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State and Local Government Law

Journal

University of Michigan Law School

Liability

Michigan Law Review

Articles 1 - 16 of 16

Full-Text Articles in Law

Unclaimed Property And Due Process: Justifying 'Revenue-Raising' Modern Escheat, Teagan J. Gregory Nov 2011

Unclaimed Property And Due Process: Justifying 'Revenue-Raising' Modern Escheat, Teagan J. Gregory

Michigan Law Review

States have long claimed the right to take custody of presumably abandoned property and hold it for the benefit of the true owner under the doctrine of escheat. In the face of increasing fiscal challenges, states have worked to increase their collection of unclaimed property via new escheat legislation that appears to bear little or no relation to protecting the interests of owners. Holders of unclaimed property have raised substantive due process challenges in response to these modern escheat statutes. This Note contends that two categories of these disputed laws-those shortening dormancy periods and those allowing states to estimate a …


The Court, The Legislature, And Governmental Tort Liability In Michigan, Luke K. Cooperrider Dec 1973

The Court, The Legislature, And Governmental Tort Liability In Michigan, Luke K. Cooperrider

Michigan Law Review

In 1961, when Justice Edwards of the Michigan supreme court said, "From this date forward the judicial doctrine of governmental immunity from ordinary torts no longer exists in Michigan," he went on to say that he was eliminating from the law of Michigan "an ancient rule inherited from the days of absolute monarchy," a "whim of long-dead kings." Justice Carr, dissenting, agreed that the doctrine in question "came to us as a part of the common law," for which reason he thought it was protected by the reception clause of the Constitution of 1850 from the overruling action of the …


Workmen's Compensation--Encouraging Employment Of The Handicapped In Michigan: A Proposal For Revision Of The Michigan Second Injury Fund, Michigan Law Review Dec 1968

Workmen's Compensation--Encouraging Employment Of The Handicapped In Michigan: A Proposal For Revision Of The Michigan Second Injury Fund, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Employment of the handicapped is clearly a proper concern of the state. Unemployed, such a person is a burden on his family and on the state; welfare and relief payments to such a person needlessly increase costs to both the state and local governments supporting such programs. Employed, the handicapped person is a self-supporting, stable member of the community; he becomes a taxpayer rather than a tax consumer. There are also important moral and social considerations which may be simply summarized stating that no person who is able to work should be needlessly denied employment. In short, any continued waste …


The Irregular Issuance Of Warehouse Receipts And Article Seven Of The Uniform Commercial Code, Douglass G. Boshkoff Jan 1967

The Irregular Issuance Of Warehouse Receipts And Article Seven Of The Uniform Commercial Code, Douglass G. Boshkoff

Michigan Law Review

The draftsmen of Article Seven were well aware of the problems caused by irregular issuance of warehouse receipts and there will be fewer problems of irregularity under the Code for two reasons. First, the Code's formal requirements for issuance of warehouse receipts are less stringent than are those imposed by the UWRA, thereby lessening the chances of any irregularity occurring. Second, the Code contains two sections which aim to minimize the consequences of any irregularities which may occur. In this article I will discuss the types of defects that have been troublesome over the years, focussing on the ways in …


Motor Vehicles--Legislation--The Michigan Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act, Michigan Law Review Nov 1966

Motor Vehicles--Legislation--The Michigan Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

With the adoption of the Michigan Act, Michigan has become the fifth state to adopt a comprehensive program utilizing both the insurance and the fund approaches. Moreover, the Michigan Act, apparently inspired by its Ontario prototype, contains some elements which were previously unknown in United States legislation. Consequently, it may prove enlightening to examine the scope and purpose of the Michigan Act, and to compare it with similar legislation in other states.


Municipal Corporations-Liability In Tort-Prospective Judicial Abrogation Of The Sovereign Immunity Concept, Donald E. Vacin Jan 1962

Municipal Corporations-Liability In Tort-Prospective Judicial Abrogation Of The Sovereign Immunity Concept, Donald E. Vacin

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff's decedent was killed by a fall down the elevator shaft of a building owned and maintained by the City of Detroit. Plaintiff alleged that defendant city negligently failed to protect and enclose the shaft, in violation of its own ordinances, and that such failure was the proximate cause of her husband's death. The city moved to dismiss, claiming that it was engaged in a governmental function and therefore was immune from tort liability. On appeal from an order dismissing the complaint, held, affirmed by an evenly divided court. However, a majority of the court prospectively overruled the judicial …


Freeman: Responsibility Of States For Unlawful Acts Of Their Armed Forces, Brunson Macchesney Jun 1959

Freeman: Responsibility Of States For Unlawful Acts Of Their Armed Forces, Brunson Macchesney

Michigan Law Review

A Review of Responsibility of States for Unlawful Acts of Their Armed Forces. By Alwyn V. Freeman.


Municipal Corporations - Tort Liability - Liability For Torts Committed By Municipal Employees In Exercise Of Governmental Functions, Ralph E. Boches Jan 1958

Municipal Corporations - Tort Liability - Liability For Torts Committed By Municipal Employees In Exercise Of Governmental Functions, Ralph E. Boches

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff sued the Town of Cocoa Beach for damages for the alleged wrongful death of her husband. Plaintiff's husband had died of smoke suffocation after being locked in a jail which was left unattended by the city jailor. The lower court dismissed plaintiff's complaint. On appeal, held, reversed. A person injured by the negligence of a municipal employee acting within the scope of his employment may recover against the municipal corporation. Hargrove v. Town of Cocoa Beach, (Fla. 1957) 96 S. (2d) 130.


Constitutional Law - Due Process - Jurisdiction Of State Court Over Nonresident Tortfeasor, J. Martin Cornell Jan 1958

Constitutional Law - Due Process - Jurisdiction Of State Court Over Nonresident Tortfeasor, J. Martin Cornell

Michigan Law Review

The defendant, a resident of Wisconsin, was engaged in the business of selling appliances and sent one of his employees to deliver a gas cooking stove to the plaintiff in Illinois. Claiming that the employee had negligently injured him in unloading the stove, the plaintiff brought action in Illinois, seeking damages of $7,500. A summons was personally served on the defendant in Wisconsin, and the defendant appeared specially, moving to quash the summons on the ground that the Illinois statute, providing for extraterritorial service on any person who commits a tortious act within the state, contravened the constitutions of the …


Impact Of The Commercial Code On Liability Of Parties To Negotiable Instruments In Michigan, Roy L. Steinheimer Jr. Dec 1954

Impact Of The Commercial Code On Liability Of Parties To Negotiable Instruments In Michigan, Roy L. Steinheimer Jr.

Michigan Law Review

Since the Uniform Commercial Code is now effective in Pennsylvania and is under active consideration by official bodies in other states, it seems appropriate to investigate in some detail the impacts which this proposed legislation would have upon the accumulated business, legislative and judicial understanding and experience in the commercial law area in a specific jurisdiction. As an illustration of the problems which will be faced by judges, lawyers and businessmen in any jurisdiction which adopts the code, the writer has chosen to analyze some impacts which the code would have on commercial law in Michigan. Space limitations make it …


Executors And Administrators-Right Of Creditors Of A Decedent To Recover From Distributees After The Estate Is Closed Apr 1943

Executors And Administrators-Right Of Creditors Of A Decedent To Recover From Distributees After The Estate Is Closed

Michigan Law Review

A recent California decision suggests a problem of some difficulty in the administration of decedents' estates. In Dabney V. Dabney, it appeared that a decedent had, in his lifetime, contracted to pay the plaintiff $100 and $350 respectively, monthly, as long as plaintiff should live, according to the terms of two contracts. In distributing the estate the court, as provided in the California Probate Code, had set aside a sum of money for the purpose of paying these monthly installments. The estate was then distributed, defendant herein being the principal distributee. On February 17, 1941, there remained only $216 …


Insurance - Right Of Insurer Against An Insured Who Has Released The Tortfeasor After Receiving Payment From The Insurer, James A. Lee Nov 1940

Insurance - Right Of Insurer Against An Insured Who Has Released The Tortfeasor After Receiving Payment From The Insurer, James A. Lee

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff insured the defendant against loss on his car due to collision, paid its liability when the defendant's car was damaged by a third party, and took an assignment of plaintiff's claim against the third party to that extent. Defendant then released the third party from liability and plaintiff brought this action to recover the amount paid to the defendant. Held, plaintiff could recover from defendant only for the loss it had sustained by the release, and since plaintiff had failed to prove it could have recovered anything from defendant, it had shown no cause of action. Century Ins. …


Constitutional Law - Carriers - Supersedure Of State Regulations By Federal Regulations - Regulation Of Hours Of Service Of Motor Vehicular Drivers - Effect Of Federal Motor Carrier Act Of 1935, Fred C. Newman Nov 1939

Constitutional Law - Carriers - Supersedure Of State Regulations By Federal Regulations - Regulation Of Hours Of Service Of Motor Vehicular Drivers - Effect Of Federal Motor Carrier Act Of 1935, Fred C. Newman

Michigan Law Review

Defendant, whose business was chiefly interstate, violated a statute of New Hampshire which regulated the hours of service of drivers of certain motor vehicles. The violation occurred after the passage of the Federal Motor Carrier Act of 1935, which, among other things, conferred authority upon the Interstate Commerce Commission "to establish reasonable requirements with respect to . . . maximum hours of service of employees" of common and contract carriers by motor vehicle in interstate commerce. At the time of the breach of the state statute, the Interstate Commerce Commission had not prescribed regulations as to hours of service. Defendant …


Vendor And Purchaser - Equitable Conversion - Application To Obligation To Extinguish Forest Fires, Michigan Law Review Feb 1938

Vendor And Purchaser - Equitable Conversion - Application To Obligation To Extinguish Forest Fires, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

A Montana statute placed the burden of extinguishing forest fires on the person on whose "property" the fire occurred, and, on failure of such person to extinguish it, made him liable to reimburse any authorized unit that should do so. Fire broke out on property owned by D, and a Government unit extinguished it. Previous to such fire, D had contracted to sell the land to X under a contract giving X the right of possession. Held, by the doctrine of equitable conversion, X was the beneficial owner, and the land was not D's "property" so as …


Railroads - Violation Of Ordinance Limiting The Obstruction Of Highways By Trains - Collision At Crossing - Proximate Cause, Michigan Law Review Feb 1937

Railroads - Violation Of Ordinance Limiting The Obstruction Of Highways By Trains - Collision At Crossing - Proximate Cause, Michigan Law Review

Michigan Law Review

Plaintiff was injured, when an automobile in which she was a passenger, was driven into a freight train standing across a highway on a misty night. This train had been obstructing the crossing for more than five minutes, in violation of a state statute. Plaintiff sued the railroad, alleging negligence in violating the statute. On appeal from a judgment for the plaintiff, held that plaintiff had made no case, and that the judgment should be reversed without a new trial, and with costs to the defendant. Simpson v. Pere Marquette Ry., 276 Mich. 653, 268 N. W. 769 (1936).


Constitutional Law-Police Power -Validity Of Compulsory Unemployment Insurance Act Jun 1936

Constitutional Law-Police Power -Validity Of Compulsory Unemployment Insurance Act

Michigan Law Review

Complainants asked for a declaratory judgment that the New York Unemployment Insurance Act is unconstitutional. They contended that the law, providing for the payment of limited unemployment benefits out of a fund raised by a uniform payroll tax imposed on all employers, takes property without due process of law. Held, that the law is valid, violating neither the state nor the Federal Constitution. W. H. H. Chamberlain, Inc. v. Andrews, 271 N. Y. 1, 2 N. E. (2d) 22 (1936).