SENATE BILL No. 35

 

 

January 27, 2009, Introduced by Senator SANBORN and referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

 

     A bill to amend 1961 PA 236, entitled

 

"Revised judicature act of 1961,"

 

by amending sections 5805 and 5839 (MCL 600.5805 and 600.5839),

 

section 5805 as amended by 2002 PA 715 and section 5839 as amended

 

by 1985 PA 188.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 5805. (1) A person shall not bring or maintain an action

 

to recover damages for injuries to persons or property unless,

 

after the claim first accrued to the plaintiff or to someone

 

through whom the plaintiff claims, the action is commenced within

 

the periods of time prescribed by this section.

 

     (2) The Subject to subsections (3) and (4), the period of

 

limitations is 2 years for an action charging assault, battery, or

 

false imprisonment.

 


     (3) The period of limitations is 5 years for an action

 

charging assault or battery brought by a person who has been

 

assaulted or battered by his or her spouse or former spouse, an

 

individual with whom he or she has had a child in common, or a

 

person with whom he or she resides or formerly resided. This

 

limitation applies to causes of action arising on or after February

 

17, 2000 and to causes of action in which the period of limitations

 

described in subsection (2) has not already expired as of February

 

17, 2000.

 

     (4) The period of limitations is 5 years for an action

 

charging assault and battery brought by a person who has been

 

assaulted or battered by an individual with whom he or she has or

 

has had a dating relationship. This limitation applies to causes of

 

action arising on or after January 1, 2003 and to causes of action

 

in which the period of limitations described in subsection (2) has

 

not already expired as of January 1, 2003.

 

     (5) The period of limitations is 2 years for an action

 

charging malicious prosecution.

 

     (6) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the period

 

of limitations is 2 years for an action charging malpractice.

 

     (7) The period of limitations is 2 years for an action against

 

a sheriff charging misconduct or neglect of office by the sheriff

 

or the sheriff's deputies.

 

     (8) The period of limitations is 2 years after the expiration

 

of the year for which a constable was elected for actions based on

 

the constable's negligence or misconduct as constable.

 

     (9) The period of limitations is 1 year for an action charging

 


libel or slander.

 

     (10) The Except as otherwise provided in this section, the

 

period of limitations is 3 years after the time of the death or

 

injury for all other actions to recover damages for the death of a

 

person, or for injury to a person or property.

 

     (11) The period of limitations is 5 years for an action to

 

recover damages for injury to a person or property brought by a

 

person who has been assaulted or battered by his or her spouse or

 

former spouse, an individual with whom he or she has had a child in

 

common, or a person with whom he or she resides or formerly

 

resided. This limitation applies to causes of action arising on or

 

after February 17, 2000 and to causes of action in which the period

 

of limitations described in subsection (10) has not already expired

 

as of February 17, 2000.

 

     (12) The period of limitations is 5 years for an action to

 

recover damages for injury to a person or property brought by a

 

person who has been assaulted or battered by an individual with

 

whom he or she has or has had a dating relationship. This

 

limitation applies to causes of action arising on or after January

 

1, 2003 and to causes of action in which the period of limitations

 

described in subsection (2) has not already expired as of January

 

1, 2003.

 

     (13) The period of limitations is 3 years for a products

 

liability action. However, in the case of a product that has been

 

in use for not less than 10 years, the plaintiff, in proving a

 

prima facie case, shall be required to do so without benefit of any

 

presumption.

 


     (14) The period of limitations for an action against a state

 

licensed architect, professional engineer, land surveyor, or

 

contractor based on an improvement to real property shall be as

 

provided in this section, but the action shall not be commenced

 

later than the applicable period established in section 5839.

 

     (15) As used in this section, "dating relationship" means

 

frequent, intimate associations primarily characterized by the

 

expectation of affectional involvement. Dating relationship does

 

not include a casual relationship or an ordinary fraternization

 

between 2 individuals in a business or social context.

 

     Sec. 5839. (1) No A person may shall not maintain any an

 

action to recover damages for any injury to property, real or

 

personal, or for bodily injury or wrongful death, arising out of

 

the defective and unsafe condition of an improvement to real

 

property, nor any or an action for contribution or indemnity for

 

damages sustained as a result of such injury, against any state

 

licensed architect or professional engineer performing or

 

furnishing the design or supervision of construction of the

 

improvement, or against any contractor making the improvement, more

 

than 6 unless the action is commenced within either of the

 

following periods:

 

     (a) Six years after the time of occupancy of the completed

 

improvement, use, or acceptance of the improvement. , or 1 year

 

after the defect is discovered or should have been discovered,

 

provided that

 

     (b) If the defect constitutes the proximate cause of the

 

injury or damage for which the action is brought and is the result

 


of gross negligence on the part of the contractor or licensed

 

architect or professional engineer, 1 year after the defect is

 

discovered or should have been discovered. However, no such an

 

action to which this subdivision applies shall not be maintained

 

more than 10 years after the time of occupancy of the completed

 

improvement, use, or acceptance of the improvement.

 

     (2) No A person may shall not maintain any an action to

 

recover damages based on error or negligence of a state licensed

 

land surveyor in the preparation of a survey or report more than 6

 

years after the delivery of the survey or report to the person for

 

whom it was made or the person's agent.

 

     (3) As used in this section: , "state

 

     (a) "Contractor" means an individual, corporation,

 

partnership, or other business entity that makes an improvement to

 

real property.

 

     (b) "State licensed architect or professional engineer" or

 

"state licensed land surveyor" means any an individual so licensed,

 

or any a corporation, partnership, or other business entity on

 

behalf of whom the state licensed architect, professional engineer,

 

or land surveyor is performing or directing the performance of the

 

architectural, professional engineering, or land surveying service.

 

     (4) As used in this section, "contractor" means an individual,

 

corporation, partnership, or other business entity which makes an

 

improvement to real property.

 

     (5) The amendments to subsection (1) added by this amendatory

 

act shall not apply to any state licensed architect or professional

 

engineer performing or furnishing the design or supervision of

 


construction of an improvement if, prior to the effective date of

 

this amendatory act, 6 or more years have expired after the time of

 

occupancy of the completed improvement, use, or acceptance of the

 

improvement.

 

     (6) The changes to subsection (1) made by this 1985 amendatory

 

act shall apply only to a cause of action which accrues on or after

 

the effective date of this 1985 amendatory act and shall not apply

 

to a cause of action which accrues before the effective date of

 

this 1985 amendatory act.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.