Michigan Laws 445.574a – Prohibited return to dealer, distributor, or manufacturer; violation; penalty; exceptions; restitution; action brought by attorney general or county prosecutor
Current as of: 2024 | Check for updates
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Attorney's Note
Under the Michigan Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| H | up to 5 years |
Terms Used In Michigan Laws 445.574a
- Beverage: means a soft drink, soda water, carbonated natural or mineral water, or other nonalcoholic carbonated drink; beer, ale, or other malt drink of whatever alcoholic content; or a mixed wine drink or a mixed spirit drink. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- Beverage container: means an airtight metal, glass, paper, or plastic container, or a container composed of a combination of these materials, which, at the time of sale, contains 1 gallon or less of a beverage. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- Dealer: means a person who sells or offers for sale to consumers within this state a beverage in a beverage container, including an operator of a vending machine containing a beverage in a beverage container. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- Distributor: means a person who sells beverages in beverage containers to a dealer within this state, and includes a manufacturer who engages in such sales. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- Manufacturer: means a person who bottles, cans, or otherwise places beverages in beverage containers for sale to distributors, dealers, or consumers. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- Nonreturnable container: means a beverage container upon which no deposit or a deposit of less than 10 cents has been paid, or is required to be paid upon the removal of the container from the sale or consumption area, or for which no cash refund or a refund of less than 10 cents is payable by a dealer or distributor in this state of that beverage in beverage containers, as further provided in section 2. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- Person: means an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or other legal entity. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
- Returnable container: means a beverage container upon which a deposit of at least 10 cents has been paid, or is required to be paid upon the removal of the container from the sale or consumption area, and for which a refund of at least 10 cents in cash is payable by every dealer or distributor in this state of that beverage in beverage containers, as further provided in section 2. See Michigan Laws 445.571
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
(1) A person shall not return or attempt to return to a dealer for a refund 1 or more of the following:
(a) A beverage container that the person knows or should know was not purchased in this state as a filled returnable container.
(b) A beverage container that the person knows or should know did not have a deposit paid for it at the time of purchase.
(2) A person who violates subsection (1) is subject to 1 of the following:
(a) If the person returns 25 or more but not more than 100 nonreturnable containers, the person may be ordered to pay a civil fine of not more than $100.00.
(b) If the person returns more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers, or violates subdivision (a) for a second or subsequent time, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(c) If the person returns more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers for a second or subsequent time, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.
(d) If the person returns 10,000 or more nonreturnable containers, the person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.
(3) A dealer shall not knowingly accept from and pay a deposit to a person for a nonreturnable container or knowingly deliver a nonreturnable container to a distributor for a refund. A dealer that violates this subsection is subject to 1 of the following:
(a) If the dealer knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on 25 or more but not more than 100 nonreturnable containers to a person, or knowingly delivers 25 or more but not more than 100 nonreturnable containers to a distributor for a refund, the dealer may be ordered to pay a civil fine of not more than $100.00.
(b) If the dealer knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a person, or knowingly delivers more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a distributor for a refund, the dealer is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(c) If the dealer knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a person, or knowingly delivers more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a distributor for a refund, for a second or subsequent time, the dealer is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.
(d) If the dealer knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on 10,000 or more nonreturnable containers to a person, or knowingly delivers 10,000 or more nonreturnable containers to a distributor for a refund, the dealer is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.
(4) A distributor shall not knowingly accept from and pay a deposit to a dealer for a nonreturnable container or knowingly deliver a nonreturnable container to a manufacturer for a refund. A distributor that violates this subsection is subject to 1 of the following:
(a) If the distributor knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on 25 or more but not more than 100 nonreturnable containers to a dealer, or knowingly delivers 25 or more but not more than 100 nonreturnable containers to a manufacturer for a refund, the distributor may be ordered to pay a civil fine of not more than $100.00.
(b) If the distributor knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a dealer, or knowingly delivers more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a manufacturer for a refund, the distributor is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 93 days or a fine of not more than $1,000.00, or both.
(c) If the distributor knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a dealer, or knowingly delivers more than 100 but fewer than 10,000 nonreturnable containers to a manufacturer for a refund, for a second or subsequent time, the distributor is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment for not more than 1 year or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both.
(d) If the distributor knowingly accepts from and pays a deposit on 10,000 or more nonreturnable containers to a dealer, or knowingly delivers 10,000 or more nonreturnable containers to a manufacturer for a refund, the distributor is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 5 years or a fine of not more than $5,000.00, or both.
(5) A dealer or distributor does not violate subsection (3) or (4) if all of the following conditions are met:
(a) An employee of the dealer or distributor commits an act that violates subsection (3) or (4).
(b) At the time the employee commits the act that violates subsection (3) or (4), the dealer or distributor had in force a written policy prohibiting its employees from knowingly redeeming nonreturnable containers.
(c) The dealer or distributor did not or should not have known of the employee’s act in violation of subsection (3) or (4).
(6) In addition to the penalty described in this section, the court shall order a person found guilty of a misdemeanor or felony under this section to pay restitution equal to the amount of loss caused by the violation.
(7) The attorney general or a county prosecutor may bring an action to recover a civil fine under this section. A civil fine imposed under this section is payable to this state and shall be credited to the general fund.