Rutland Township v. City of Hastings

This is an action brought by the Township of Rutland, Barry County. It sought a declaration that a purported annexation of a 40-acre parcel of land within the township by the City of Hastings was void and asked for a permanent injunction against annexation. The circuit court concluded that both the city and the township had improperly used technicalities in the annexation statutes in a manner contrary to the intent of the Legislature. The circuit judge denied equitable relief on the ground that the township had not come into court with "clean hands”. The Court of Appeals affirmed, and the…