Mich. Comp. Laws § § 600.5735
Summons; hearing.
Operative Text
Sec. 5735. (1) The court in which a summary proceeding is commenced shall issue a summons, which may be served on the defendant by any officer or person authorized to serve process of the court. The summons shall command the defendant to appear for trial in accordance with the provisions of subsection (2) unless by local court rule the provisions of subsection (4) have been made applicable. (2) A summons issued under this section shall command the defendant to appear for trial as follows: (a) Within 30 days of the issuance date of the summons in proceedings under section 5726, in which event the summons shall be served not less than 10 days before the date set for trial. (b) Within 10 days of the issuance date of the summons in all other proceedings, in which event the summons shall be served not less than 3 days before the date set for trial. (3) If a summons issued under this section is not served within the time provided by subsection (2), additional summons shall be issued at the plaintiff's request in the same manner and with the same effect as the original summons. (4) Instead of the provisions of subsection (2), a court by local rule may provide for the application of this subsection to summary proceedings commenced in the court, in which event the summons shall command the defendant to appear as follows: (a) Within 10 days after service of the summons upon the defendant in proceedings under section 5726. (b) Within 5 days after service of the summons upon the defendant in all other proceedings. (5) A summons issued under subsection (4) remains in effect until served or quashed or until the action is dismissed, but additional summons as needed for service may be issued at any time at the plaintiff's request. (6) Except as otherwise provided by court rule, a summary proceeding shall be heard within 7 days after the defendant's appearance or trial date and shall not be adjourned beyond that time other than by stipulation of the parties either in writing or on the record. (7) An action to which section 5714(1)(b) applies shall be heard at the time of the defendant's appearance or trial date and shall not be adjourned beyond that time except for extraordinary reasons.
Michigan Compiled Laws § 600.5735 governs how courts handle the summons and hearing schedule in summary proceedings, which are the expedited court cases used for matters such as eviction. Once a summary proceeding is filed, the court issues a summons commanding the defendant to appear for trial within specific timeframes—generally within 10 days of the summons being issued, or within 30 days for certain specialized proceedings under § 5726. Hearings must generally be held within 7 days of the defendant's appearance or trial date, with very limited ability to postpone, and cases involving certain grounds under § 5714(1)(b) receive even stricter scheduling with adjournments allowed only for extraordinary reasons.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under MCL § 600.5735, landlords who initiate a summary proceeding should be aware that the court will issue a summons with strict service deadlines—typically requiring service at least 3 days before the trial date in most proceedings, or at least 10 days before trial in § 5726 proceedings. If the summons is not served within the required window, a landlord may request additional summons to be reissued. Compliant operators generally ensure that process servers are engaged promptly and that all service requirements are met to avoid delays in the court's expedited timeline.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
MCL § 600.5735 establishes that tenants named as defendants in a summary proceeding—such as an eviction case—must receive a summons within specific timeframes and are entitled to a hearing that is scheduled and heard on an expedited basis. The provision's strict limits on adjournments mean that hearings generally proceed quickly, so tenants who receive a summons should be aware that response time is short. Tenants facing a summary proceeding may wish to contact a local tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to understand the procedural rights available under § 600.5735 and related provisions.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation