Montana Code Annotated

Mont. Code Ann. § 28-3-202 (2026)

Effect To Be Given To Every Part Of Contract

✓ current as of May 2026
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TITLE 28. CONTRACTS AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS

CHAPTER 3. INTERPRETATION OF CONTRACTS

Part 2. General Rules of Interpretation

Effect To Be Given To Every Part Of Contract

28-3-202. Effect to be given to every part of contract. The whole of a contract is to be taken together so as to give effect to every part if reasonably practicable, each clause helping to interpret the other.

History: En. Sec. 2206, Civ. C. 1895; re-en. Sec. 5030, Rev. C. 1907; re-en. Sec. 7532, R.C.M. 1921; Cal. Civ. C. Sec. 1641; Field Civ. C. Sec. 806; re-en. Sec. 7532, R.C.M. 1935; R.C.M. 1947, 13-707.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 71 cases (16 in the last 5 years), 1979–2026 · leading case: Mattson v. Montana Power Co., 2009 MT 286, 215 P.3d 675.
Mattson v. Montana Power Co., 2009 MT 286, 215 P.3d 675. · cites it 10× “Section 28-3-202, MCA. The language of a contract is to govern its interpretation if the language is clear and explicit and does not involve an absurdity.”
State Ex Rel. Bullock v. Philip Morris, Inc., 2009 MT 261, 217 P.3d 475. · cites it 12× “" Section 28-3-202, MCA. "The language of a contract is to govern its interpretation if the language is clear and explicit and does not involve an absurdity.”
Anderson v. Stokes, 2007 MT 166, 163 P.3d 1273. · cites it 9× “” Section 28-3-202, MCA. If the language of a contract is unambiguous-i.”
Richards v. JTL Grp., Inc., 2009 MT 173, 212 P.3d 264. · cites it 6× “" Section 28-3-202, MCA. "The language of a contract is to govern its interpretation if the language is clear and explicit and does not involve an absurdity.”
Broadwater Dev., L.L.C. v. Nelson, 2009 MT 317, 219 P.3d 492. · cites it 6× “Section 28-3-202, MCA. To be a valid conveyance, the writing must (1) identify the grantor and the grantee, (2) adequately describe what is being conveyed, (3) contain language of conveyance, and (4) be signed.”
Carbon Cnty. v. Union Reserve Coal Co., Inc., 898 P.2d 680 (Mont. 1995). · cites it 4× “When looking to other parts of the deed as prescribed by § 28-3-202, MCA, we see that the deed provided only for a per ton royalty on coal but did not provide for a royalty on the coal seam methane gas.”
Daniels v. Thomas, Dean & Hoskins, Inc., 804 P.2d 359 (Mont. 1990). · cites it 6× “While paragraph seventeen specifies how much a terminated shareholder will be paid under certain conditions, paragraph sixteen specifies when the payment will be made.”
Corp. Air v. Edwards Jet Ctr., 2008 MT 283, 190 P.3d 1111. · cites it 3× “” Section 28-3-202, MCA. “The language of a contract is to govern its interpretation if the language is clear and explicit and does not involve an absurdity.”
Krajacich v. Great Falls Clinic, LLP, 2012 MT 82, 276 P.3d 922. · cites it 4× “3d 264 (quoting § 28-3-202, MCA). "It is [a] well-established principle of contractual construction that in interpreting a written instrument, the court will not isolate certain phrases of the instrument to garner the intent of the parties, but will grasp the instrument by its…”
Weter v. Archambault, 2002 MT 336, 61 P.3d 771. · cites it 6× “" Section 28-3-202, MCA. ¶ 24 The provision most important to the sale of tract "G" is paragraph 3(b) of the 1993 Contract, which provides: In the event that BUYERS [Archambaults] desire certain portions of the realty, the SELLER [Weter] agrees to allow such sales and to accept…”
In Re the Marriage of Oehlke, 2002 MT 79, 46 P.3d 49. · cites it 3× “Section 28-3-202, MCA (the whole of a contract is to be taken together so as to give effect to every part if reasonably practicable).”
Travelers Cas. & Sur. Co. v. Ribi Immunochem Rsch., Inc., 2005 MT 50, 108 P.3d 469. · cites it 2× “Sokolowski , ¶ 15 (citing § 28-3-202, MCA). We now extend Sokolowski’s holding to the standard pollution exclusion in a CGL policy.”
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