§2364-A. Accurate and verifiable measurements

1.  Standards.  It is the intent of this subchapter that any method of wood scaling or measurement used in wood transactions shall provide an accurate and verifiable count of the volume, quantity, dimension or weight measured, according to the standards established by the state sealer, provided that those standards may be efficiently and conveniently applied in wood transactions, as defined in this subchapter.

[PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

2.  Measurements.  In all wood transactions, no person who scales or measures wood and no person who makes payment to another shall represent a weight, volume, quantity or dimension of wood which is less than the weight, volume, quantity or dimension of wood to be measured.

A. When payment is made for services harvesting wood, all wood that is properly prepared shall be measured in full, without regard to its future merchantability or use. Nothing in this subsection prevents making reasonable deductions based on quantity factors, such as for loose piling, short or undersized wood or for wood that was not designated to be harvested, hauled or chipped.   [PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

B. The written cutting specifications for properly prepared tree stems shall be provided to the person providing the service and shall be signed by the person requiring the service.   [PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

C. When payment is made for services in hauling or trucking wood, all wood that was designated to be hauled and which was hauled, shall be measured in full.   [PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

D. In the sale of wood, all wood that meets the specifications of the parties shall be measured by the terms of the sales contract according to the measurement procedures set forth in section 2363-A that are applicable to a sale of wood, as defined in this subchapter.   [PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

E. When payment is made for services, payment shall be expressed in the same system of measure that was used in making the measurement. Nothing in this subsection may be interpreted to prohibit the use of the standard cord or butt measure.   [PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

F. In the sale of wood, the measurement tally sheet recording the first measurement shall include the name of the landowner from whom the stumpage was purchased. The tally sheet also shall include the name or names of other parties involved in this original transaction.   [PL 1989, c. 102 (NEW).]

G. A person buying stumpage from a landowner shall provide a stumpage sheet or a copy of the measurement tally sheet to the landowner for every truckload sold. The sheet must include:

(1) The name of the landowner;

(2) The name of the contractor;

(3) The name of the hauler;

(4) A description of the product;

(5) The date; and

(6) The destination of the truckload.

This sheet must be provided to the landowner when the person buying the stumpage pays the landowner.   [PL 1989, c. 760 (NEW).]

[PL 1989, c. 102 (AMD); PL 1989, c. 760 (AMD).]

3.  Measurement tally sheet.  When payment is made for services, the person providing the service shall promptly receive a copy of the tally sheet setting forth the total measure of the wood, identifying the person or persons providing the service, the location from which the wood was hauled and the date the measurements were made. If, based upon a complaint involving wood that is taken outside the State, the state sealer, after investigation, has reason to believe that there has been inaccurate measurement of the wood, that the measurement of the wood was inaccurately or incompletely represented on the measurement tally sheet or that a measurement tally sheet for the wood was not promptly provided to the person providing the service, then, except in a case of inadvertent error, the state sealer shall require, for a period of not less than one year, that the person requiring the service measure and provide the person providing the service a completed measurement tally sheet for wood that is taken outside the State.

[PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

4.  Specification for properly prepared wood.  Companies or individuals buying wood for processing shall give contractors or landowners written specifications for properly prepared wood. No deductions for quality or future merchantability may be made for properly prepared wood, meeting the written specifications which have been provided by the companies and individuals buying the wood.

[PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW).]

SECTION HISTORY

PL 1983, c. 804, §7 (NEW). PL 1989, c. 102 (AMD). PL 1989, c. 760 (AMD).