Traverse City, Michigan, and its surrounding areas are known for their vibrant real estate market, offering a mix of picturesque waterfront properties and cozy family cottages. Amidst this bustling market, understanding the intricacies of property tax capping becomes essential for buyers, sellers, and inheritors alike. Michigan’s property tax capping laws are designed to keep property…
Category: Real Estate Law
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.
1 CommentMichigan Property Line Encroachment Laws: What They Mean for You Good fences make good neighbors…so long as that fence isn’t violating your property line! Property line encroachment is serious; after all, your property is yours and yours alone. Learn about your rights as a property owner and the proper way to address issues of encroachment…
Author: Katie J. Sabo, Esq. Earlier this year, a change to Michigan’s Marketable Record Title Act (“Act”) took effect that requires property owners to take action or risk losing certain property interests. In general, the purpose of the Act is to ensure that a property purchaser obtains “marketable title.” According to the Act, title is marketable…
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…
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…
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…
Author: George E. Powell Election season is upon us, and consequently, the heavily debated Proposal 3 will finally be up for vote. Unless you have missed the litany of yard-signage and continuous local media coverage, you would surely know that there is a contentious battle being waged over an amendment to Traverse City’s Charter. The amendment…
Author: Daniel J. Dingeman The ability to remove trees in connection with land development is limited by various types of woodlands regulation. In the development context, this regulation focuses on not only on the restrictions on tree removal, but also on controlling soil erosion and sedimentation. The latter focus, which will not be discussed in any…
Author: George E. Powell The snow has (finally) melted. Northern Michigan residents can now dig through closets for their sandals, beach towels and swim trunks. Seasonal changes bring more than wardrobe changes, however—the warm months escort in droves of construction and land development projects. Such projects are not always as clean and tidy as they appear from…
Property owners and construction clients often come to us for advice after already starting a building or development project because the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has informed them that their activities have impacted a wetland. Unfortunately, it is often too late at this point to avoid serious consequences. While there are certain procedures available that…