Tenant Eviction in Detroit, Michigan

In Detroit a landlord can file a 7-day non-payment or a 30-day termination notice. This notice must be written. A termination notice may only be filed if the lease end date has passed or the tenant has broken the lease. The 7-day requires tenant payment by the 7th day or a case can be filed. If the tenant does not move out by the end of the 30-day termination notice, a complaint can also be filed. To file the case the landlord will need to provide copies of the lease, ledger, management agreement, and deed.

Court Process

The court will issue a summons, which will be served to the tenant. This notifies the tenant of the date and time of the court hearing. The first hearing is normally a pre-trial to determine if another hearing is needed. The tenant has the right to appear in court and contest the eviction. If the tenant fails to appear in court, a default judgment may be entered in favor of the landlord.

If the court rules in favor of the landlord, a judgment of eviction will be entered and the tenant will be ordered to vacate the property.

Physical Removal

If the tenant does not vacate the property, the landlord can request a writ of eviction from the court. This authorizes the sheriff to physically remove the tenant from the property. During this time the property can be cleared out by the tenant and the rest can be disposed of. The locks will need to be changed at this time.