Glass v. Goeckel
Michigan Supreme Court
703 N.W.2d 58 (2005)
- Written by Haley Gintis, JD
Facts
Richard and Kathleen Goeckel (defendants) held a littoral title to an area of land along the shoreline of Lake Huron, one of Michigan’s Great Lakes. The Goeckels accused Joan Glass (plaintiff) of trespassing onto their property when she walked along the Lake Huron shoreline. In response to the Goeckels’ accusations, Glass filed an action in Michigan state court to enjoin the Goeckels from interfering with her right to walk the shoreline. Glass claimed that the public-trust doctrine prohibited the Goeckels from denying her access to walk along the shoreline, which was below the ordinary high-water mark of the lake. The trial court agreed and returned a verdict in Glass’s favor. The matter was appealed. The court of appeals reversed on the ground that neither Glass nor any member of the public had the right to walk on private land between the ordinary high-water mark and the water’s edge. The matter was appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Corrigan, J.)
Concurrence/Dissent (Markman, J.)
Concurrence/Dissent (Young, J.)
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