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 […]

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 […]

Governor Gretchen Whitmer previously signed House Bill 5120 (now Public Act 233 of 2023) into law in November 2023. The regulations, which specifically affect municipalities and developers, create a new siting path for utility-scale wind, solar, and energy storage facilities with the Michigan Public Service Commission (“MPSC”) and become effective on November 29, 2024. Once effective, it is critical that clean energy developers and municipalities become familiar with this new […]

Attorneys John Gwyn and Joel Ashton, along with Paralegal Bryan Harkins, are at the United Condominium Owners of Michigan (UCOM) 50th Anniversary 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.