Advocating for public and private access issues since 1988.
Colleen was teaching other lawyers, surveyors, and real estate professionals about public easements and road law before she represented her first easement client. She began presenting Public Road Law seminars in 1988-89 as a Deputy County Attorney. Now, she is recognized statewide as an authority on public and private access issues, representing clients and litigating access before courts throughout the state of Montana. She is also specialist in land use, subdivision, and zoning law, and has a great deal of experience in practicing before local government boards and commissions.
Colleen is currently using her aptitude for seeing both sides of the picture to introduce a mediation service into her practice.
Colleen’s key to understanding the issues in land and access disputes is to leave no stone unturned and to effectively use the information uncovered.
Contact
➤ LOCATION
120 West Broadway Suite B
Missoula, MT 59802
☎ CONTACT
colleen@dowdall-law.com
(406) 240-5949
Areas of Practice
ACCESS AND easements
Colleen has been practicing “access” law for over 30 years - before it was fashionable. She has seen it all. Her experience has helped neighbors resolve simple disputes over issues such as use of a driveway or who has to (or gets to) maintain a road, by providing straightforward legal advice.
Other disputes include litigation and Colleen has tried of some of the most significant public access vs private property rights cases in Montana. Colleen represents landowners state-wide in these disputes. These cases are complex. They have high emotion. Everything a lawyer could ask for.
Land Use
Local government has the right to control the use of real property by its owners, within limits. Colleen represents private property owners, negotiating that fine line between the government’s right to regulate and the landowners’ right to use their property.
Colleen worked for County government for 13 years. While in this role, she reviewed new legislation and wrote regulations to implement new legislation. All cities and counties in Montana regulate land use under the same set of statutes but they operate under widely disparate interpretations of those statutes. Colleen gained an intimate knowledge of the “backstory” behind modern land use regulation in Montana, allowing her to represent clients throughout the state.
Real Estate
Buying and selling real estate has become routine and most deals never require an attorney. Some cases, however, require an analysis of a title history or resolution of other issues and you may need representation. Colleen has over 30 years of experience working in the area of real estate law.
Mediation
Most judicial districts require that parties formally mediate their cases. Colleen’s experience as a regulator and as a representative of landowners provides the unique perspective of seeing both sides of an issue. The bottom line is that Colleen is good at settling cases.
“We must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law of nature.”
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