Michigan § 600.8733 - Trailway municipal civil infraction; seizure and impoundment of vehicle; lien; bond; payments; forfeiture and application of bond; enforcement of lien by foreclosure sale; notice; distribution of proceeds.

An authorized local official may seize and impound a vehicle operated in the commission of a trailway municipal civil infraction. Upon impoundment, the vehicle is subject to a lien, subordinate to a prior lien of record, in the amount of any fine, costs, or assessment that the defendant may be ordered to pay under section 8727 and any expenses described in subsection (2) that the defendant may be ordered to pay under section 8727. The defendant or a person with an ownership interest in the vehicle may post with the court a cash or surety bond in the amount of $750.00. If such a bond is posted, the vehicle shall be released from impoundment. The vehicle shall also be released, and the lien shall be discharged, upon a judicial determination that the defendant is not responsible for the trailway municipal civil infraction or upon payment of the fine, costs, assessment, and damages and expenses.

In a trailway municipal civil infraction action, an order under section 8727 may require the defendant to pay 1 or both of the following:

The amount of damages to any land, water, wildlife, vegetation, or other natural resource or to any facility damaged by the violation of the ordinance. Money collected under this subdivision shall be distributed to the governmental entity that has jurisdiction over the recreational trailway.

The reasonable expense of impoundment under subsection (1). Money collected under this subdivision shall be distributed to the governmental entity employing the authorized local official who impounded the vehicle involved in the trailway municipal civil infraction.

If the court determines that the defendant is responsible for the trailway municipal civil infraction and the defendant defaults in the payment of the fine, costs, assessment, or damages or expenses, or in any installment, as ordered pursuant to section 8727, any bond posted under subsection (1) shall be forfeited and applied to the fine, costs, assessment, damages, expenses, or installment. The court shall certify any remaining unpaid amount to the attorney for the governmental entity whose ordinance was violated. The attorney for the governmental entity may enforce the lien by a foreclosure sale. The foreclosure sale shall be conducted in the manner provided and subject to the same rights as apply in the case of execution sales under sections 6031, 6032, 6041, 6042, and 6044 to 6047.

Not less than 21 days before the foreclosure sale, the attorney for the governmental entity whose ordinance was violated shall by certified mail send written notice of the time and place of the foreclosure sale to each person with a known ownership interest in or lien of record on the vehicle. In addition, not less than 10 days before the foreclosure sale, the attorney shall twice publish notice of the time and place of the foreclosure sale in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the vehicle was seized. The proceeds of the foreclosure sale shall be distributed in the following order of priority:

To discharge any lien on the vehicle that was recorded prior to the creation of the lien under subsection (1).

To the clerk of the court for the payment of the fine, costs, assessment, damages, and expenses that the defendant was ordered to pay under section 8727.

To discharge any lien on the vehicle that was recorded after the creation of the lien under subsection (1).

To the owner of the vehicle.