What Parents Answer For
MCL 600.2913 — a child's willful damage or injury, and up to $2,500.00
In Michigan, a person, business, religious organization or public body may sue the parents or parent of an unemancipated minor living with them, where the minor has maliciously or willfully destroyed their property or maliciously or willfully caused bodily harm or injury to a person.
Up to $2,500.00. The damages recoverable from the parents under the section may not exceed $2,500.00.
| The assumption | What the section actually does |
|---|---|
| The assumptionOnly property damage counts | What the section actually doesDestroyed property, or bodily harm or injury to a person |
| The assumptionAny parent is liable | What the section actually doesThe parents or parent the unemancipated minor lives with |
| The assumptionParents pay whatever the child caused | What the section actually doesUp to $2,500.00 under the section |
Whether an act was malicious or willful is decided on the facts, and a claim against the minor directly runs under other law. A licensed Michigan attorney reads a specific case.
Sources for this section (1)
- MCL 600.2913 — Minor maliciously or wilfully destroying property or causing bodily harm or injury to person; recovery of damages from parents
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Michigan attorney.