Short answer. Cases go to the District Court. The tenant needs to appear in court on the date and time on the summons. Who carries out a lockout: court officer, bailiff or sheriff.
At a glance
- Court
- District Court. Summary eviction proceedings are brought in district court.
"allows for summary eviction proceedings to be brought in district court"
Source 2 - Filing fee
- $45 for a claim for possession, plus a supplemental fee when money is also claimed.
"$45 for claim for possession of premises"
Source 4 - Hearing after filing
- The tenant must appear within 10 days of the summons date, and the summons is served at least 3 days before trial (the earliest date here assumes the summons issues and is served on the filing day).
"Within 10 days of the issuance date of the summons in all other proceedings."
Source 5 - Time to answer or appear
- The tenant needs to appear in court on the date and time on the summons.
"it is very important that the tenant appear in court on the date and time specified in the Summons."
Source 3 - Judgment to writ
- The landlord can apply for the order of eviction once the time in the judgment runs out, at least ten days after the possession judgment.
"at least ten days after the possession judgment is entered."
Source 1 - Who carries out the lockout
- Court officer, bailiff or sheriff. A court officer or bailiff of the court, the sheriff or a deputy, or local law enforcement carries out the order.
"a court officer appointed by or a bailiff of the issuing court, the sheriff or a deputy sheriff of the county"
Source 1 - Paying to stop the case
- No order of eviction may enter if the tenant pays the landlord the amount in the possession judgment, with taxed costs, within the time allowed.
"must not be entered if the tenant, within the time provided, pays to the landlord the amount due"
Source 1 - Right to counsel (statewide)
- No statewide right to counsel for tenants in eviction cases (as of November 2026, per the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel): its tracker of enacted laws lists no statewide law here. Local: Detroit (2022) have their own right-to-counsel laws.
"An eviction right to counsel is created by an enacted law that, at a minimum:"
Source 6, National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source)
Sample timeline: filed Monday, December 7, 2026
Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Need the other side served? Process serving with an affidavit of service.
- Answer or appear: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Hearing or trial: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Judgment: Thursday, December 10, 2026
- Writ or warrant of possession: Sunday, December 20, 2026
- Earliest lockout: no date (Not confirmed on an official page)
Another date: open the estimator.
Want us to handle it?
A runner files your papers in person at the clerk's window and sends you a scan of the stamped copy. We file what you prepared; we don't give legal advice.
Price: Outside New Jersey it goes through our contractor network: quote-based, confirmed before any work starts, and booked once a local contractor accepts. In New Jersey it is from $75 per filing, court fees at cost. Starting rates. Your exact price is quoted after we confirm a local notary/runner, before you pay.
Help the official pages point to
- No order of eviction may enter if the tenant pays the landlord the amount in the possession judgment, with taxed costs, within the time allowed.
- A local legal aid office (source 3)
Worth knowing
A pending rental assistance application can pause the case: the court rules allow a stay of up to 28 days in total.
Not stated on the pages we read: writ to lockout, diversion or mediation (statewide).
Sources
- Michigan Judicial Institute: Residential Landlord-Tenant Law Benchbook, Orders of Eviction (checked November 2026)
- Michigan Judicial Institute: Residential Landlord-Tenant Law Benchbook, Chapter 4 (checked November 2026)
- Michigan Legislature: A Practical Guide for Tenants and Landlords (Rev. 3/2026) (checked November 2026)
- Michigan Courts: District Court Fee and Assessments Table (April 2025) (checked November 2026)
- Michigan Judicial Institute: Residential Landlord-Tenant Law Benchbook, Summons and Complaint (checked November 2026)
- National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (secondary source): National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel: Enacted Eviction Right to Counsel and Eviction Defense Programs (last modified November 2026) (checked November 2026)
Sourced from official pages; a few facts from vetted secondary sources, marked "(secondary source)".
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Not a court form. Earliest under the statute; courts' calendars often take longer.
Common questions
Which court hears eviction cases in Michigan?
District Court. Summary eviction proceedings are brought in district court.
How long does a tenant in Michigan have to respond?
The tenant needs to appear in court on the date and time on the summons.
How soon after filing is the Michigan hearing?
The tenant must appear within 10 days of the summons date, and the summons is served at least 3 days before trial (the earliest date here assumes the summons issues and is served on the filing day). That's the statute's window; the court's own calendar decides the actual date.
When can a Michigan landlord get the writ after winning?
The landlord can apply for the order of eviction once the time in the judgment runs out, at least ten days after the possession judgment.
Who carries out an eviction in Michigan?
Court officer, bailiff or sheriff. A court officer or bailiff of the court, the sheriff or a deputy, or local law enforcement carries out the order. The officer acts on the court's order.
Can paying the rent stop a Michigan eviction case?
No order of eviction may enter if the tenant pays the landlord the amount in the possession judgment, with taxed costs, within the time allowed.
What does it cost to file in Michigan?
$45 for a claim for possession, plus a supplemental fee when money is also claimed.
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