May 8, 1820: First Property Tax Imposed

On May 8, 1820, the Northwest Territory imposed the first tax on property. The Northwest Territory included the land now comprising the State of Michigan. If unpaid, the delinquent taxpayer was subject to imprisonment. The penalty for non-payment of the property tax was amended in April 1825. The 1825 amendment limited the penalty to the seizure of the property subject to the tax, rather than imprisonment of the taxpayer.

For more about the history of the State of Michigan, the e-book version of the 1889 book “The History of Detroit and Michigan” is available for free via Google’s book-scanning project.

For more of my posts on Michigan real estate history, click here.

David Nykanen

David Nykanen has over 22 years experience as a real estate lawyer. He is the former Chair of the Real Property Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. Dave has represented property owners of virtually every type, including retail, multi-family, industrial, office, hotel, and high-end residential.