Court Opinion

ID: 9851967
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-09-24 05:22:23.303697+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T09:22:20.581216
License: Public Domain

Kavanagh, C. J., and Levin, J.
We agree that there is no violation of the equal protection clause inherent in the two-year statute of limitations provided under MCLA 691.1411; MSA 3.996(111).
Because we reject the appellant’s assertion that the statute here in question creates two classifications among victims of the same tort, we do not engage in an equal protection analysis of appellant’s asserted classes of victims, one in which the tortfeasors are supposedly private parties, and another in which the tortfeasors are governmental agencies.
Rather, we read MCLA 691.1402; MSA 3.996(102) as the legislative imposition of an obligation on various governmental agencies to maintain highways in a safe manner. There is neither an explicit nor implied mention of an obligation to be imposed upon any private parties under this statute. Since the government is the only party charged with maintenance of our public highways, negligent highway maintenance will always be a governmental tort. We find no constitutional impediment with respect to a statute of limitations as long as all of the victims of the same tort, in this case, negligent highway maintenance, are bound by the same limitation.
The statutes of limitation contain a large number of classifications. The general contract limitation is six years, but some actions must be brought *364within two years while others may be maintained if brought within ten years.1
Similarly, the general "tort” statute of limitation is three years, but some actions must be brought within one year and others within two years.2 An action for malpractice must be brought *365within two years with the result that while three years governs the time for commencing most negligence actions, actions claiming negligence of a professional must be brought within two years.
The Constitution simply does not compel the Legislature to apply the same statute of limitations to all causes of action.
Therefore, since all victims of the tort of negligent highway maintenance are bound to initiate their legal actions within a two-year statute of limitation, we perceive no disparate treatment of similarly situated persons and consequently no necessity for equal protection review.
Fitzgerald, J., concurred with Kavanagh, C. J., and Levin, J._

 MCLA 600.5807; MSA 27A.5807:
"No person may bring or maintain any action to recover damages or sums due for breach of contract, or to enforce the specific performance of any contract unless, after the claim first accrued to himself or to someone through whom he claims, he commences the action within the periods of time prescribed by this section.
"(1) The period of limitations on actions charging any surety on any bond of any executor, administrator, guardian is 4 years after the discharge of the executor, administrator, or guardian.
"(2) The period of limitations is 10 years for actions founded upon bonds of public officers.
"(3) The period of limitations on actions founded upon bonds executed under sections 41.80 and 41.81 of the Compiled Laws of 1948, is 2 years after the expiration of the year for which the constable was elected.
"(4) The period of limitations is 10 years for actions founded upon covenants in deeds and mortgages of real estate.
"(5) The period of limitations is 2 years for actions charging any surety for costs.
"(6) The period of limitations is 2 years for actions brought on bonds or recognizances given on appeal from any court in this state.
"(7) The period of limitations is 10 years for actions on bonds, notes, or other like instruments which are the direct or indirect obligation of, or were issued by although not the obligation of, the state of Michigan or any county, city, village, township, school district, special assessment district, or other public or quasi-public corporation in the state of Michigan.
"(8) The period of limitations is 6 years for all other actions to recover damages or sums due for breach of contract.”

 MCLA 600.5805; MSA 27A.5805:
"No person may bring or maintain any action to recover damages for injuries to persons or property unless, after the claim first accrued to himself or to someone through whom he claims, he commences the action within the periods of time prescribed by this section.
"(1) The period of limitations is 2 years for actions charging assault, battery, and false imprisonment.
"(2) The period of limitations is 2 years for actions charging malicious prosecution.
“(3) The period of limitations is 2 years for actions charging malpractice.
*365"(4) The period of limitations is 2 years for actions against sheriffs charging misconduct or neglect of office by themselves or their deputies.
"(5) The period of limitations is 2 years after the expiration of the year for which a constable was elected for actions based on his negligence or misconduct as constable.
"(6) The period of limitations is 1 year for actions charging libel or slander.
"(7) The period of limitations is 3 years for all other actions to recover damages for injuries to persons and property.”