Ripperger v. City of Grand Rapids

How courts have described this case

Verbatim parenthetical descriptions written by other courts when citing this decision. Ranked by citation-network relevance.

• holding that sewage charges are not taxes by applying the reasoning stated previously by the Michigan Supreme Court to reach the same conclusion with respect to water service charges in Jones v. Board of Water Commission of Detroit, 34 Mich. 273 (1876)
• explaining that “[n]o one can be compelled to take water unless he chooses” and charges for water and sewer services based on water usage do not comprise taxes
• explaining that “[n]o one can be compelled to take water unless he chooses” and that charges for water and sewer services based on water usage do not comprise taxes
• “No one can be compelled to take water unless he chooses, and the lien, although enforced in the same ivay as a lien for taxes, is really a lien for an indebtedness, like that enforced on mechanics’ contracts, or against ships and vessels.” (Emphasis added)
• upholding a “fee” for sewage disposal services

Source: CourtListener parenthetical corpus (CC0).