§ 60-4-212 — Abandoned Highway Property -- Title Vests In Contiguous Owner

60-4-212 . Abandoned highway property -- title vests in contiguous owner. (1) Following abandonment by the state in the manner provided in 60-2-107 and subsection (2) of this section of an interest in real property acquired for the purpose of establishing a highway, the owner of contiguous real property or the owner's successor in interest is vested with the abandoned interest to the extent provided in subsection (3) of this section.
(2) For the purposes of this section:
(a) a fee simple interest may be abandoned only by the proper order of the commission; and
(b) an interest of less than fee simple may be abandoned in the manner provided in subsection (2)(a), by operation of law, and by judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
(3) The interest acquired by the contiguous property owner under subsection (1) is the abandoned interest or portion of the interest:
(a) if there are different contiguous property owners on each side of the abandoned interest, bounded on one side by the contiguous property and on the remaining two opposite sides by lines following the shortest distance from the extreme ends of the contiguous property abutting upon the abandoned interest to the center of the abandoned interest; and
(b) if the owners of the contiguous property on each side of the abandoned interest are the same, bounded on two opposite sides by the contiguous properties and on the two remaining opposite sides by lines following the shortest distance from the extreme ends of the contiguous property on one side of the abandoned interest to the extreme ends of the contiguous property on the other side of the abandoned interest.
(4) For the purposes of this section, an interest in property abandoned by a proper order of the commission includes an interest in property that the commission determines to be unnecessary to the laying out, altering, construction, improvement, or maintenance of a highway, whether or not the commission determines to sell the interest.
(5) The interest acquired by a contiguous property owner under subsection (3) is conditioned on the use of the property for agricultural or noncommercial purposes. If the property is used for commercial purposes or for purposes of future subdivision or other similar development, the property must revert to the state for sale pursuant to this part. This restriction applies to all subsequent holders of title to the property.
(6) This section does not provide for abandonment of only a portion of a right-of-way or for abandonment of highway property for which the contiguous property has been subdivided prior to abandonment.

Legislative History

En. Sec. 1, Ch. 423, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 226, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 17, Ch. 17, L. 2023; Sec. 60-4-209, MCA 2023; redes. 60-4-212 by Code Commissioner, 2025.