17-242. Guaranteeing irrigation district assessment; sale of land located within federal reclamation projects and irrigation districts

A. The commission, by and with the approval of the governor and state land commissioner, may make contracts with irrigation districts in the name of the state to guarantee the payment of and to pay to the irrigation district the full amount of district assessments or charges against land owned by the game and fish commission located within a federal reclamation project, or an irrigation district which is served wholly or in part by such federal reclamation project, at any time such assessments or charges become delinquent.

B. If the commission sells any of the land referred to in subsection A, it shall require at least one-fourth of the sale price to be paid at the time of sale and the balance payable in not less than twenty years. The contract of sale or other document of sale shall require that the purchaser pay such irrigation district assessments or charges before delinquency, and that failure to do so shall constitute a breach of the terms of sale. If a purchaser defaults in the payment of such irrigation district assessments or charges and the interest of the purchaser in such land is terminated, the subsequent purchaser shall pay to the commission as reimbursement the full amount of delinquent assessments due upon such land.

C. The contract or other document of sale shall also require that if the purchaser defaults upon any term or condition of the sale and does not remedy the default within six months, the irrigation district may perform or remedy the default of the purchaser. When the irrigation district cures the default in the terms of sale, the interest of the purchaser shall be cancelled and his interest in such land shall be transferred to the irrigation district subject to the contract of sale.

D. Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating any lien upon state lands or against the interest of the state therein, or as creating any obligation of the state to pay any charges, assessments or debts incurred by any districts other than those described in this section.