Earlier this year, we discussed the ins and outs of the Michigan legal system. This article highlighted the structure of our government and briefly coved how laws are made and enforced.
5 Unique and Strange Michigan Laws
While most of our laws are obvious and reasonable, some laws seem…a little strange, even humorous. And in the bail bonds business, we could all use a little laugh.
1. Bounty on Crows and Starlings
Although it was repealed in 2006, there was once a state-wide law allowing citizens to collect bounties for dead crows and starlings. For every starling brought in, a person could receive three cents, but the real money was in crows, which pulled down ten cents per head.
However, to collect your bounty, you had to shoot a lot of birds. Section 2 of the law states that people “applying for such bounty shall take such starlings, in lots of not less than 50.” Basically, if you want to collect any money, you need 50 or more birds.
2. Cars Cannot Be Sold on Sunday
This is actually a very common law in our country, not just here in Michigan. According to DMV.org, it is illegal to sell cars on Sunday in counties with 130,000 residents or more. So while many sparsely-populated counties in rural northern Michigan can legally sell cars on Sunday, metro areas like Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb county cannot.
There was a push during the recession to repeal this law, in hopes that it would stimulate car sales, but it still stands to this day.
3. In Detroit, Golf Courses Must Close By One in the Morning
Between the hours of 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM, all “golf courses, practice or driving courses or putting greens” must be closed. This means no late-night mini golf and no five-in-the-morning tee offs. Darn!
It’s interesting to think about the situations that caused a ban on night golfing. Surely this is better than other late-night activities!
4. Joe Louis Arena Security Can Confiscate Just About Anything
The security team at Joe Louis Arena, home of the Red Wings, has the legal right to confiscate anything that they think may be thrown on the ice. Legally, they can use their own discretion to decide whether an item is going to stay in the stands to be hurled onto the ice after a goal.
5. You Can’t Tie a Crocodile to a Fire Hydrant
What type of behavior inspired lawmakers to create a regulation banning alligators from being tied to fire hydrants? Especially in Michigan! This would seem like a strange law in Louisiana or Florida, where alligators could actually survive the whole year, but Michigan?
So the next time you think about tying your alligator to a fire hydrant, think again. If you do, we’ll be ready to help bail you out of jail!
Detroit Bail Bonds is Ready to Help!
If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact Detroit Bail Bonds today and let us help you get the bail you need to start moving forward.
At Detroit Bail Bonds we serve Macomb County, Oakland County, Wayne County and surrounding areas in Michigan. We hope you never need our services, but if you do, we are here to help at a moment’s notice anytime you need us!
Tags: Detroit Bail Bonds, Macomb County Bail Bonds, Michigan Legal System, Oakland County Bail Bonds, Wayne County Bail Bonds