Calef v. West

Plaintiff appeals as of right orders of the circuit court granting summary disposition in favor of defendants, denying plaintiffs motion for leave to amend his complaint, and denying plaintiff’s motion for reconsideration. We reverse and remand for further proceedings. In doing so, we hold that an exculpatory clause in a residential lease agreement that purports to negate a landlord’s duty to warn of latent defects existing on the premises at the inception of the lease violates the Truth in Renting Act, MCL 554.631 et seq., and is therefore unenforceable.

i

On January 7, 1999, plaintiff leased…