Home › Michigan › MCL 750.540a
Michigan · MCL 750.540a
Quote checked October 14, 2026 Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.
“Any person who shall wilfully refuse to yield or surrender the use of a party line to another person for the purpose of permitting such other person to report a fire or summon police, medical or other aid in case of emergency, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.”
“Any person who shall ask for or request the use of a party line on pretext that an emergency exists, knowing that no emergency in fact exists, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.”
This section doesn't print a penalty of its own. Other parts of the Michigan Compiled Laws may set one; we haven't looked them up, so we don't state one here.
“History: Add. 1952, Act 56, Eff. Sept. 18, 1952”
The earliest year in this note is 1952. That's the earliest year the note prints. It doesn't establish when this wording was enacted, took effect or first appeared.
Our reading
Michigan's penal code covers the shared telephone line. Willfully refusing to yield a party line to someone who needs it to report a fire or summon police, medical or other aid in an emergency is a misdemeanor, and so is requesting the line on an emergency pretext while knowing no emergency exists.
Written by Silly Rules from the quoted text above. It's a plain reading, not legal advice. We haven't researched how courts read this section or how often anyone enforces it.
North Carolina · N.C. Gen. Stat. 14-371
“If any person wrongfully obtains, or attempts to obtain, any knowledge of a telegraphic message by connivance with a clerk, operator, messenger, or other employee of a telegraph company, or, being such clerk, operator, messenger, …”
South Carolina · S.C. Code 16-17-450
“Any person who shall wilfully refuse to relinquish immediately a party telephone line when informed that such line is needed for an emergency call to a fire department or police department or for medical aid or ambulance service …”
Wisconsin · Wis. Stat. 134.35
“Every person, firm or corporation operating a telegraph line or lines in this state shall, without extra charge therefor, cause to be written, stamped or printed in a conspicuous place upon the addressee's copy of each telegram …”
Michigan · MCL 750.58
“Any person who shall wilfully and maliciously or wantonly, and without authority unhitch any horse or team belonging to another, and lawfully hitched or standing in any street, alley or other place, or who in like manner shall …”
Michigan · MCL 750.290
“Every person within this state, who is engaged in the manufacture, sale, exchange, or offers for sale, or has in possession with intent to sell, boots or shoes in the construction of which any imitation leather is used, shall …”
Every quote on this site was matched against its official page on October 14, 2026. Text match only; current legal status and enforcement not verified.