Montana Title 70. Property § 70-30-304. Appeal to district court from assessment of condemnation commissioners

(1) Any party may appeal from any assessment made by the condemnation commissioners in the court in which the report of the commissioners is filed. The appeal must be taken within 30 days after the service upon the parties of the notice of the filing of the award. The appealing party shall serve notice of the appeal upon the opposing party or the opposing party's attorney and shall file the notice of appeal in the district court in which the action is pending. The appeal must be tried upon the same notice and in the same manner as other civil actions. Unless a jury is waived by the consent of all parties to the appeal, the appeal must be tried by a jury. The amount to which the condemnee may be entitled, by reason of the taking of the condemnee's property, must be reassessed as prescribed in this part for the assessment of that amount by the commissioners.

(2) Upon any verdict or assessment by the commissioners becoming final, judgment must be entered declaring that upon payment of the amount of the verdict or assessment, together with the interests and costs allowed by law, if any, the condemnor has the right to construct and maintain the public use project and to take the property described in the verdict or assessment for the use and purposes for which the property has been taken. The rights granted in the verdict or assessment remain in the condemnor and the condemnor's heirs, successors, or assigns forever.

(3) If the party appealing from the award of the commissioners does not succeed in changing to the appellant's advantage the amount finally awarded in the proceeding, the appellant may not recover the costs of the appeal, but all the costs of the appellee in the appeal must be taxed against and recovered from the appellant. However, upon the trial of the appeal, the appellant may contest the right of any party to any of the property mentioned and set forth or involved in the appeal that was located after the preliminary survey of any highway or railroad, seeking to condemn a right-of-way pursuant to the provisions of this chapter if the condemnation proceedings are begun within 1 year after the preliminary survey.