Montana Title 15. Taxation § 15-16-119. Taxation of personal property--duty of department--collection by department of administration

(1) If the taxes on personal property are not a lien upon real property in the same county in an amount sufficient to secure the payment of the taxes, the department shall assess the property and compute the tax for the assessment. The department shall notify the county treasurer of the assessment and the amount of taxes due. To compute the taxes due on the personal property, the department shall use the appropriate mills levied during the previous year.

(2) The county treasurer shall notify the person against whom the tax is assessed and any other person having a properly perfected security interest of record of the amount and due date of the tax. The tax is due and payable 30 days from the date the treasurer mails the notice. Taxes not paid within 30 days become delinquent, and the penalty and interest provisions of 15-16-101 must be applied.

(3) The county treasurer shall, after the tax becomes delinquent, either proceed under subsection (7) or levy upon and take into possession the personal property against which a tax is assessed or any other personal property in the hands of the delinquent taxpayer. The county treasurer may proceed to sell the property in the same manner as property is sold on execution by the sheriff.

(4) The county treasurer shall, for the purpose of making the levy and sale, direct the sheriff to make the levy and sale. The sheriff, undersheriff, or any deputy sheriff of the county is ex officio a deputy county treasurer for sale purposes and may receive payment of the taxes, penalty, and interest. The sheriff is entitled to the fees, mileage, and costs as provided in 7-32-2141 and 7-32-2143, which must be assessed against the delinquent taxpayer.

(5) The county treasurer and the treasurer's sureties are liable on the treasurer's official bond for all taxes on personal property remaining uncollected by reason of the willful failure and neglect of the treasurer to levy upon and sell the personal property for the taxes levied upon the property, including penalty and interest.

(6) Failure by the sheriff, undersheriff, or deputy sheriff acting as a deputy county treasurer to make the levy and sale results in a levy against the official bond of the sheriff, undersheriff, or deputy sheriff for payment of the delinquent tax, including penalty and interest.

(7) The county treasurer shall give the board of county commissioners a list of delinquent personal property taxpayers and the taxes due. The board may order the county treasurer to verify the list under oath and to send a copy of the list to the department of administration for collection under Title 17, chapter 4, part 1.

(8) The provisions of this section do not apply to property for which delinquent coal gross proceeds taxes or property taxes have been suspended or cancelled under the provisions of 15-23-708 or Title 15, chapter 24, part 17.