{"data":{"id":"us-mt/75-5-618","jurisdiction":"us-mt","citation":"75-5-618","heading":"Liability -- defense and exclusions.","body":"(1) A person has a defense against liability in a tort action for damages suffered as a result of an act or omission that constitutes a violation of this chapter, a rule adopted under this chapter, or a condition of a permit or authorization required by a rule adopted under this chapter if the person can establish by a preponderance of the evidence that:\n(a) the person is a government entity that acquired ownership or control through bankruptcy, tax delinquency, abandonment, or lien foreclosure in which the government entity acquired title by virtue of the government entity's authority;\n(b) the person has not caused or contributed to the violation; and\n(c) the person is making an effort to abate the violation.\n(2) For the purposes of this part, \"government entity\" includes a consolidated city-county, a county, and an incorporated city or town.","path":["TITLE 75. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION","CHAPTER 5. WATER QUALITY","Part 6. Enforcement, Appeal, and Penalties"],"source_url":"https://mca.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0750/chapter_0050/part_0060/section_0180/0750-0050-0060-0180.html","current_through":"Montana Code Annotated 2025","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T04:59:42Z","sha256":"34cad8df49f2f12d4f80ba97949eab776dded4bb28ee5e8395ef83893585f5fd","source_id":"us-mt","stale":false,"prev":"us-mt/75-5-617","next":"us-mt/75-5-619"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}