On July 7, Judge James Robert Redford issued an Order staying implementation of the Residential Building Code and Michigan Uniform Energy Code updates. The proposed updates in question were aiming to increase energy efficiency in homes. Learn more about the allegations of improper “cost-effective” analysis and the implications it could have on single family home construction.
On Wednesday, July 9, 2025 the Michigan Supreme Court affirmed the Michigan Court of Appeals’ ruling from July of 2023 “by equal division of the Court”, meaning that a
majority of the Justices did not reach a common basis for resolution. This leaves the Court of Appeals decision intact and binding, which had held that private lake
community restrictions prohibiting property owners from using their properties as short- term rentals (Melvin R. Berlin Revocable Trust et al. v. Thomas C. Rubin et al.).
The Michigan legislature recently amended the Michigan Marketable Record Title Act via HB5611 to delay the time period for property owners and associations to record notices to preserve interests and use restrictions until March 29, 2024 – an extension of three years....
A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment, commonly referred to as an “ESA” or “Phase I,” researches current and historical uses of real estate as part of a commercial real estate transaction. A Phase I assesses whether previous real estate uses have impacted the soil...
Every 10 years, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) releases updated editions of its flagship design and construction agreements, the most recent of which AIA published in 2017. The 2017 revisions were unexceptional. For the most part, commonly negotiated...