37-9-301 occurs.

37-9-301 occurs.

(b) The penalty imposed under subsection (a) of this section applies to any railroad corporation failing to comply with W.S. 37-9-311.

37-9-303. Fireguards; liability for damages.

(a) Every railroad corporation operating its line of road, or any part of it, within this state, shall be liable for all damages by fire resulting from or caused by operating any such line of road together with suppression costs, established by the department of transportation, and any damages and costs in any court of competent jurisdiction.

(b) Any damage and suppression cost may be recovered by the party damaged if an action is brought by the party injured within one (1) year next after said damages shall have been inflicted or caused. An injured party who recovers more than has been last offered in writing by the railroad under this section may be awarded reasonable attorney fees and other costs incurred in seeking recovery under this section if it is determined that the railroad acted unreasonably and without cause.

37-9-304. Fences and cattle guards; generally.

(a) All railway corporations, owning or operating a line of railway within the state, shall construct, maintain and keep in repair on each side of the track thereof, a sufficient fence which meets or exceeds department of transportation fencing standards, so connected with suitable cattle guards at all public road crossings as to prevent stock from getting on the railroad track of the corporation. The fence shall be constructed within nine (9) months after the completion of any railroad track or any part thereof; provided, that railway corporations shall not be required to construct and maintain a fence within the boundaries of any incorporated city or town.

(b) Any corporation failing to comply with this section is subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100.00) nor more than seven hundred fifty dollars ($750.00) for each day during which a violation continues. Each county in which there is a failure to comply with this section shall constitute a separate violation. This penalty shall be prosecuted and collected pursuant to the provisions of W.S. 37-9-302.

(c) No fine shall be assessed under subsection (b) of this section against a corporation that has on file with the department of transportation an approved plan for fence construction, reconstruction and maintenance so long as the corporation is in full compliance with the terms and conditions of the approved plan.

37-9-305. Fences and cattle guards; liability for damages.

Any corporation operating a railway and failing to fence the same and to construct and maintain suitable cattle guards as required by W.S. 37-9-304, shall be liable to the owner or owners of any livestock killed or injured by reason of its failure to construct or keep in repair the fence or cattle guard in the manner provided in W.S. 37-9-304, for the full amount of the damage sustained by the owner on account thereof and to make a prima facie case for recovery, it shall only be necessary for the owner to prove the loss or injury to his property; provided, that no corporation operating a railroad shall be liable for any damage occasioned by the willful act of the owner or of his agent or employees or for stock killed or injured on public road crossings unless negligence on the part of the corporation, its agents, servants or employees can be shown.

37-9-306. Injury to stock; definitions.

For the purpose of this article the terms "livestock" and "stock" shall include all classes of horses, asses, mules, cattle, sheep, swine, buffalo, beefalo, llamas and other domesticated animals.

37-9-307. Injury to stock; notice to owner; procedure if owner unknown.

Any railroad corporation injuring or killing any livestock, by running any engine, car or cars, over or against the livestock, shall immediately notify the owner or owners, a brand inspector or the department of transportation, giving a full description, including the number, classes and brands, of the livestock, naming the locality where the stock was killed or injured. It shall be the responsibility of the corporation to retrieve the animal injured or killed after identification and notification, and dispose of the animal within ten (10) days from the date of notification.

37-9-308. Injury to stock; owner to make sworn statement of value.

Any person owning any livestock which is killed or injured, in the manner set forth in W.S. 37-9-307, shall within thirty (30) days after the person is notified of the killing or injuring, as provided in W.S. 37-9-307, furnish the corporation having killed or injured the livestock, through its nearest agent, sworn evidence of the value of the livestock. The corporation shall then report to the department of transportation within thirty (30) days, receipt of the sworn evidence of the value of the livestock killed or injured.

37-9-309. Payment of claims; time; interest; costs.

(a) Any railroad corporation liable for the payment of claims for damages from fire and livestock killed or injured shall either pay or reject the claim within sixty (60) days after notice and evidence of the claim is furnished by the claimant. All claims shall include information necessary for the railroad to verify property damage, value of property damages, and propriety of claim with all supporting bills, when available. Claims shall not be deemed filed until the information has been received by the railroad. A claim which is not rejected or paid within sixty (60) days shall be deemed granted and shall constitute a lien upon the property of the railroad. Claims which are unpaid after sixty (60) days shall draw interest at the rate of eighteen percent (18%) per annum until paid, whether voluntarily or by court judgment and order.

(b) With respect to any property damage caused by a railroad, the court shall order the railroad corporation to pay the reasonable attorney fees and court costs incurred by a property owner if the court finds that the railroad corporation did not negotiate in good faith to establish the reasonable value of damages caused to the property owner by the railroad, or if the property owner was required to initiate legal proceedings against the railroad corporation to enforce a judgment for damages.

37-9-310. Authority of department of transportation to adopt rules and regulations; information to be provided. The department of transportation shall adopt rules and regulations in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act prescribing standards for fireguards, fences and cattle guards erected and maintained by railroad corporations. The department of transportation shall provide private property owners with information on where to file a claim in the case of damage to private property caused by railroads.

37-9-311. Spraying weeds on rights-of-way.

It shall further be the duty of the railroad to spray noxious weeds on rights-of-way to prevent spread to adjoining lands.

37-9-312. Immediate or urgent fence repairs.

(a) After notification to the railroad and the department of transportation by the landowner concerning any damaged fence or a fence in disrepair, the landowner shall have the right to be reimbursed by the railroad for the reasonable and customary costs for such repairs, provided:

(i) The landowner gives the railroad specific information concerning the location of the damage;

(ii) Following the notice by the landowner, the railroad fails to commit that it will make the repairs within three (3) business days of the initial notice by the landowner or fails to complete the repairs within five (5) business days or within a mutually agreed upon time from the date of the initial notice by the landowner; and

(iii) The need for repair is of an immediate or urgent nature as determined by the landowner and the department of transportation.

(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed as a prohibition against a railroad immediately repairing the fence, the adjacent landowner and the railroad mutually agreeing to other terms for such repairs, or to an adjacent landowner making such repairs at his own expense.

(c) Repairs made by a landowner pursuant to this section shall not be deemed to create any continuing duty or any landowner liability.

ARTICLE 4 - DEPOTS; SALE OF TICKETS; DEMURRAGE  37-9-401. Establishment of depots; when required; deviation to avoid establishment prohibited.

No railroad company shall construct or operate a railroad within four (4) miles of any existing town or city without providing a suitable depot or stopping place at the nearest practicable point for the convenience of said town or city, and stopping all trains doing local business at said stopping place. No railroad company shall deviate from the most direct practicable line in constructing a railroad for the purpose of avoiding the provisions of this section.

37-9-402. Establishment of depots; prosecution; notice to railroad.

Whenever it shall come to the knowledge of the district attorney for any county in this state, or whenever complaint shall be made to such officer by any citizen or citizens thereof, that any railroad corporation or company doing business and running trains in or through such county is neglecting or refusing to provide a suitable depot or stopping place as provided by W.S.