Michigan's New Fireworks Law

As we approach the Independence Day holiday, your Board of Trustees wishes to inform the membership that significant amendments to the fireworks law went into effect at the end of last year. The amended law states that:

• Fireworks may be used on one's own property, but only on certain days at certain times (see below).  
• Fireworks cannot be discharged on "public property" or on the property of anyone else without the owner's expressed permission.

Our Protective Covenants prohibit the use of fireworks. Consequently fireworks cannot be used on CSA property, which includes the roads, the park across from the North Beach access (at Erie and Ottawa Trails), the Beach, and the beach accesses areas.  This means that unless someone is either the owner of the property or has the expressed permission of the owner, fireworks cannot be discharged at any time within Cobmoosa Shores.

Furthermore, it is against the law for anyone under the influence of "controlled substances" or alcohol to discharge fireworks anywhere and at any time.

The amended law has reduced the number of days on which fireworks can be legally used anywhere in Michigan to:

• the Saturday and Sunday before Memorial Day
• June 29 through July 4
• July 5 (only if it is a Friday or Saturday)
• the Saturday and Sunday before Labor Day
• New Year's Eve

Other things to bear in mind

• Even if you (or another sober person with your permission) uses fireworks on the days allowed by law on your property, consideration for your neighbors suggests that you use them only before 11 PM.
• We are over 11 miles away from the nearest volunteer fire department. Road construction this summer on Shelby Road and Stony Lake Road may make it more complicated for fire departments to reach Cobmoosa Shores, so it will take even longer to reach us. Although it is currently rather wet, there will be times when vegetation will be dry and very combustible. If you, a guest, or a renter use fireworks that causes a fire that does damage to someone else's property, including CSA property, you will be liable for damage to that property. Landlords may therefore want to include in their rental contracts an expressed prohibition against using fireworks.

Although the Protective Covenants suggest that under some circumstance the Board might give permission for the use of fireworks on CSA property, that has not happened within memory. Therefore, don't count on it!