Opinion ID: 842398
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: the public building exception to governmental immunity

Text: The public building exception to governmental immunity, MCL 691.1406, states, in relevant part: Governmental agencies have the obligation to repair and maintain public buildings under their control when open for use by members of the public. Governmental agencies are liable for bodily injury and property damage resulting from a dangerous or defective condition of a public building if the governmental agency had actual or constructive knowledge of the defect and, for a reasonable time after acquiring knowledge, failed to remedy the condition or to take action reasonably necessary to protect the public against the condition. It is undisputed that the statute imposes on governmental agencies the duty to repair and maintain public buildings. Accordingly, it defies logic that a governmental agency would be required to maintain a dangerously designed building and be exempted from liability for harm to the public caused by the building's design. It must be presumed that the Legislature intended that the design of public buildings should not cause injury to people. Accordingly, I would hold that the duty to repair and maintain public buildings necessarily includes the duty to design safe public buildings.