7-6-4304. Issuance of duplicate warrants and checks. (1) A duplicate warrant or check may be issued by the appropriate municipal officer whenever an instrument drawn by the officer upon the municipality is lost or destroyed. The duplicate warrant or check must be in the same form as the original except that it must have plainly printed across its face the word "duplicate". Except as provided in subsection (2), a duplicate warrant or check may not be issued or delivered unless the person entitled to receive it deposits with the issuing municipal officer a bond in double the amount for which the duplicate warrant or check is issued, conditioned to hold the municipality and its officers harmless on account of the issuance of the duplicate warrant or check.

(2) A bond of indemnity is not required when:

(a) the payee is the U.S. government, a state of the United States, an agency, instrumentality, or officer of the U.S. government or of a state, county, city, city and county, town, district, or other political subdivision of a state, or an officer of an enumerated entity;

(b) the owner or custodian is the state of Montana or an agency or officer of the state;

(c) the owner or custodian is a bank, savings and loan association, admitted insurer, or trust company whose financial condition is regulated by the U.S. government or by the state of Montana;

(d) the amount of the lost or destroyed warrant or check is less than $100;

(e) it can be established that a crime has been committed, and as a result of the crime, the warrant or check was stolen or destroyed;

(f) it can be established that the warrant or check was mailed to an incorrect payee; or

(g) the payee is a vendor or contractor doing business with the municipality.

(3) Whenever the owner or custodian applies under the provisions of subsection (2)(e), (2)(f), or (2)(g), a stop-payment order must be placed on the original warrant or check by the municipality.

(4) Whenever the owner or custodian applies under the provisions of subsection (2)(c), (2)(d), (2)(e), (2)(f), or (2)(g), the application must include an agreement to indemnify and hold harmless the municipality or its officers and employees from any loss resulting from the issuance of a duplicate warrant or check. Any loss incurred in connection with the issuance of a duplicate warrant or check must be charged against the account from which the payment was derived.