Opinion ID: 884038
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 7

Heading: Whether the owner of real property adjacent to a condominium development may use the water and sewer mains running through the condominium property to serve the adjacent land.

Text: Big Sky contends that the sewer and water systems are common elements and therefore HVI has no right to use them. HVI concedes that the water and sewer systems may be common elements held by the condominium unit owners as tenants in common, but contends that Big Sky does not have exclusive ownership of the water and sewer systems. In fact, HVI argues that public utilities own the water and sewer systems, have the responsibility for maintaining the systems, and therefore have the exclusive right and duty to determine who hooks up to the systems. In its definition section, the declaration includes water and sewer lines as general common elements. Section 70-23-102(8)(d), MCA, also includes water and waste disposal as general common elements. Section 70-23-404, MCA, explains the nature of the ownership interest in general common elements as follows: The undivided interest in the common elements shall not be separated from the unit to which it appertains and shall be conveyed or encumbered with the unit even though such interest is not expressly mentioned or described in the conveyance or other instrument. Consequently, each unit owner may use the common elements for their intended purposes. See § 70-23-503, MCA. The bylaws of a condominium provide for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of the common elements or the additions and improvements thereto. Section 70-23-504, MCA. HVI argues that while the Condominium members may own the water and sewer lines, they do so as tenants in common and cannot preclude another party from a right to an easement to use the same common elements. In fact, HVI argues that Big Sky's claim to exclusive use and ownership of the water and sewer lines contradicts the fact that Lone Mountain Springs and Water and Sewer District (WSD) #363 exercise the right to determine who hooks up to the respective systems and contradicts the approval of the PUD allowing HVI to obtain water and sewer service through the existing systems. Prior to 1973, a developer installed the water distribution mains located within what is now Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium. When the Gallatin County Board of County Commissioners approved the PUD in 1980, the water distribution system consisting of a storage tank on the hill above the development and numerous water distribution mains and loops therefore already existed. Additionally, prior to 1972, a developer installed a series of sewer collection mains on the development. Rural Improvement District #305 obtained ownership of the sewer collection mains that transported waste water from the development to a treatment facility that it owned and operated. After the PUD was approved, Camper Village, Inc. and HVI developed the Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium in phases. During the phased development, the unit owners had to use the water distribution mains and sewer collection mains passing underneath Camper Village, Inc. property. Similarly, when Camper Village, Inc. and HVI constructed units for inclusion into the Condominium, they hooked those units up to the existing water distribution and sewer collection mains running, in part, under the Condominium property. Lone Mountain Springs owns the water tank and wells serving Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium and has repaired and maintained the lines servicing the Condominium. Two water sources serve the Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium, a well not far from the condominiums and a well that serves the Sweetgrass Hills Subdivision. Therefore, two water distribution mains enter the Condominium, one from the nearby well and one from the water system that serves the Sweetgrass Hills Subdivision. These mains intersect and travel to the water storage tank on Big Sky Lumber Company's property. The Condominium derives water pressure and capacity from the water storage tank. That tank is crucial to Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium's continued service. The water distribution mains that transport water through HVI's property to the Condominium and on to a third party's property existed before Camper Village bought the property it then conveyed to HVI and to the Condominium. Those same mains now transport water from a third party's property, through HVI's property, through the Condominium through HVI's property and to the water storage tank. Lone Mountain Springs has maintained and repaired the water system serving the Condominium. Big Sky does not pay for the repair and maintenance expenses to the water system. Lone Mountain Springs installed a telemetry system to regulate the flow of water into the storage tank to prevent the tank from overflowing or becoming empty. After a well had become contaminated, Lone Mountain Springs connected the water distribution pipes in the Big Sky Hidden Village condominium to the Sweetgrass Hills Subdivision water system. Section 69-4-511(1), MCA, provides for the financial responsibility and liability for water service as follows: A property owner is responsible for the costs of constructing privately supplied water service pipelines from the main to his premises and for maintaining service pipelines from his property line to his premises. Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium did not construct the water lines on its premises or the lines from its premises to the main water lines, nor has it paid for the maintenance or repair of the water lines from its property line to its premises. The sewer collection mains also pass through property owned by HVI, the Condominium and on to property owned by third parties. Originally, Rural Improvement District #305 serviced Camper Village Inc.'s property and then serviced both HVI's and the Condominium's property. Rural Improvement District #305 transferred its assets, debts, and liabilities to WSD #363; it included in the assets transferred existing sewer collection pipes serving the Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium. WSD #363 was organized by vote of the citizens of the Big Sky area. All of the sewer and waste water generated by the Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium flows into the sewer collection mains and sewage treatment facility owned by WSD #363. RID #305 maintained the sewer collection system servicing the condominium. RID #305 hired a firm to conduct a video inspection of the sewer mains and hired an irrigation company to dig up and repair portions of the sewer mains serving the Condominium. WSD #363 has also maintained the lines within the Condominium and has given approvals and disapprovals for hook up of additional users within the Condominium. Therefore, WSD #363 clearly exercises indicia of ownership of the sewer lines in the Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium. WSD #363 agreed to provide service to all 198 units in the PUD. Consequently, the annual assessment HVI pays to Gallatin County includes payment to WSD #363. The undisputed evidence contained in the affidavits indicates that Lone Mountain Springs and WSD #363 claim ownership of the systems they operate and maintain. The evidence of maintenance and repair substantiates that claim. To the contrary, although Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium claims ownership of the systems, it provides no evidence to support its claim. The Condominium failed to present a persuasive argument in its brief to support ownership of the water and sewer systems. Therefore, because WSD #363 owns the sewer system that services the Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium and Lone Mountain Springs owns the water system that services the Big Sky Hidden Village Condominium, the District Court correctly determined that Big Sky may not interfere with or control Lone Mountain Springs' or WSD #363's service and hook ups. Affirmed. TURNAGE, C.J., and ERDMANN, GRAY and HUNT, JJ., concur.