Act No. 64

Public Acts of 2000

Approved by the Governor

March 29, 2000

Filed with the Secretary of State

March 30, 2000

EFFECTIVE DATE: April 1, 2000

STATE OF MICHIGAN

90TH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2000

Introduced by Rep. Schermesser

ENROLLED HOUSE BILL No. 5494

AN ACT to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled "An act to provide for the registration, titling, sale, transfer, and regulation of certain vehicles operated upon the public highways of this state or any other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles and distressed vehicles; to provide for the licensing of dealers; to provide for the examination, licensing, and control of operators and chauffeurs; to provide for the giving of proof of financial responsibility and security by owners and operators of vehicles; to provide for the imposition, levy, and collection of specific taxes on vehicles, and the levy and collection of sales and use taxes, license fees, and permit fees; to provide for the regulation and use of streets and highways; to create certain funds; to provide penalties and sanctions for a violation of this act; to provide for civil liability of owners and operators of vehicles and service of process on residents and nonresidents; to provide for the levy of certain assessments; to provide for the enforcement of this act; to provide for the creation of and to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies; to repeal all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act or contrary to this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on a specific date," by amending section 236 (MCL 257.236), as amended by 1990 PA 181.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 236. (1) If ownership of a vehicle passes by operation of law, upon furnishing satisfactory proof of that ownership to the secretary of state, the person acquiring the vehicle may procure a title to the vehicle regardless of whether a certificate of title has ever been issued. Upon death of an owner of a registered vehicle, the license plate assigned to the vehicle, unless the vehicle is destroyed, is a valid registration until the end of the registration year or until the personal representative of the owner's estate transfers ownership of the vehicle.

(2) If an owner of 1 or more vehicles, which vehicles do not have a total value of more than $60,000.00, dies and the owner does not leave other property that requires issuance of letters as provided in section 3103 of the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.3103, the owner's surviving spouse, or an heir of the owner in the order specified in section 2103 of the estates and protected individuals code, 1998 PA 386, MCL 700.2103, may apply for a title, after furnishing the secretary of state with proper proof of the death of the registered owner, attaching to the proof a certification setting forth the fact that the applicant is the surviving spouse or an heir. Upon proper petition, the secretary of state shall furnish the applicant with a certificate of title.

Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect April 1, 2000.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Secretary of the Senate.

Approved

Governor.