluation of taxable property completed under the provisions of 15-7-111, all property classified in 15-6-134 must be appraised on the taxable portion of its market value in the same year. The department shall publish a rule specifying the year used in the appraisal.
     (6) All sewage disposal systems and domestic use water supply systems of all dwellings may not be appraised, assessed, and taxed separately from the land, house, or other improvements in which they are located. In no event may the sewage disposal or domestic water supply systems be included twice by including them in the valuation and assessing them separately.

     History: En. Sec. 6, Ch. 191, L. 1957; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 512, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 516, L. 1973; R.C.M. 1947, 84-429.12; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 710, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 32, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 20, L. 1985; (6)En. Sec. 1, Ch. 583, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 613, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 86, Ch. 584, L. 1999.