69-14-701. Maintenance of fences -- exception -- penalty. (1) Railroad corporations shall build and maintain a legal fence on both sides of their track and property and maintain cattle guards at all crossings over which cattle or other domestic animals cannot pass, except that a fence is not required in places where water ditches, embankments, terrain, or other sufficient protection prevents domestic animals from straying onto the right-of-way. An affected landowner or lessee may construct, maintain, or repair a fence subject to approval and reimbursement by the railroad corporation.

(2) If a railroad corporation does not build and maintain the fence and guards and its engines or cars, because of the lack of a fence or maintenance of a fence, kill or maim cattle or other domestic animals upon its line of road, it must pay to the owner of the cattle or other domestic animals, in all cases, a fair market price for the animal, unless it occurred through the neglect or fault of the owner of the animal killed or maimed; however, nothing in this section may be construed to prevent a person from recovering damages from a railroad corporation for its negligent killing or injury to cattle or other domestic animals at spurs, sidings, Ys, crossings, and turntables.

(3) An affected landowner or lessee may file a complaint with the public service commission when a fence is in disrepair or in need of maintenance. The public service commission shall certify that the fence is in need of repair and notify the railroad corporation responsible for the fence. The public service commission shall forward a copy of the complaint, a certification that the fence is in need of repair, and a verification that the railroad corporation was notified to the county attorney of the county within which the site of the fence in disrepair is located. Upon notice, the railroad corporation responsible for the fence shall repair the fence within 30 days, weather permitting. A railroad corporation failing to repair the fence within 30 days of notification shall pay a fine of $100 plus $50 a day each day after the 30th day of notification, for failure to repair the fence. The fine must be recovered in a civil action and deposited in the county general fund. It is the duty of the county attorney of the county within which the site of the fence in disrepair is located to prosecute the action.

History: En. Sec. 1, p. 267, L. 1891; en. Sec. 950, Civ. C. 1895; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 29, L. 1905; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 59, L. 1907; re-en. Sec. 4308, Rev. C. 1907; re-en. Sec. 6540, R.C.M. 1921; Cal. Civ. C. Sec. 485; re-en. Sec. 6540, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 72-401; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 363, L. 1993.