Case Name: CARVER v. McKERNAN
Court: Michigan Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Decision Date: 1973-10-17
Citations: 390 Mich. 96
Docket Number: No. 1; Docket No. 54,371
Parties: CARVER v McKERNAN
Judges: T. M. Kavanagh, C. J., and Swainson, Williams, and Levin, JJ., concurred with T. G. Kavanagh, J.
Reporter: Michigan Reports
Volume: 390
Pages: 96–103

Head Matter:
CARVER v McKERNAN
Opinion of the Court
1. Statutes—Limitation of Actions—Notice.
Statutes which limit access to the courts by people seeking redress for wrongs are not looked upon with favor by the Michigan Supreme Court; it acquiesces in the enforcement of statutes of limitation when it is not persuaded that they unduly restrict such access, but looks askance at devices such as notice requirements which have the effect of shortening the period of time set forth in such statutes.
2. Statutes—Constitutional Law—Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act—Notice.
By positing a legitimate purpose for the six-month notice provision of a section of the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act, that section does not necessarily violate the Michigan Constitution (MCLA 257.1118).
3. Notice.
Even though some notice requirement may be permitted, a particular provision may still be the time specified in the notice for an extremely short period may be unreasonable and constitutionally deficient; what period is reasonable in part depends on what purpose the notice serves.
4. Dismissal and Nonsuit—Prejudice—Notice—Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act.
Only upon a showing of prejudice by failure to give the required six-month notice, may a claim against the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund be dismissed (MCLA 257.1118).
References for Points in Headnotes
51 Am Jur 2d, Limitation of Actions §§ 119, 124, 125, 136, 137; 58 Am Jur 2d, Notice §§ 22, 23.
[2, 4, 5] 56 Am Jur 2d, Municipal Corporations, Counties and Other Political Subdivisions §§ 680-803.
58 Am Jur 2d, Notice §§ 22, 23.
Time of notice to public works contractor on United States project under Miller Act. 78 ALR2d 412.
16 Am Jur 2d, Constitutional Law §§ 105-108.
Dissenting Opinion
T. E. Brennan and M. S. Coleman, JJ.
5. Statutes—Motor Vehicle Claims Act—Limitation of Actions— Notice—Secretary of State.
A section of the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act requires that a notice of claim be made to the Secretary of State within six months of the date of the cause of action and it says that no recovery may be had from the fund unless the notice is given (MCLA 257.1118).
6. Statutes—Constitutional Law.
Statutory law must always be expressed in terms clearly deSning the conduct which is prohibited^ or required and the power to legislate necessarily includes the power to declare the boundaries of prohibited or required conduct; legislation which does not declare such boundaries is constitutionally infirm because citizens must be able to know what their legal rights and duties are.
Appeal from Wayne, Joseph G. Rashid, J., and from Court of Appeals prior to decision.
Submitted January 3, 1973.
(No. 1
January Term 1973,
Docket No. 54,371.)
Decided October 17, 1973.
Complaint by Sidney Carver, Bernice Garrett, individually and as administratrix of the estate of Sidney Carver Garrett, deceased, and others against Albert G. McKernan, John Doe and the Secretary of State for damages for injuries sustained in an automobile collision. Accelerated judgment granted as to Secretary of State only. Plaintiffs appealed to the Court of Appeals on leave granted. Plaintiffs appealed to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal prior to decision by the Court of Appeals. Leave granted.
Reversed and remanded.
Barbara & Wisok, P. C, for plaintiffs.
Frank J. Kelley, Attorney General, Robert A. Derengoski, Solicitor General, and Joseph B. Bilitzke and Carl K Carlsen, Assistants Attorney General, for the Secretary of State.

Opinion:
T. G. Kavanagh, J.
We are called upon in this case to decide whether the notice requirement of 1965 PA 198, § 18 as amended by 1968 PA 223, § 1, MCLA 257.1118; MSA 9.2818 known as the Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Act is unconstitutional as violative of the due process and equal protection provisions of the United States and Michigan Constitutions.
The facts giving rise to the claim are not in dispute.
On June 29, 1969 plaintiffs were passengers in a car which was struck in the rear by. another vehicle which did not stop. A check of its license plate subsequently established that was owned by defendant McKernan.
Plaintiffs filed a claim with defendant Mc-Kernan's insurance carrier, but it was denied on the ground that the McKernan car was not driven with the express or implied consent of the owner.
Thereafter, on January 15, 1971, the instant suit was started against defendant McKernan, John Doe (the unknown driver) and the Secretary of State.
The Secretary of State's motion for accelerated judgment on the basis of plaintiffs' failure to give notice of intent to claim against the Motor Vehicle Accident Claim Fund within six months of the accrual of the cause of action was granted "for reason that notice to the Secretary of State as required by the statute was not timely filed".
We granted bypass of the Court of Appeals because we are convinced that the validity of the notice requirement presents a recurring problem in the administration of this Act, and the resolution of the question of its validity is of major importance to the jurisprudence of the state.
At the outset, we acknowledge frankly that statutes which limit access to the courts by people seeking redress for wrongs are not looked upon with favor by us. We acquiesce in the enforcement of statutes of limitation when we are not persuaded that they unduly restrict such access, but we look askance at devices such as notice requirements which have the effect of shortening the period of time set forth in such statutes.
In the combined cases of Lisee v Secretary of State and Howell v Lazaruk, 388 Mich 32; 199 NW2d 188 (1972), we held that in Howell the Secretary of State had actual notice and in Lisee the Secretary was estopped to plead failure to give notice under the circumstances of that case. We held that the purpose of the notice requirement of § 18 was to afford the Secretary opportunity to investigate the claim so as to prepare his defense and to determine possible liability of the fund.
Justices T. E. Brennan and Black dissented from our holding in Lisee (Howell) on the ground that the purpose of the notice requirement might be something other than to afford time for investigation and suggested that it might have been inserted to allow for creating reserves and anticipating future demands on the fund or to force the claimant to an early choice of whether to proceed against the fund. (The time period of § 18 considered in Lisee then stood at one year. The period was shortened to six months effective July 1, 1968.)
By positing a legitimate purpose for the notice provision we are constrained to hold that § 18 does not necessarily violate the constitution.
But, even though some notice requirement may be permitted, a particular provision may still be constitutionally deficient. We must consider the time specified in the notice for an extremely short period may be unreasonable. What period is reasonable in part depends on what purpose the notice serves. Because we cannot say with certainty what purpose the Legislature had in mind in providing for this notice, we are not prepared to say that the six month period provided by this statute is unreasonable as a matter of law.
The failure to give notice may result in prejudice to the fund according to whatever reason justifies the notice requirement. Whenever the Secretary claims to have been prejudiced by the lack of notice, he should be afforded the opportunity to show such prejudice.
While we decline to declare that the notice requirement of § 18 is constitutionally defective, we hold that only upon a showing of prejudice by failure to give such notice, may the claim against the fund be dismissed.
In this case since the complaint was dismissed on motion, without such showing of prejudice, the order of dismissal is set aside, and the claim against the fund reinstated and the matter remanded for further proceedings pursuant to this opinion.
No costs, a public question.
T. M. Kavanagh, C. J., and Swainson, Williams, and Levin, JJ., concurred with T. G. Kavanagh, J.
US Const, Am XIV, § 1.
Const 1963, art 1, § 17; Const 1963, art 1, § 2.