Speicher v. Columbia Township Board of Election Commissioners

In this attorney-fee case, plaintiff Kenneth J. Speicher appeals as of right the trial court’s order denying his requested actual attorney fees under the Open Meetings Act (OMA), MCL 15.261 et seq., and granting him an alternative amount of fees deemed reasonable by the trial court. We affirm in part because we conclude that actual attorney fees recoverable under MCL 15.271(4) may not be clearly excessive and only fees for the OMA action are recoverable; however, we vacate the award and remand for further proceedings consistent with this opinion because an evidentiary hearing is necessary for…