Family land transfers prompt debate by county

A proposal in front of the Jefferson County Commissioners to change land transfers between family members was sent back for more research last week.

Montanans are allowed to transfer some land to immediate family members without having to go through subdivision review, a process that some county officials said has been abused. In some cases, transfers have been made to multiple family members and then shortly sold to non-family members, evading the subdivision regulations, said County Planner LaDana Hintz and Commissioners Cory Kirsch and Leonard Wortman.

That has resulted in cases where the newly created lot has no road access or other provisions assured by a subdivision review, especially in the northern portion of the county, said Kirsch.