Michigan Compiled Laws

Mich. Comp. Laws § 117.14 (2026)

Incorporation or annexation.

✓ current as of July 2026

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THE HOME RULE CITY ACT

Act 279 of 1909

117.14 Incorporation or annexation.

Sec. 14.

Whenever an incorporated village is incorporated as a city, without change of boundaries, such city shall succeed to the ownership of all the property of such village and shall assume all of its debts and liabilities. Whenever a city, village or township is annexed to a city, the city to which it is annexed shall succeed to the ownership of all the property of the city, village or township annexed, and shall assume all of its debts and liabilities. Whenever a part of a city, village or township is annexed to a city, the real property in the territory annexed which belongs to the city, village or township from which it is taken shall be sold by the authorities of the city, village or township in which said land was located before such annexation, and that portion of the proceeds of such sale shall be paid to the city acquiring such territory which shall be in the same ratio to the whole amount received as the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the territory annexed bears to the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the entire city, village or township from which said territory is taken. Whenever a part of a city, village or township is annexed to a city, all of the personal property belonging to any such city, village or township from which territory is detached shall be divided between the township, city or village from which said territory is detached and the city to which the territory is annexed, in the same ratio as the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the territory annexed bears to the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the entire city, village or township from which said territory is taken. Whenever a new city shall be incorporated, the personal property of the township from which it is taken shall be divided and its liabilities assumed between such city and the portion of the township remaining after such incorporation, which incorporation shall be effective as of the date of filing the certified copy of the charter as hereinafter provided, in the same ratio as herein provided in case of the annexation of a part of a township to a city, and any real property of a township located in such new city shall be held jointly by such city and the remaining portion of the township in the ratio above mentioned. Such real estate shall be subject to sale by agreement of the governmental units or may be partitioned in the manner provided by law for partitioning of lands held by persons as tenants in common: Provided, That no cemetery within such territory shall be sold; but to the extent it is owned by the city, village or township within which it is located, it shall become the property of the city to which it is annexed.

Whenever a new city is incorporated from part of a township or townships, such city shall be entitled to its pro rata share of the amount thereafter due such township or townships or due any county agency in respect of population in such township or townships from any future distribution of gasoline and motor vehicle weight tax revenues, intangibles tax revenues, state alcoholic liquor tax revenues, or any other state funds, moneys or grants which, by law, now or hereafter, are required to be distributed among cities, villages, townships and/or counties of the state, which pro rata distribution shall be determined as follows, to-wit:

(1) According to the latest federal census prior to date of distribution but since such annexation, if there be such census, showing the respective population of the township or townships and the municipalities affected;

(2) In the absence of such federal census, an official special census shall be taken of the areas detached from each township to form the newly incorporated city and of the entire township or townships from which such area was detached. Such census shall be taken by enumerators appointed by the secretary of state upon application by any one of the municipalities affected by such incorporation, which census shall be taken, as near as may be, in accordance with the provisions of section 6 of this act; the ratio of population between the areas incorporated from each township to form the newly incorporated city and the remainder of the respective township or townships from which the city was incorporated, shall be the basis for determination of the pro rata share of the state funds, moneys or grants to be distributed.

The township or townships from which such incorporated city is incorporated or the county agency receiving the funds, moneys or grants in respect of population in such township or townships shall be liable to the incorporated city for its proper pro rata share of any state funds, moneys or grants received by such township or townships or such county agency, respectively, after the date of incorporation;

(3) In the absence of such federal census and in lieu of an official special census determining the respective populations of the municipalities affected by such incorporation, the newly incorporated city and each township from which the same was incorporated, may agree, by joint resolution, as to the prorating between them and between the city and any county agency receiving state funds, moneys or grants in respect of population in such township or townships of any funds, moneys or grants distributable by the state, a certified copy of which joint resolution shall be filed with the secretary of state and shall thereafter be binding upon all parties affected by said incorporation.

Whenever a part of a city, village or township is annexed to a city, the city to which such territory is annexed shall be entitled to its proper pro rata share of any of the said state funds, moneys or grants thereafter distributable under the law to the city, village or township from which said territory was detached or to any county agency receiving state funds, moneys or grants in respect to population in such township or townships, determined as follows:

(1) According to ratio of population between the area annexed and the remainder of the township, city or village from which said area was detached, as determined by the latest official federal or state census showing such populations;

(2) If there be no official census by which said respective populations can be determined, then a census shall be taken of the territory detached and the remainder of the territory in the township, city or village from which it was detached as provided above in the case of a newly incorporated city;

(3) In the absence of such federal census and in lieu of taking an official special census, the city to which said territory was annexed and the cities, townships, or villages from which said territory was detached, may agree by joint resolution of their governing bodies as to the prorating of any such state funds, moneys, or grants between them and between the city and any county agency receiving said funds, moneys, or grants in respect to population in such township or townships as provided above in the case of a newly incorporated city, a certified copy of which joint resolution shall be filed with the secretary of state and shall thereafter be binding upon all parties to said incorporation.

The foregoing provisions shall be used hereafter in determining the pro rata distributions of any state funds, moneys or grants between townships or county agencies and any city which has become newly incorporated or annexed territory since the latest decennial federal census, either before or after the passing of this law; but in no event shall the sharing of any distribution of state funds, moneys or grants made previous to the effective date of this act be altered.

The indebtedness and liabilities of every city, village and township, a part of which shall be annexed to a city shall be assumed by the city to which the same is annexed in the same proportion which the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the territory annexed bears to the assessed valuation of the taxable property in the entire city, village or township from which such territory is taken. Assessed valuation shall be determined in every division pursuant to this section from the last assessment roll of the city, village or township which has been confirmed by the board of review.

History: 1909, Act 279, Eff. Sept. 1, 1909 ;-- CL 1915, 3317 ;-- Am. 1917, Act 225, Eff. Aug. 10, 1917 ;-- CL 1929, 2250 ;-- Am. 1931, Act 233, Eff. Sept. 18, 1931 ;-- Am. 1947, Act 53, Imd. Eff. Apr. 18, 1947 ;-- CL 1948, 117.14 ;-- Am. 1951, Act 158, Imd. Eff. June 6, 1951 ;-- Am. 1956, Act 77, Eff. Aug. 11, 1956

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 9 cases, 1959–2015 · leading case: Sylvan Twp. v. City of Chelsea, 882 N.W.2d 545 (Mich. Ct. App. 2015).

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Sylvan Twp. v. City of Chelsea, 882 N.W.2d 545 (Mich. Ct. App. 2015). · cites it 35× “It alleged that, under MCL 117.14, Chelsea assumed a proportionate share of Sylvan’s liabilities when it became a city, which included a share of Sylvan’s liability for the repayment of the bond debt incurred to construct improvements for the treatment of wastewater.”

City of Lansing v. Twp. of Lansing, 97 N.W.2d 804 (Mich. 1959). · cites it 4× “(4) Are the township-at-large drain taxes of 1949, 1950, and 1951 a liability of the township at the time of annexation to the city? The answer with respect to the first question would seem to be a simple one since the statute then in effect, CL 1948, §117.14 (Stat Ann 1949 Rev.…”

City of Saugatuck v. SAUGATUCK Twp., 403 N.W.2d 100 (Mich. Ct. App. 1987). · cites it 6× “However, as a village, plaintiff qualified for its own federal and state revenue sharing funds, state gas and weight tax returns, and state income and sales taxes. When plaintiff reincorporated as a fifth-class city, it sought from the township the city’s proportionate share of…”

City of Holland v. Twp. of Fillmore, 108 N.W.2d 840 (Mich. 1961). · cites it 4× “The problem is accurately set forth in the sole stated question as agreed upon by the parties: “Were the 1958 taxes on property in Fillmore township personal property of the township within the meaning of CLS 1956, § 117.14 (Stat Ann 1959 Cum Supp §5.2093), on August 3, 1958,…”

Hall v. Calhoun Cnty. Bd. of Supervisors, 130 N.W.2d 414 (Mich. 1964). “6 CLS 1961, § 117.14 (Stat Ann 1963 Cum Supp § 5.2093).”

Petersburg v. Summerfield Twp., 200 N.W.2d 788 (Mich. Ct. App. 1972). · cites it 2× “The city filed suit to compel a division of township assets pursuant to MCLA 117.14; MSA 5.2093. From the circuit court’s grant of a partial summary judgment in favor of plaintiff, defendant township appeals.”

City of Riverview v. City of Trenton, 101 N.W.2d 352 (Mich. 1960). “Section 14 of PA 1909, No 279, as amended (CLS 1956, § 117.14 [Stat Ann 1957 Cum Súpp § 5.2093]), a part of the so-called home-rule act, provides in part: “Whenever a new city shall be incorporated, the personal property of the township from which it is taken shall be divided…”

Union Twp. v. State Boundary Comm'n, 428 N.W.2d 699 (Mich. Ct. App. 1988). “Section 14 of the act, MCL 117.14; MSA 5.2093, provides generally for the apportionment or succession of real property owned by one unit of government when it is annexed in whole or in part by another unit.”

Vill. of Novi v. Sec'y of State, 363 Mich. 152 (Mich. 1961). “As further indicating the intention of the legislature attention is called to section 14 of the city home-rule act (CLS 1956, §117.14 [Stat Ann 1959 Cum Supp § 5.2093]) which relates to the division of assets and liabilities in annexation proceedings.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.