Bill > HB4621

This bill updates a 1925 law related to property ownership by spouses, specifically modernizing language and clarifying survivorship rights for land contracts and mortgages held as a tenancy by the entirety. The bill removes gender-specific terms like "husband and wife" and replaces them with "spouses," while maintaining the core legal principle that if spouses sell land together and accept a mortgage or land contract as partial payment, the debt and associated rights will transfer entirely to the surviving spouse upon the death of one partner. The legislation ensures that the mortgage title and contract rights automatically vest with the survivor, without requiring additional legal action. Importantly, the bill will only take effect if a related constitutional amendment (referenced in the enacting section) is approved, linking this statutory change to a broader constitutional update. The changes are primarily linguistic but also serve to make the law more gender-neutral and contemporary in its language and application.

Government Affairs

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2025-HB-4621