Written by Forrest Wall, CAE, Staff Vice President and Industry Relations
Supreme Court Rules on Rental Fee Case
A court case involving a challenge to the City of Jackson’s rental property inspection fee has taken an interesting turn. After rulings by both the Jackson Circuit Court and Michigan Court of Appeals that the inspection fee was appropriate, the Michigan Supreme Court overturned the appellate court decision and called for the Jackson Circuit Court to appoint a special master for a full hearing on the plaintiff’s claims. The majority utilized the dissent from one of the Appeals Court judges, which calls into question if the fee in question is actually a tax, and thus violates the Headlee Amendment.
Help AAM-PAC Make A Difference In This Election!
The primary is behind us and now it is on to the general election. With the Governor’s office, all 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives, all 38 seats in the Michigan Senate, and other key leadership posts up for election this year, it is imperative that business owners are involved in the political process.
One great way to have your voice heard is to support AAM-PAC. AAM-PAC is the Apartment Association’s political action committee, which utilizes contributions from members and aggregates them into one fund. This fund is used to financially support those elected officials who understand the important role of rental housing in Michigan’s economy. In short, we do the legwork for you to find the candidates who will best represent your business, and then support their campaign.
AAM has been very successful in recent years, including the following victories:
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Trespasser Liability – new law protecting property owners from liability in situations where trespassers are injured on the property.
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Interest Rate on Tax Tribunal Appeals – increased the statutory interest rate on Tax Tribunal appeals.
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Nonrecourse Mortgage Loan Provisions – helped to rectify the problems with certain loan covenants in nonrecourse commercial loan transactions.
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AAM’s top legislative priority for this session is our proposal for Apartment Inspection Law Reform.
Remember, AAM-PAC contributions must be made via personal, partnership, LLP, or LLC check or credit cards. Please call me at 248-862-1004 to make your contribution today!