75-2-411. Judicial review. - Montana Statutes

     75-2-411. Judicial review. (1) A person aggrieved by an order of the board or local control authority may apply for rehearing upon one or more of the following grounds and upon no other grounds:
     (a) the board or local control authority acted without or in excess of its powers;
     (b) the order was procured by fraud;
     (c) the order is contrary to the evidence;
     (d) the applicant has discovered new evidence, material to the applicant, that the applicant could not with reasonable diligence have discovered and produced at the hearing; or
     (e) competent evidence was excluded to the prejudice of the applicant.
     (2) The petition must be in a form and filed at a time that the board prescribes.
     (3) (a) Within 30 days after the application for rehearing is denied or, if the application is granted, within 30 days after the decision on the rehearing, an aggrieved party may appeal to the district court of the judicial district of the state that is the situs of property affected by the order.
     (b) The appeal must be taken by serving a written notice of appeal upon the presiding officer of the board. Service must be made by the delivery of a copy of the notice to the presiding officer and by filing the original with the clerk of the court to which the appeal is taken. Immediately after service upon the board, the board shall certify to the district court the entire record and proceedings, including all testimony and evidence taken by the board. Immediately upon receiving the certified record, the district court shall fix a day for filing of briefs and hearing arguments on the cause and shall cause a notice of the dates to be served upon the board and the appellant.
     (c) The court shall hear and decide the cause upon the record of the board. The court shall determine whether or not the board regularly pursued its authority, whether or not the findings of the board were supported by substantial competent evidence, and whether or not the board made errors of law prejudicial to the appellant.
     (4) Either the board or the person aggrieved may appeal from the decision of the district court to the supreme court. The proceedings before the supreme court must be limited to a review of the record of the hearing before the board and of the district court's review of that record.

     History: En. Sec. 14, Ch. 313, L. 1967; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 140, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 69-3917(3) thru (5); amd. Sec. 2492, Ch. 56, L. 2009.