LANSING, MI (MPRN)-- Michigan’s courts will likely face a surge in eviction cases if a moratorium is lifted at the end of the month; however, the state Supreme Court is planning ways to help avert people being turned out of their homes for failure to pay rent.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered the eviction moratorium in mid-March as part of the state’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. Before then, courts processed about 17,000 eviction cases every month.
“The thing about landlord-tenant cases is they are some of the rare cases where there are win-win solutions,” she says.
Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget McCormack says many evictions weren’t necessary even before the crisis.
“In way, they all want the same thing. Landlords want the rent paid, and tenants want to pay the rent because they want to stay in the apartment.”
The plans include connecting renters with legal assistance or help to catch up on missed payments. Back-rent cases will also be lower priority than those that allege illegal activity or property damage.