Minn. Stat. § 90.173 – Purchaser's or Assignee's Cash Deposit in Lieu of Bond

(a) In lieu of filing the bond required by section 90.161 or 90.171, as security for the issuance or assignment of a timber permit, the person required to file the bond may deposit with the commissioner cash; a certified check; a cashier's check; a personal check; a postal, bank, or express money order; or an irrevocable bank letter of credit in the same amount as would be required for a bond. All of the conditions of the timber sale bond shall equally apply to the alternatives in lieu of bond. In the event of a default the state may take from the deposit the sum of money to which it is entitled; the remainder, if any, shall be returned to the person making the deposit. When cash is deposited for a bond, it shall be applied to the amount due when a statement is prepared and transmitted to the permit holder pursuant to section 90.181. Any balance due to the state shall be shown on the statement and shall be paid as provided in section 90.181. Any amount of the deposit in excess of the amount determined to be due pursuant to section
90.181 shall be returned to the permit holder when a final statement is transmitted pursuant to that section. All or part of a cash bond may be withheld from application to an amount due on a nonfinal statement if it appears that the total amount due on the permit will exceed the bid price.
(b) If an irrevocable bank letter of credit is provided as security under paragraph (a), at the written request of the permittee the state shall annually allow the amount of the bank letter of credit to be reduced by an amount proportionate to the value of timber that has been harvested and for which the state has received payment under the timber permit. The remaining amount of the bank letter of credit after a reduction under this paragraph must not be less than the value of the timber remaining to be harvested under the timber permit.
(c) If cash; a certified check; a cashier's check; a personal check; or a postal, bank, or express money order is provided as security under paragraph (a) and no cutting of state timber has taken place on the permit, the commissioner may credit the security provided, less any deposit required by sections 90.14 and 90.163, to any other permit to which the permit holder requests in writing that it be credited.