POHUTSKI v. CITY OF ALLEN PARK

Docket Nos. 116949, 117935, Calendar Nos. 8, 9.

641 N.W.2d 219 (2002)

465 Mich. 675

Robert POHUTSKI, Amy Pohutski, Kierk Sanderlin, Joelle Sanderlin, Alan Bullion, Anthony Corbell, Pietro Fusco, Norma Fusco, Kaye Gardner, Beverly Gardner, Shirley Karapetoff, Karen Kerezi, Brian LaFuente, Michelle LaFuente, Richard Refalko, Dolores Rafalko, William Shamus, Kathleen Shamus, and all others similarly situated, a certified class, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. CITY OF ALLEN PARK, a Michigan Municipal Corporation, Defendant-Appellant, and John Doe Representatives, Employees, or Agents of the City of Allen Park, Jointly and Severally, Defendants. Jeanne Jones, James Jones, Roger Trost, Carol Trost, Mike Robert, Mike Barthlow, Cindy Barthlow, Susan Brown, Kenneth Brown, Shirley Bryant, David Burhans, Magdalena Chavez, William Chunn, Ivan Gadjev, Florence Gadjev, Rex Glasson, Barbara Glasson, Kevin Hall, Sonia Hall, Lon Hamilton, Diane Hamilton, William Hatton, Elizabeth Hatton, Bill Hofsess, Joan Hofsess, James Hubble, Virginia Hubble, Souren Merucci, Enera Merucci, Mary Pegoraro, Phil Pegoraro, Luis Peressini, Michal Allen Peters, Miguel Prieto, Jill Prieto, Todd Snider, Betty Zaher, and all other similarly situated, Plaintiffs-Appellees, v. City of Farmington Hills, a Michigan Municipal Corporation, and John Doe Representatives, Employees, or Agents of the City of Farmington Hills, Jointly and Severally, Defendants-Appellants.

Supreme Court of Michigan.

Decided April 2, 2002.


Attorney(s) appearing for the Case

Macuga & Liddle, P.C. (by Steven D. Liddle, Peter W. Macuga, II, and David R. Dubin), Detroit, for the plaintiffs-appellees.

Plunkett & Cooney, P.C. (by Christine D. Oldani and Mary Massaron Ross), Detroit, for city of Allen Park.

Cummings, McClorey, Davis & Acho, P.L.C. (by Timothy S. Ferrand and Joseph Nimako), Livonia, for city of Farmington Hills.

Garan Lucow Miller, P.C. (by Rosalind Rochkind and John J. Gillooly), Detroit, for amicus curiae the city of Dearborn.

Hubbard, Fox, Thomas, White & Bengston, P.C. (by Phillip M. Stevens, Geoffrey H. Seidlein, and Stacy L. Hissong), Lansing, for amicus curiae the Michigan Association of County Drain Commissioners.

Michael J. Beale, Midland, in support of amicus curiae plaintiff-appellee Jones.

Reed Stover, P.C. (by Richard D. Reed, Michael B. Ortega, and Patricia R. Mason), Kalamazoo, for amici curiae Mollhagen and Clement.

Kotz, Sangster, Wysocki & Berg, P.C. (by Frederick A. Berg, Jeffrey M. Sangster, Ava K. Ortner, and John T. Below), Detroit, for amicus curiae the Bray plaintiffs.

Secrest, Wardle, Lynch, Hampton, Truex & Morley (by Edward D. Plato and Janet Callahan Barnes), Farmington Hills, for amici curiae the cities of Inkster, Taylor, and Lincoln Park.

Johnson, Rosati, LaBarge, Aseltyne & Field, P.C. (by Marcia L. Howe), Farmington Hills, for amici curiae the cities of Southgate, Ecorse, and Allen Park.

Bodman, Longley & Dahling L.L.P. (by R. Craig Hupp and Kurt M. Brauer), and Wayne County Corporation Counsel (by Mary Rose MacMillan), Detroit, for amicus curiae Wayne County.

Mellon, McCarthy & Van Dusen, P.C. (by James T. Mellon and AnnMarie DeVito), Troy, for amicus curiae Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority.


CORRIGAN, Chief Justice.

In these consolidated cases, this Court once again faces whether the plain language of § 7 of the governmental tort liability act, M.C.L. § 691.1407, permits a trespass-nuisance exception to governmental immunity. Because the Legislature's definition of the word "state" is clear and unambiguous, we hold that it does not. In so holding, we overrule Hadfield v. Oakland Co. Drain Comm...

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