Park Township Neighbors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Park Township, Michigan – A group of approximately 70 homeowners have filed a federal lawsuit against Park Township. A copy of the lawsuit can be viewed online.

The lawsuit asks the court to declare that the township’s zoning ordinance in effect from 2003-2024 violated the Michigan and U.S. Constitution’s due process and unconstitutional vagueness clauses, and to prevent the township from denying the homeowners their property rights. It also asks the court to award monetary damages and attorneys’ fees to the fullest extent of the law.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Park Township, Michigan – West Michigan non-profit Park Township Neighbors (PTN) files appeal, continuing legal efforts to keep existing short-term rentals legal.

On Nov 4th, 2025, Ottawa County Circuit Court Judge Jon Hulsing wrote in his opinion how “it is undisputed that for nearly 50 years [Park] Township did not take enforcement against any homeowner who rented his property on a short-term basis. In fact, various Township employees, including former zoning administrators, regularly opined that the zoning ordinance did not prohibit STRs.”

Last updated November 5, 2025. (This post will be updated from time to time as events unfold. The latest update is at the end.) 

In November 2024, Circuit Court Judge Jon Hulsing dismissed our case. Essentially, the judge found that Park Township amending the ordinance in March of 2024 changed things.

Because the township had not issued any citations under that new zoning ordinance, the judge found that PTN had not exhausted our administrative remedies, and that he did not have jurisdiction on the remaining issues. You can read the court’s opinion here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Local non-profit Park Township Neighbors (PTN) has published a sampling of emails supporting the assertions in their legal case against Park Township over its short-term rental ban.

These documents, which Park Township was required to release, strongly support the experiences of short term rental owners and PTN’s lawsuit.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Park Township, Michigan, July 10, 2024 – According to a recent economic impact study conducted by The Frost Center for Data and Research, a ban on short term rentals (STRs) in Park Township would negatively impact local businesses. It also shed light on some common misconceptions about the effects of STRs on housing availability and prices.