Montana Title 85. Water Use § 85-7-110. Districts organized under earlier laws

Any irrigation district organized under the provisions of Chapter 70, Laws of 1907, and Chapter 16, Laws of 1909, shall be governed by the applicable provisions of this chapter. Whenever any irrigation district shall have already been organized under the provisions of said session laws and shall have issued bonds or entered into any contract of purchase or construction, nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed as affecting the rights of the holders of said bonds or of any person, persons, corporation, or association party or parties to any such contract with said district, under or by virtue of any of the provisions of said session laws. If a majority of the holders of title or evidence of title to lands included in the district heretofore organized under the provisions of said session laws (said holders of title or evidence of title, also representing a majority in acreage of irrigable lands of said district) shall petition under the provisions of this part for the organization of a new district, including not less than four-fifths of the irrigable lands embraced within such districts so organized, and shall pray for an order disorganizing such district and vacating all proceedings therein, the court shall have jurisdiction to proceed under this part and part 15 to organize such new district and, in making its final order creating such new district, shall also make an order vacating and disorganizing the old district. All money or property belonging to such old district shall be and become the money and property of such new district. Should any lands included in the old district not be included in the new district, the commissioners of the latter shall pay to the owner or owners of such land their just proportion thereof, on the basis of the last assessment made.