2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 80. Agriculture › Chapter 4. Agricultural Commodities › Part 5. Agricultural Commodity Warehouse Operators › 80-4-527. Warehouse receipt -- issuance -- cancellation

80-4-527. Warehouse receipt -- issuance -- cancellation.
(1) A warehouse receipt is a receipt issued by a licensed warehouse operator on a form containing all the information required by 80-4-526.
(2) A warehouse receipt may not be issued except for an agricultural commodity actually delivered to a warehouse for storage.
(3) All warehouse operators are required to issue a warehouse receipt for each lot of agricultural commodity received for storage or make payment for the agricultural commodity.
(4) A warehouse receipt that does not in fact represent an agricultural commodity actually delivered into a warehouse for storage and the origin of which cannot be traced to the actual delivery of the grain represented:
(a) is not legal and is of no value;
(b) has no claim on the agricultural commodity stored in a warehouse; and
(c) has no claim on the warehouse operator's bond.
(5) All agricultural commodities in a warehouse belong to the holder of outstanding warehouse receipts except those commodities that are in excess of the total of all outstanding storage obligations. An outstanding warehouse receipt is a warehouse receipt that has not been returned and paid in full on the basis of grade, quality, and quantity by the warehouse operator issuing it.
(6) If for convenience the holder of two or more warehouse receipts covering like agricultural commodities wishes to combine them, the new receipt must state the fact that it was issued in lieu of existing receipts. An assembly or recapitulation statement must be made whenever receipts are so combined, and the number or other identification of the statement must be referenced on the new combined receipt. The assembly sheet must be kept on file in the warehouse office. Each canceled receipt must have stamped across its face "Canceled by No. __" (showing the number of the new combination receipt).
(7) A warehouse operator who is a grower may receive the warehouse operator's own grain and issue warehouse receipts for agricultural commodities, in the same manner and without discrimination, as though the warehouse and growing enterprises were of separate ownership. However, the warehouse operator shall report to the department all warehouse receipts issued to the warehouse operator as a grower.
(8) When warehouse receipts are prepared on duplicate or triplicate forms, the original copy is the warehouse receipt and must be given upon request to the person storing the agricultural commodity covered by the receipt. The other copies must have plainly printed across the face the words "duplicate", "triplicate", or "nonnegotiable".
(9) Each warehouse receipt issued must show the amount of cash or value of any merchandise the warehouse operator has advanced on the agricultural commodity represented by the receipt, but the notation may not be construed as fixing the date of sale of the grain.
(10) All warehouse receipts must be numbered consecutively as issued by each warehouse operator.
(11) Warehouse receipts must be issued when storage is charged but no later than 30 days after delivery unless agreed to in writing by both parties.
(12) Warehouse receipts must be canceled by drawing a diagonal line and writing "CANCELED" across the face of the original copy of the warehouse receipt. The cancellation date and method of settlement, such as check number or purchase contract number, must also be noted on the face of the original copy of the warehouse receipt. The warehouse receipt holder or the receipt holder's agent shall sign and date the reverse side of the original copy of the warehouse receipt at the time of settlement. If the agricultural commodity is redelivered to the receipt holder, that fact must be noted.
History: En. Sec. 34, Ch. 539, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 299, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 452, L. 1993.