Benton Harbor, MI Code of Ordinances Ch. 20 Art. V Landlord-Tenant Code §§ 20-88 – 20-164 § 20-153
Confession of judgment
Operative Text
(a) A provision of a written rental agreement authorizing a person other than the tenant to confess judgment against the tenant is void and unenforceable. (b) The inclusion by the landlord in a written rental agreement of such a clause shall be a violation of this article. (Ord. of 6-9-77, § 7.09)
Under Benton Harbor, MI Code of Ordinances § 20-153, any clause in a written rental agreement that allows someone other than the tenant to enter a court judgment against the tenant on the tenant's behalf—known as a 'confession of judgment' clause—is legally void and cannot be enforced. The provision treats the mere inclusion of such a clause by a landlord as a violation of the Landlord-Tenant Code, regardless of whether the clause is ever actually used. This rule is designed to protect tenants from waiving their right to contest legal proceedings against them before any dispute even arises.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under Benton Harbor's Landlord-Tenant Code, including § 20-153, are expected to review all written rental agreement templates to ensure they contain no confession-of-judgment clauses. A compliant operator removes any language that would authorize a third party to enter a court judgment on a tenant's behalf, since including such a clause—even if never invoked—constitutes a violation of Article V. Operators who use standardized lease forms from outside sources generally audit those forms for compliance with local ordinance requirements before presenting them to prospective tenants.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under § 20-153 of Benton Harbor's Landlord-Tenant Code, tenants have a right to rental agreements free of confession-of-judgment clauses, and any such clause already present in a signed lease is void and unenforceable. If a tenant discovers such a clause in their rental agreement, this provision gives them a basis to challenge its validity, and raising it as a defense in any related legal proceeding may be an available option. Tenants who believe their lease contains a prohibited clause may wish to consult a local tenant-rights organization or legal aid office familiar with Benton Harbor's ordinances for general information about their options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.