FENCE VIEWER RESPONSIBILITIES - S.B. 855: FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 855 (as reported without amendment)

Sponsor: Senator Leon Stille

Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs

CONTENT

The bill would amend Public Act 34 of 1978, which relates to fences on certain lands and fence viewers, to do the following:

-- Increase from $25 to $50 the daily compensation that must be paid to a township, city, or village for a fence viewer's services.

-- Specify that a fence viewer would not be responsible for determining the location of a boundary, and require that boundary determinations use a registered surveyor's findings and not an existing fence or fence remnants.

-- Provide that, in boundary disputes regarding a fence between townships or between a township and a city or village, one fence viewer could be selected for each township, city, or village, or a single fence viewer could be selected upon mutual agreement of the local governments. (Currently, one fence viewer must be selected for each township, city, or village.)

-- Require a township, city or village, in a boundary dispute, to be responsible for the cost of constructing and maintaining a portion of a fence, if no appreciable difference in benefit would be derived by any of the local governments.

MCL 43.54-43.56 - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

This bill would increase the daily fee paid to cities, villages, and townships from $25 to $50 for services rendered by a fence viewer. The bill would have no State fiscal impact.

Date Completed: 2-11-98 - Fiscal Analyst: R. Rossfloor\sb855

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.