76-7-211. Easement enforcement. - Montana Statutes

     76-7-211. Easement enforcement. (1) Environmental control easements may be enforced by injunction, specific performance, other proceedings in equity or at law, or any other means specified in the instrument creating the easement. In addition to any right specified in the easement instrument, representatives of the holder of the environmental control easement are entitled to enter the land in a reasonable manner and at reasonable times to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the easement and to implement, operate, maintain, and monitor all remedial work and technologies.
     (2) An environmental control easement is not unenforceable because of a lack of privity of estate or contract or a lack of benefit to particular land, because the easement is not an appurtenant easement, or because the easement is an easement in gross.
     (3) An environmental control easement is enforceable against the owner of the fee and any persons or entities holding or claiming an interest in the property regardless of whether the interest is equal to or less than the whole fee estate.
     (4) A delay or failure to enforce in any specific instance any violation of an environmental control easement does not preclude or waive the right to enforce against that violation or any other breach.
     (5) The easement holder may waive, in a writing executed by the easement holder, any single violation of the terms of the environmental control easement without waiving any other prior or subsequent violation whether of the same or different nature. The easement holder may remedy a violation without waiving the violation remedied and is entitled to recover from the environmental control site owner all costs, including but not limited to direct and indirect costs of remedying the violation and costs of any other remedies provided by law or in the easement instrument.
     (6) A claim or cause of action arising out of or relating to a violation of a term or provision of an environmental control easement must be filed in a court of appropriate jurisdiction within 10 years from the date upon which the party alleging violation of the easement had actual knowledge of the violation.

     History: En. Sec. 18, Ch. 503, L. 1999.