Since the passage of Michigan’s new law providing for the lawful operation and licensing of commercial medical marijuana facilities, communities across the state have been grappling with whether they want the cannabis industry in their town. Although there is wide support among Michigan residents for the lawful use of medical marijuana, municipalities have been slow…
The Dingeman & Dancer Blog consists of articles, news, and press releases written and edited by the attorneys and legal professionals at our firm, providing updates on both recent legal developments and established advice and guidance. Choose from the various topics listed in the sidebar menu to narrow in on a particular focus.
On January 26, 2018, Governor Rick Snyder signed Public Act 10 of 2018, amending (and improving) several sections of the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (the “MMFLA”). The Act is designed to ensure a smooth transition into the MMFLA, cleans up a number of obvious inefficient aspects of the existing law, and adds protections to…
In Rentschler v Township of Melrose, No. 33633, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a homeowner who claimed he was entitled to a homestead exemption on property that he rented for more than 14 days in a year. Michigan’s Principal Residence Exemption (PRE), also referred to as the “homestead” exemption, exempts a principal…
The IRS announced that the federal gift and estate tax exemption, which increases annually with inflation, will be $5.6 million per individual in 2018 (or $11.2 million for a married couple), a $110,000 increase from the 2017 exemption level of $5.49 million. The increase also applies automatically to the generation-skipping transfer tax exemption. In addition, the…
In September 2016, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed three Medical Marijuana laws (Acts 281, 282, and 283), providing for lawful operation and licensing of medical marijuana facilities in Michigan. The permitted facilities will be licensed and highly regulated by the State (governed by Acts 281 and 283) under the purview of the State’s Licensing and…
Author: George E. Powell Michigan, on the heels of economic hardship, recently amended the 2008 Medical Marihuana Act. The legislature sought to establish a framework for a responsible medical marihuana marketplace—as well as to expand tax revenue opportunity and promote job growth. Estimates have shown that that the state could generate between $44.3 million to…
What Are Dower Rights? Dating back centuries, dower rights existed to give women (who couldn’t own property when the rights were first employed) the right to one-third of their deceased husband’s real estate. The original intent behind dower rights was to ensure married women had the means to support themselves and any children after the…
Michigan has just taken a big step toward modernizing its trust laws. With the recent passage of the Qualified Dispositions in Trusts Act, Michigan is now one of a small group of states that allows individuals to create what is known as a “domestic asset protection trust” (DAPT), which is a flexible tool for transferring and…
Effective January 1, 2017, the Michigan minimum wage increased from $8.50 to $8.90 per hour. This change is the third of four scheduled increases that are part of the 2014 legislation to raise the state’s wage floor for most adults working in hourly positions (excluding tipped positions) in places with two or more employees age…
Buyers and sellers of real estate have the option of using a unique financing mechanism that can, in certain situations, provide a superior means of structuring a property sale. This mechanism, known as a land contract, is a popular form of seller financing used in real estate transactions (often residential) that serves an alternative to…
