Montana § 7-15-4294 - Assessment Agreements

§ 7-15-4294. Assessment Agreements

Assessment agreements. (1) A local government may enter into a written agreement with any private person: (a) establishing a minimum market value of land, existing improvements, or improvements or equipment to be constructed or acquired; and (b) requiring the individual to pay an annual tax deficiency fee whenever the property that is the subject of the agreement is valued by the department of revenue for property tax purposes at a market value that is less than the value established by the agreement. The amount of the deficiency fee may not exceed the difference between the property taxes that would have been imposed on the property based on the minimum value of the property expressed in the agreement and the property taxes that are imposed on the property based on the market value established by the department of revenue. (2) The property that is the subject of the agreement must be located or installed in an urban renewal area or targeted economic development district that is subject to a tax increment financing provision. (3) The minimum value established by the agreement may be fixed or may increase or decrease in later years from the initial minimum value as provided in the agreement. (4) The agreement creates a lien on the property pursuant to 71-3-1506 and must be filed and recorded in the office of the county clerk and recorder in each county in which the property or any part of the property is located. Recording an agreement constitutes notice of the agreement to anyone who acquires any interest in the property that is the subject of the agreement, and the agreement is binding upon the person acquiring the interest. (5) An agreement made pursuant to subsection (1) may be modified or terminated by mutual consent of the current parties to the agreement. Modification or termination of an agreement must be approved by the governing body of the local government. A document modifying or terminating an agreement must be filed in the office of the county clerk and recorder in each county in which the property or any part of the property is located. (6) An agreement entered into pursuant to subsection (1) or modified pursuant to subsection (5) terminates on the earliest of: (a) the date on which conditions in the agreement for termination are satisfied; (b) the termination date specified in the agreement; or (c) the date when the tax increment is no longer paid to the local government under 7-15-4292 . (7) This section does not limit a local government's authority to enter into contracts other than tax deficiency agreements as described in this section.