County treasurer pays the legal titleholder of record
This guide is limited to the current Montana Code provisions for residential tax-deed auctions under sections 15-18-219 through 15-18-221, with surplus distributed by the county treasurer to the legal titleholder of record; older lienholder-first summaries are excluded.
Sale type and custodian control
Different statutes, counties, courts, notices, and custody transitions are not interchangeable.
Section 15-18-219 applies to specified property containing a dwelling currently occupied by the legal titleholder of record and begins with a tax-deed application after redemption expires.
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The statute treats the specified opening-bid component and any amount above the opening bid as surplus for distribution under section 15-18-221.
Within thirty days of receiving the purchaser's payment, the county treasurer distributes surplus to the legal titleholder of record, regardless of state residency.
Record-first workflow
Verify the live official record at every step; this orientation does not decide a claimant's rights.
Verify the qualifying property, current occupied dwelling, redemption expiration, assignee application, and legal titleholder-of-record evidence.
Collect the application receipt, auction notice, opening bid, purchase price, payment, tax deed, and the statutory surplus components.
Match the legal titleholder of record and preserve the treasurer's payment record; the thirty-day language is a treasurer duty, not a claimant filing deadline.
No unsupported form or deadline
Use only dates and filing mechanics tied to the confirmed sale type, statute, custodian, and retained source.
Collect the property classification, dwelling occupancy, title record, redemption history, application, notices, and proof of notice.
Collect the opening-bid calculation, high bid, purchaser payment, auction costs, tax deed, and identified surplus.
Collect the current record-title evidence, identity or representative authority requested by the treasurer, and distribution receipt.
scoped limitations
Official sources for this guide
Each factual statement is bound to one retained official source with a retained source, source record, and verification check.
Exact retained official body and source record for Montana Code Annotated section 15-18-221; use only with the state-specific scope and limitations stated in this guide.
Exact retained official body and source record for Montana Code Annotated section 15-18-220; use only with the state-specific scope and limitations stated in this guide.
Exact retained official body and source record for Montana Code Annotated section 15-18-219; use only with the state-specific scope and limitations stated in this guide.
Each factual statement is bound to one retained official source with a retained source, source record, and verification check.
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Answers remain inside the retained scope
The legal titleholder of record under the current section 15-18-221 distribution rule.
No. It is the county treasurer's distribution period after receiving purchaser payment.
The specified opening-bid component and any purchase-price amount above the opening bid are distributed under section 15-18-221.
No. It is limited to the retained residential tax-deed auction provisions and their stated property conditions.
Full Circle Asset Recovery LLC is a private asset-recovery company, not a government agency. This guide provides general information only, not legal advice. FCAR cannot guarantee eligibility, recovery, or any result. Current official records and current office instructions control.