15-2-304. Petition for interlocutory adjudication. (1) (a) Either party, within 30 days of the filing of an answer to an appeal before the Montana tax appeal board, may file a petition for an interlocutory adjudication under 15-2-305. The petition may be filed with the district court:

(i) in the first judicial district;

(ii) in the county in which the taxable property is located; or

(iii) in cases not involving property taxes, in the county where the taxpayer resides or has the taxpayer's principal place of business in the state.

(b) The petition may raise any question involving procedure, the admissibility of evidence, or a substantive question of law raised by the pleadings within 30 days of filing an answer to the appeal with the Montana tax appeal board.

(c) A nonpetitioning party shall respond to the petition within 30 days after service of the petition. The response may raise any question not raised in the petition involving procedure, the admissibility of evidence, or a substantive question of law.

(2) After the 30-day period specified in subsection (1)(b) but before arguments have been heard, the parties to the proceeding may jointly petition a district court to make an interlocutory adjudication as provided under 15-2-305. A petition for an adjudication must be signed by each party to the proceeding.

(3) In a petition under subsection (1) or (2), one party must be designated as the petitioner and every other party must be designated a respondent. The court may in its discretion grant a petition if it appears that the issues presented involve procedure, the admissibility of evidence, or a substantive question of law and do not require the determination of questions of fact and that the controversy would be more expeditiously resolved by an adjudication. If the court grants a petition, it shall rule on all issues presented in the petition and the response, regardless of whether a ruling on less than all of the issues is dispositive of the case.