By Associated Press - Thursday, April 24, 2014

BRIGHTON, Mich. (AP) - The Michigan Supreme Court has unanimously upheld an ordinance in a Livingston County community that can require the demolition of buildings if the cost to repair them exceeds the value.

The court says Leon and Marilyn Bonner don’t have a constitutional right to repair unsafe structures in Brighton. The justices say the ordinance is reasonably related to the city’s interest in promoting the health, safety and welfare of residents.

The opinion was released Thursday. It overturns a 2012 decision by the state appeals court.

The Bonners own two homes and a garage in downtown Brighton that have been unoccupied for decades. In 2009, the city informed them that the buildings were unsafe and considered public nuisances.

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