Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the MSU College Democrats on Sept. 18, 2018, at Wells Hall. State News file photo.
—Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed executive orders reopening more sectors of the state economy, as well as extending the temporary eviction moratorium until the end of the month — June 30 at 11:59 p.m.
The order extended the deadline that was set to expire Thursday night. It follows several other orders that prohibited evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Due to the protection that a residential home provides from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the need to contain self-quarantined and self-isolated individuals within a residential home, no person shall remove or exclude from leased residential premises or residential premises held under a forfeited executory contract a tenant, a vendee … or a person holding under a tenant or vendee, except when the tenant, vendee, or person holding under them poses a substantial risk to another person or an imminent and severe risk to property,” Whitmer said in the order.
The extension does not remove the obligation to pay rent or the right to receive payment due under a lease or contract, nor does it stop a landlord from making a demand for payment.
However, when making a demand for payment, a landlord can not demand for possession or make any threat of eviction or forfeiture because of a tenant's inability to pay rent.
Additionally, under this order, any law enforcement officer “must not serve process requiring forfeiture of leased residential premises or residential premises held under a forfeited executory contract.”
According to the Michigan coronavirus website, the state has recorded 59,621 total confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,745 confirmed deaths, as of June 12.
As a result of encouraging case trends remaining constant, the governor signed another executive order lifting restrictions on summer camps.
“After considering the public health data, I find it reasonable and necessary at this point to allow overnight camps to resume operations,” Whitmer said in the order.
The order grants residential, travel and troop camps the ability to open on Monday, June 15. These camps will be subject to guidance issued by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, the order said.
Additionally, the order allows K-12 sport and extracurricular activities to resume, as well.
“I … find it reasonable and necessary to lift (the) suspension of school sports activities and other in-person extracurricular school activities, subject to rules on social distancing and the closure of indoor exercise facilities,” Whitmer said.
Personal care services, including hair, massage, nail and tattoo services, are still set to reopen statewide Monday, June 15.
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