Protecting Your Inheritance: How a Recent Michigan Court Decision Empowers Property Heirs When a loved one passes away and leaves you their home, what happens if a dispute arises over who really owns it? Do you have to wait for the deceased person’s estate to handle the legal battle, or can you take action yourself? A recent unpublished decision by the Michigan Court of Appeals, Ohla Young v. Lisa Marie […]

John Gwyn, an attorney in the Firm’s Livonia office, attended the 2026 Community Association Institute Law Seminar in San Diego, CA from January 14-16, hosted by the College of Community Association Lawyers (CCAL). Seminar topics included discussions on recent trends in state legislation that restrict or prohibit associations from regulating solar energy and other energy-efficient and environmentally conscious innovations in their communities; a nationwide overview of law enforcement compliance risks […]

John Gwyn, an attorney in the Firm’s Livonia office, provides a brief summary of some of the key legislative changes that have taken effect or will be taking effect in Michigan in 2025. These updates are particularly relevant to property owners, employers, and those involved in real estate. ​Real Estate & Property Law Changes: ​Recent legislative action has introduced new requirements for homeowners’ associations (HOAs) and addressed issues of housing […]

Greg Grant and Matt Cross, partners in our Traverse City office, recently obtained summary disposition in a premises liability case involving a Northern Michigan condominium association. The claim involved a visitor to Traverse City, who slipped and fell on ice in the condominium association’s parking lot. The association had relied upon a snow removal contractor to address the accumulation of snow and ice in the parking lot. While the contractor’s […]

Attorneys John Gwyn and Gary Klein are at the United Condominium Owners of Michigan (UCOM) 51st Annual Conference today at the San Marino Club in Troy, MI. If you are attending the Conference, please stop by CMDA’s booth. We look forward to sharing information on the legal services the Firm’s Community Association and Real Estate Law practice group provides.

The latest issue of the Oakland County Bar Association’s LACHES publication features an article on “Construction Law: The Ripple Effect of Skilled Trade Shortages in Michigan,” written by John D. Gwyn. In the past five years, the construction industry in Michigan has faced formidable business challenges, including a severe shortage of skilled tradespeople. This phenomenon is having a ripple effect across the entire sector and has impacted contractors, subcontractors, and […]

Attorneys John Gwyn, Joel Ashton, and Gary Klein from the Firm’s Community Association and Real Estate Law practice group are at the Community Associations Institute (CAI) Annual Conference and Expo today, Friday, March 14. If you are attending the Conference, please plan on stopping by CMDA’s booth (#201). We look forward to sharing information on the various legal services our Firm’s Community Association and Real Estate Law practice group provides.

John D. Gwyn, an attorney in the Firm’s Livonia office, is a contributor to the Institute of Continuing Legal Education’s (ICLE) recent on-demand seminar on short-term rentals. He was asked by ICLE to contribute to the seminar based on his experience with real estate law, community association law, and municipal law. The seminar provides insight into the various ways communities are attempting to regulate short-term rentals, from zoning regulations to […]

Michigan House Bill 5598, signed into law recently as Public Act 154 of 2024, aims to strengthen the penalties for those who knowingly submit fraudulent documents related to real estate transactions. The bill amends a prior Act designed to punish individuals who file false or fraudulent conveyances of real estate with the intent to deceive. Prior to this amendment, the law primarily focused on the act of recording fraudulent documents, […]

In a divided opinion, the Michigan Supreme Court recently ruled that a condominium co-owner who was injured while on common elements of a complex can maintain a premises liability action against a condominium association. In the case of Janini v. London Townhouses Condominium Association (Docket No. 164158; decided July 11 2024). The court held: “A co-owner of a condominium unit in a condominium project is an invitee when that person […]