Title 37

Irrigation District Law of 1905

37-41-109. District treasurer – duties – county treasurer to collect district assessments.

(1) (a) The district treasurer, who shall be appointed by the board of directors, may collect, receive, and receipt for all money belonging to the district; except that district assessments shall be collected by the county treasurer pursuant to section 39-10-101 and distributed to the district treasurer pursuant to section 39-10-107.

(b) It is the duty of the county treasurer of each county in which the district is located in whole or in part to collect and receipt for all assessments levied as provided in section 37-41-123 in the same manner and at the same time and on the same receipt as is required in the collection of taxes upon real estate for county purposes. The district treasurer shall be responsible for making payments toward warrants drawn against the general fund and for making payments toward interest coupons or bonds maturing within the tax year.

(2) The county treasurer shall remit to the district treasurer all money collected or received by the county treasurer on account of the district in accordance with section 39-10-107. Every district treasurer shall keep a bond fund account and a general fund account. The bond fund account shall consist of all money received on account of interest and principal issued by the district. The accounts for interest and principal must be kept separate. The general fund consists of all money or general fund warrants received by the collection of assessment or otherwise. The district treasurer shall pay out of the bond fund, when due, the interest and principal of the bonds of the district at the time and place specified in the bonds and shall pay out of the general fund only upon the order of the district, signed by the president and countersigned by the secretary of the district. The district treasurer, on the fifteenth day of each month, shall report to the secretary of the district the amount of money possessed by the district to the credit of the bond fund and the general fund, the amount of warrants paid during the previous month, and the amount of registered warrants, if any. District assessments collected and paid to the county treasurers shall be received in the official capacity of the county treasurers, and the county treasurers shall be responsible for the safekeeping, disbursement, and payment of the district assessment in the same manner as for other money collected by the county treasurers.

37-41-113. Board of directors – duties – contracts – rules.

(9) (a) The board of directors may enter into any obligation or contract to borrow money, which the irrigation district may use to issue loans to landowners:

(I) To make improvements to private water delivery systems; or

(II) For other types of projects that improve:

(A) Water conservation or efficiencies on landowner property; or

(B) Landowner delivery or drainage systems.

(b) An obligation or contract to borrow money described in subsection (9)(a) of this section is not subject to the requirements of subsection (4) of this section.

(c) The board of directors shall not assess district land in order to raise money to issue loans pursuant to this subsection (9). However, the board of directors, in its discretion, may use other sources of money for the purpose of issuing loans as described in this subsection (9).

(d) In case of default in the payment of any installment of principal or interest when due, the county treasurer may assess upon the eligible real property a tax lien for the payment of the whole of the unpaid installment of principal and interest; except that the county treasurer shall not assess a tax lien for the entire value of the landowner’s portion of the irrigation loan issued by the water district.

(e) The board of directors may adopt rules concerning the issuance of loans to landowners pursuant to this subsection (9).

37-41-120. Fiscal year – directors to fix levy.

(1) The fiscal year of each irrigation district in this state shall commence on January 1 in each year. It is the duty of the board of directors on or before October 15 in each year to determine the amount of money required to meet the maintenance, operating, and current expenses for the ensuing fiscal year and to certify by resolution to the board of county commissioners of the county in which the office of the district is located said amount, together with any additional amount which may be necessary to meet any deficiency in the payment of said expenses theretofore incurred. The board of directors may fix the amount payable for any tract containing one acre or less and, if so, similarly shall certify this amount to the board of county commissioners. The board of directors shall also fix the amount payable by each tract within any district with which the United States has made a contract and shall certify the same to the board of county commissioners, and the amount so fixed shall be in accordance with the federal reclamation laws and the public notices, orders, and regulations issued thereunder and shall be in compliance with any contracts made by the United States with any owners of said lands and in compliance further with the contracts between the district and the United States. The obligation of every irrigation district contracting with the United States shall be deemed a district debt. Said resolution shall be termed the annual appropriation resolution for the next fiscal year, and no expenditure to be paid out of such fund shall exceed in any one year the amounts fixed for such expenses in the annual appropriation resolution, except as provided in section 37-41-129.

(2) The annual appropriation resolution described in subsection (1) of this section must include the amount of money needed to meet loan obligations and all amounts payable by landowners to the irrigation district in accordance with loans issued to the landowners pursuant to section 37-41-113 (9) and shall indicate the amount payable by each tract within the irrigation district for which a landowner has received a loan.

37-41-121. Assessor – assessment.

(4) Notwithstanding any provision of this article 41 to the contrary, in addition to the amount described in section 30-1-102 (1)(p), the county treasurer shall receive five dollars per tract assessed pursuant to section 37-41-120 for loans issued to landowners pursuant to section 37-41-113 (9), and this five dollars shall be assessed against each participating tract.

37-41-124. Assessment – collection – redemption – deed.

(1) The revenue laws of this state for the assessment, levying, and collection of taxes on real estate for county purposes, as modified in this section, shall be applicable for the purposes of this article 41, including the enforcement of penalties and forfeiture for delinquent taxes. Before July 1, 2024, however, in case of sale of any lot or parcel of land, or any interest therein, for delinquent irrigation district taxes or delinquent irrigation district and general taxes, when there are no bids therefor on any of the days of such tax sale, the same shall be struck off to the irrigation district in which such land is located for the amount of the taxes, interest, and costs thereon, and a certificate of sale shall be made out to said district therefor and delivered to its secretary, who shall file the same in the office of its board of directors and record the same in a book of public record to be kept by said board for such purpose, but no charge shall be made by the county treasurer for making such certificate, and in such case the county treasurer shall make the entry “struck off to …………. irrigation district” on the treasurer’s records, as well as an entry showing the amount of the general irrigation district taxes and interest thereon, respectively, for which said lands were offered for sale, together with the cost attending such sale.

(2) Before July 1, 2024, no taxes assessed against any land so struck off to said district under the provisions of this section shall be payable until the same has been derived by the district from the sale or redemption of such lands. Such irrigation district or its assignee shall be entitled to a tax deed for said lands in the same manner and subject to the same equities as if a private purchaser at said tax sale, upon the payment to the county treasurer at the time of demanding said deed of such sum as the board of county commissioners of such county at any regular or special meeting may decide.

(3) Before July 1, 2024, in case the owner of said lot or parcel of land, or interest therein, desires to redeem the same at any time before said tax deed shall be issued, the same may be done in the same manner as is provided by law to be done, in case said lot or parcel of land, or interest therein, had been purchased by a bidder at said tax sale or had been struck off to the county. In such case the county treasurer shall forthwith issue a certificate of redemption therefor and notify the district secretary of said fact, who shall thereupon make a suitable transfer entry upon the secretary’s record and return the certificate of sale to the county treasurer for cancellation.

(4) Before July 1, 2024, in case any person desires to obtain such certificate of purchase so issued to said irrigation district, the same may be done in the same manner as provided by law to be done in case said lot or parcel of land, or interest therein, had been purchased by a bidder at said tax sale or had been struck off to the county, upon payment to the county treasurer of the required amount in cash, or in cash together with warrants not in excess of the district general fund tax, or in cash and interest coupons or bonds not in excess of the irrigation district and redemption fund tax, or in cash and in warrants and bonds, respectively, not in excess of said respective funds.

(4.5) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, on or after July 1, 2024, an irrigation district, an assignee of an irrigation district, a holder of a certificate of purchase, or a county treasurer shall follow the procedures established in article 11.5 of title 39 and shall not follow the procedures established in this section or article 11 of title 39 concerning the issuance of a tax deed. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, on or after July 1, 2024, a lot or parcel of land shall not be struck off to an irrigation district and a county treasurer shall not issue a certificate of sale, certificate of purchase, or tax deed pursuant to this section or article 11 of title 39 to the extent such actions would be inconsistent with the requirements of article 11.5 of title 39.

(5) No action for possession of or to quiet title to land sold for taxes shall lie on behalf of the owner or claimant of the fee title as against the holder of the tax deed or his grantee claiming title or color of title thereunder in any case wherein the taxes or any part thereof for which said land was sold were levied for the maintenance, operating, and current expenses of an irrigation district or to pay the interest or principal of the bonds of such district, unless such action is brought within five years after the execution and delivery of the deed by the treasurer and the recording thereof, any law to the contrary notwithstanding. As a condition precedent to the right of such owner or claimant of the fee title to maintain his said suit for possession or to quiet title as against the person in possession under color of title, or as against the claimant of title to vacant and unoccupied land under a tax deed giving color of title to lands in an irrigation district, the plaintiff, at the time of filing his complaint, shall pay to the clerk of the court in which such proceedings are instituted, for the benefit of and to be paid to the person entitled thereto in case the plaintiff prevails in such suit, the amount of all taxes, interest, expenses, and penalties, including the amount of subsequent taxes paid on account of such sale which may have been paid thereunder, with interest on the whole of such sum at eight percent per annum.

(6) In any case in which the claimant has title or color of title to land in an irrigation district under a tax deed duly recorded, and brings his suit for possession of or to quiet title to such lands, the invalidity or alleged invalidity or insufficiency of the tax deed shall not be a sufficient defense after the expiration of five years from and after the execution, delivery, and record of said tax deed, nor, if such defense is pleaded prior to the expiration of said five years, shall the invalidity or insufficiency of the tax deed be considered by the court as a defense, unless defendant shall first deposit with the clerk of the court in which said suit is brought, a sufficient amount to pay the taxes, interest, expenses, and penalties, including the amount of subsequent taxes and interest at eight percent per annum, paid on account of such tax sale, for the benefit of and to be paid to the person entitled thereto, when ascertained by the judgment in said suit.

37-42-113. Powers of district – loans for improvements.

(5) (a) The board of directors may enter into any obligation or contract to borrow money, which the irrigation district may use to issue loans to landowners:

(I) To make improvements to private water delivery systems; or

(II) For other types of projects that improve:

(A) Water conservation or efficiencies on landowner property; or

(B) Landowner delivery or drainage systems.

(b) An obligation or contract to borrow money described in subsection (5)(a) of this section is not subject to the requirements of subsection (l)(c) of this section.

(c) The board shall not assess district land in order to raise money to issue loans pursuant to this subsection (5). However, the board, in its discretion, may use other sources of money for the purpose of issuing loans as described in this subsection (5).

(e) The board may adopt rules concerning the issuance of loans to landowners pursuant to this subsection (5).

37-42-125. Fiscal year – appropriation resolution.

(3) The annual appropriation resolution described in subsection (2) of this section must include the amount of money needed to meet loan obligations and all amounts payable by landowners to the irrigation district in accordance with loans issued to the landowners pursuant to section 37-42-113 (5) and shall indicate the amount payable by each tract within the irrigation district for which a landowner has received a loan.

37-42-128. Collection of assessments.

(7) The county treasurer shall receive in the county treasurer’s official capacity all district assessments collected and paid to the county treasurer, and the county treasurer is responsible for the safekeeping, disbursement, and payment of such assessments as well as other money collected by the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall receive for the collection of such assessments such amount as provided in section 30-1-102; except that the treasurer shall receive five dollars per tract assessed pursuant to section 37-42-125 (3) for loans issued to landowners pursuant to section 37-42-113 (5), and this five dollars shall be assessed against each participating tract. Any assessment collected and paid to the county treasurer for districts that are defunct or have not been in operation for five or more years shall be transferred by the county treasurer to the county general fund.

37-44-124. District treasurer.

(1) (a) The district treasurer shall be liable upon the district treasurer’s official bond and to indictment and criminal prosecution for malfeasance, misfeasance, or failure to perform any duty prescribed in this article 44 as district treasurer. The district treasurer may collect, received, and receipt for all money belonging to the district; except that district assessments shall be collected by the county treasurer pursuant to section 39-10-101 and distributed to the district treasurer pursuant to section 39-10-107.

(b) It is the duty of the county treasurer of each county in which the district is located, in whole or in part, to collect and receipt for all assessments levied in the same manner and at the same time and on the same receipt as is required in the collection of taxes upon real estate for county purposes. The county treasurer of each county comprising a portion only of the district shall remit to the district treasurer all money theretofore collected or received by the county treasurer on account of the district in accordance with section 39-10-107. Every district treasurer shall keep a bond fund account and a general fund account. The bond fund account shall consist of all money received on account of interest and principal of bonds issued by the district, and accounts for interest and principal shall be kept separate. The general fund shall consist of all other money received by the collection of assessments or otherwise.