Whitmer signs bill amending Land Division Act

On Tuesday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bills 4055 and 4119. House Bill 4055 is sponsored by Representatives Bradley Slagh, Graham Filler, Gary Howell, Julie Brixie, John Cherry, Rachel Hood, Sheryl Kennedy, Gary Eisen, Cynthia Johnson, Lori Stone and Tommy Brann. House Bill 4119 is sponsored by Representative Luke Meerman.

House Bill 4055 amends the Land Division Act to change the requirements for what is considered a completed application for a proposed division of land, bolstering protections for prospective buyers and sellers. Prior to this legislation, Michigan law allowed owners to subdivide land regardless of property tax delinquency status. This bill adds the prerequisite for allowing a parcel to be subdivided that either back taxes be paid in full or tax delinquency be apportioned between owners-in-common. That requirement will make Michigan’s economy more dynamic, improving the marketability of land by protecting prospective buyers from being foreclosed upon due to back taxes of which they were unaware.  

House Bill 4119 will allow a township board to reestablish and maintain a public library under the Charter Township Act. This legislative fix makes clear that certain public libraries originally established under a now-repealed statute are eligible for state aid and distributions of penal fine revenue as if they had been originally established under the Charter Township Act. 

House Bill 4119 and House Bill 4055 passed in the Michigan House on March 19, 2019.