Bloom Sluggett

We're proud to announce that BSM's Crystal Morgan was invited to become a member of a Michigan Association of Municipal Attorneys (MAMA) committee tasked with providing written educational materials to municipal attorneys around the state.  Read More

Rapid Growth Media, a weekly news publication featuring growth and business development in the Grand Rapids area, has featured Bloom Sluggett Morgan in this week's edition. Read the article in its entirety here.  Read More

The single best tool available to protect inland lakes, streams, rivers, and watersheds in Michigan, in my humble opinion, is local municipal zoning. I have discussed lake access (i.e., anti-funneling/keyhole) zoning regulations in The Riparian and at various ML&SA meetings so often that I fear that many of you are probably overdosed on the subject! However, in addition to water access regulations, there are numerous other zoning techniques which can help protect our water resources. Unfortunately, Michigan is light years behind most other industrialized states at the state level when it comes to many zoning issues and lacks many of the statutes found in other states regarding environmental protection. Therefore, most innovative planning is occurring at the local municipal level in Michigan. I realize that asking riparians to learn more about zoning issues is sometimes a little like asking someone who is not very fond of broccoli to eat it. Nevertheless, zoning has huge implications for lakes and watersheds, and riparians in the future will ignore becoming involved in local zoning decisions at their own risk. Following are brief descriptions of some of the innovative and beneficial techniques available in many other states which the Michigan Legislature has either failed to authorize or support financially to the extent needed to be truly beneficial.   Read More

All of a sudden, you discover that survey stakes have appeared on some undeveloped lake frontage land, not too far from your riparian lot. Although the undeveloped property has some frontage on the lake, the parcel also has asignificant amount of land area away from the lake. All sorts of bad things go through your mind. Is it going to be a mobile home park? Is the property owner/ developer going to develop a large number of lots upland and attempt to "funnel"those lots onto the lake through the limited lake frontage of the parcel? Is someone attempting to put in a marina or commercial operation? It is enough to send a chill up the spine of any riparian property owner.   Read More

"Trespass" is the venturing onto the lands of another without permission. As many riparians well know, trespass is a common problem around lakes.   Read More

An increasing number of people in the state of Michigan believe that urban sprawl and the permanent destruction of farmland, forests and open space will be one of the most pressing problems facing Michigan in the 21st century. Some even label it as Michigan s No. 1 long-term problem. Development is forever. Once a farm is carved up into residential lots, woods are cut down for a shopping center or a wetlands is filled for a parking lot, the natural environment can never be practically reclaimed.   Read More

An amazing number of riparians are underinsured when it comes to liability insurance coverage for their lake property. Many riparians still have liability insurance coverage of only $300,000 to $500,000 for their lake property. Where jury verdicts or even settlements in excess of $1,000,000 (or even more) are not uncommon, prudence dictates that liability insurance coverage below $1,000,000 (and in many cases, even more) is probably unwise.   Read More

The land located under a lake in Michigan is generally referred to as “bottomlands.” Bottomlands can be truly submerged under water at all times, or, can be called “exposed bottomlands” when lake waters have receded and left exposed dry land. Michigan law regarding who owns which particular bottomlands (and can control the same) is confusing at best.   Read More

Michigan Townships Association Releases Manual on Ordinance Enforcement Authored by Cliff Bloom of Bloom Sluggett Morgan  Read More