UPDATE 12-5-07: The 6% services tax enacted by the Michigan legislature went briefly into — and then out of — effect, on December 1, 2007. The repeal legislation retroactively exempted all potentially covered transactions from tax liability. I have spent the last day analyzing the bill text of the new Michigan services tax law enacted [...]

UPDATE 12-5-07: The 6% services tax enacted by the Michigan legislature went briefly into — and then out of — effect, on December 1, 2007. The repeal legislation retroactively exempted all potentially covered transactions from tax liability. Michigan state legislators have avoided a state government shutdown by reaching a comprehensive budget agreement which includes budget [...]

This week, the Michigan Supreme Court upheld a 1996 never-enforced voter ID law, which requires Michigan voters to produce valid photo IDs in order to vote. The law has been the subject of controversy on both privacy and economic grounds — privacy advocates condemn any linking of basic constitutional rights and liberties with identification such [...]

Michigan’s Proposed Sales Tax on Services: A Whole New Reporting Headache As part of her effort to balance the state’s budget, Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm has proposed a new 2% sales and use tax on services. This tax would be collected in the same manner as the existing 6% sales and use tax for goods: [...]

Clients often place an undue emphasis on “the dotted line” in thinking about whether a deal is done, or not done. Do you need to sign on the dotted line, to have an enforceable contract? According to Michigan courts, not necessarily. It goes without saying that a written contract signed by the parties is always [...]

According to the Michigan Court of Appeals, attorneys who are representing themselves in a case where attorneys’ fees may be awarded, are entitled to receive the value of what they would have billed to a client to handle the matter, as attorneys’ fees. In Omdahl v. West Iron County Board of Education, the plaintiff was [...]

Here’s something to warm the cockles of a real estate developer’s heart. The Michigan Court of Appeals recently held that Michigan’s Real Estate Transfer Tax should be assessed on the value of the property at the time of transfer, and not on the value of the property after the home is built. Lake Forest Partners [...]

“Reckless negligence” Found In Designing Home Sale Flyer Let’s look at the legal gyrations in one of these all-too-common purchase disputes over the condition of the home, after the keys and the money have been exchanged. The Realtor® generated one of those highly appealing, “Take One”-at-the-signpost type pieces listing all the features and advantages of [...]

New Year’s Shoot-Em-Up Resulted In Stiffer Liquor Law D-town’s legendary partiers have (over)done it again. The results were: a revamped liquor law that makes it clear that any “convenience” (music, dancing, plastic cups, ice, refrigerator storage, entry to the event itself) offered to a guest in exchange for money, where the guest is allowed to [...]

Fine Print Can Shorten Your Time To Sue Maybe you’ve got a new job and you’re being asked to sign a standard employment contract. Or maybe you are an existing employee and your company is belatedly putting written agreements into place. Or, maybe you are an employer or a small company who hires workers under [...]