Montana Title 7. Local Government § 7-11-1028. Assessments as liens

(1) An assessment made and levied to defray the cost and expenses of the program or improvements, together with any percentages imposed for delinquency and for cost of collection, constitutes a lien upon the property on which the assessment is made and levied from the date of the passage of the resolution levying the assessment. This lien may be extinguished only by payment of the assessment, with all penalties, costs, and interest, or by sale of the property as provided in subsection (2).

(2) When the payment of an installment of an assessment becomes delinquent, all payments of subsequent installments of the assessment may, at the option of the governing body and upon adoption of the appropriate resolutions, become delinquent. Upon delinquency in one or all installments, the whole property must be sold in the same manner as other property is sold for taxes. The enforcement of the lien of any installment of a special assessment by any method authorized by law does not prevent the enforcement of the lien of any subsequent installment when it becomes delinquent.