Kristen Rewa, an attorney in our Grand Rapids office, was a presenter at the 35th Annual Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys (MAMA) Advanced Institute Virtual Conference. She spoke to MAMA members on the complaint response process used by the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR), Michigan Civil Rights Commission and shared some best practices for municipal attorneys when assisting a municipality with a civil rights’ complaint. The participants enjoyed the […]

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news that one of CMDA’s founding fathers, Gerald C. Davis, passed away peacefully on March 23, 2021. A strong and stabilizing voice in the operation of the Firm, Mr. Davis focused his practice on business law, employment and labor law, and litigation. He became an attorney in 1972 and provided guidance and mentorship to many attorneys over his lengthy and successful […]

CMDA is proud to announce that Ronald G. Acho has been selected as a member of the Michigan Lawyers Weekly Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Each year, Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW) recognizes 21 legal leaders for their successful careers and valuable contributions to the community. The MiLW Hall of Fame honors lawyers over the age of 60 who have practiced law for 30 years or more. Criteria for inclusion […]

Please join us in welcoming Carol A. Smith to the Firm. She has joined CMDA as an attorney in the Firm’s Livonia office. Ms. Smith focuses her practice on insurance defense matters. She has considerable litigation and trial experience representing clients in third-party auto claims, as well as first-party no-fault and uninsured motorist claims. Additionally, she advises clients on numerous areas of law, including insurance coverage, general liability, personal injury […]

Please join us in welcoming Joseph Ramirez to the Firm. He has joined CMDA as an attorney in the Firm’s Kansas City office. Mr. Ramirez focuses his practice on business law, municipal law, insurance defense, and litigation. He writes briefs for submission to all levels of state and federal courts, argues cases in all levels of state and federal courts of appeals, and performs research for all areas of law […]

Construction agreements can often be some of the most costly expenses that condominium associations and homeowner associations (HOAs) will ever review and consider for approval regarding their common element projects. However, many associations neglect to retain legal counsel who has the expertise needed to draft and implement the most effective terms and agreements. Instead, Boards of Directors focus mostly on securing competitive bids, as most associations are required to do […]

Question: Can the Board of a Condominium Association or HOA post a list of delinquent members on the Association’s website to shame them into paying? In a word, NO. Associations who post a list of delinquent members by name may face a defamation/slander lawsuit or violate other privacy protections by doing so if the information is incorrect. (Some Board’s and management companies may also be slow to update the list […]

If you are a Board Member of a condominium or homeowners’ association, you may encounter residents who do not pay their monthly or annual assessments on time. Although an association’s governing documents, along with Michigan law, outline the procedure for collecting assessments, they do not always include the timing or strategies involved. A collection policy is the foundation of a successful assessment collection program in order to maintain necessary cash […]

Congratulations to Jonathan D. Wylie who was sworn in as an attorney on November 9, 2020 during a virtual ceremony in Honorable Carla Testani’s courtroom in Wayne County Circuit Court. The swearing-in ceremony is a significant event in the life of a lawyer and signifies the day when years of hard work reach fruition. Mr. Wylie joined CMDA as a law clerk in December 2019. He is highly intelligent and […]

Access to state and local government meetings has been a hallmark of American democracy for most of our country’s history. All states have enacted open meetings laws that generally require municipalities and local agencies to provide advance notice to the public of meetings held by commissions, boards, tribunals, and councils. This includes a broad spectrum of entities, such as unemployment commissions, tax tribunals, and school boards. These statutes permit any […]