Marine vet fined $15,000 for docking boats on his own land. The absurd reason is pushing him to court
Michael Droogleever explained that mounting fines are creating a financial strain on him that'll only delay his ability to build a home on the property
When Michael Droogleever first bought his vacant waterfront lot in St. Clair Shores, he dreamt of building his forever home. As a marine veteran, he dreamed of stepping directly from his lawn onto his boats. However, four years after purchasing the land, he found himself facing fines, even before he could move into the home he planned to build. Droogleever accumulated over $15,000 in municipal penalties, forcing him to hire a legal attorney to investigate the situation. The story was reported by WDIV Local 4 (@ClickonDetroitLocal4WDIV) on August 21, 2026, through a video that has since been viewed more than 116,000 times.
Buying the dream property
Four years ago, Droogleever purchased a vacant waterfront parcel in St. Clair Shores intending to put down roots and construct his permanent residence. While he finalized the blueprints of his dream house, the marine veteran decided to dock his two boats alongside the vacant lot he owned. Naturally, he thought that this wouldn't be an issue since almost everyone in the area did the same. But apparently, there was a massive difference between him and the rest of his neighbors, according to the municipality.
Unwelcome municipal fines
Rather than settling in smoothly, Droogleever ran directly into local municipal restrictions as he racked up more than $15,000 in fines. That is because, under local codes, private docking remains prohibited unless an inhabited house stands on the lot. This mandate took the veteran by surprise. "We pay our taxes. We upkeep the property. We keep the boats nice and clean. We do our part to be a good neighbor," he said. He further explained that mounting fines are creating a financial strain on him that'll only delay his ability to build a home on the property.
Challenging the city code
So, Droogleever decided to challenge this ordinance directly with the help of his attorney Nicholas Somberg. They claim that the municipality imposes an extreme, unprecedented restriction not found anywhere else within the state. Somberg further emphasized that they were overstepping by saying, "You can say, have a fence. You can say, have one boat or two boats, but you can’t say no boats, and that’s our argument." That being said, while Droogleever navigates through the legalities of this case, the neighbors have their own views of things.
Frustrated neighborhood
Local homeowners on the block pushed back strongly against Droogleever in the meantime. They claim that the Marine veteran's dock arrangement isn't as innocent as it seems. The neighbors allege that he has transformed his empty lot into an informal space for large gatherings. In fact, they have documented proof of this claim with pictures depicting excessive street parking, packed grassy verges, and even passenger shuttles dropping off people. However, Droogleever denies these claims, saying, "We love boating, that's it."
Trust in local government
The dispute comes amid mixed public views of local government. According to a 2023 Gallup poll, 67% had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in local government to handle local problems, while 33% (Not Very Much: 22% and None At All: 11%) have little to no confidence when it comes to believing they can handle local problems. The findings placed local government among the more trusted institutions measured in the survey.
The guy seems shady
As for the people, they seem skeptical about Droogleever's intention to build a home, contrary to his statement. @dirk7816 pointed out, "Two Sea Ray 44' Express Bridge and a 40' Express Cruiser all appear to be late 90's models... that's an odd collection. If you're not renting them out..." At the same time, @jerrymillerstein wrote, "If that is the rule, then that is the rule. Unless he can show that the rule violates some higher law, he is stuck. The photo of the shuttle bus and many cars makes him look like he is intentionally playing games."
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