Planned Parenthood of Mid-and South Michigan filed a lawsuit in Oakland County, Michigan to challenge the deed restriction that has thus far
thwarted the abortion provider’s plans to open a 17,000 square-foot clinic in Auburn Hills.
This covenant deed restriction was initiated over ten years ago when a parcel of land was sold to a hotel in close proximity to the building purchased by Planned Parenthood at 1625 N. Opdyke Road. Last April 2010, Lori Lamerand, CEO for PPMSM told Detroit News columnist Laura Berman, that her group sought to open a clinic in Oakland County that would “likely offer abortion services.”
Ever since Planned Parenthood bought the gutted structure in November 2010 its plans to open the abortion clinic has provoked enormous
controversy and opposition from right to life advocates led by Citizens for a Pro-life Society as well as Central Oakland Right to Life, and Michigan LifeSpan.
Hundreds of concerned Oakland county residents jammed a December 7, 2010 Auburn Hills city council meeting and more recently a petition with over 11,000 names was presented to Mayor McDonald in opposition to the clinic’s opening.
Dozens of pickets have taken place at the Opdyke Road property—that have attracted hundreds of protestors. More protests are planned by CPLS
for the July 9th Planned Parenthood fundraiser at the Eagle Theater in Pontiac, MI.
Months ago Citizens for a Pro-life Society, when researching zoning laws, water rights and easement issues, spoke with the mangers whose
hotels are located close to the Planned Parenthood building. The owners of one of the hotels gave CPLS a copy of a letter that they had received from Dykema and Gossett, the law firm representing Planned Parenthood.
Dykema, aware of the deed restriction, never revealed in the letter that they represented Planned Parenthood, never disclosed that Planned Parenthood was likely to perform abortions in the building and, seeking approval of the hotel owners, only disclosed that its client might open a “medical office.” The deed restriction permits the building to be used for a restaurant, retail store or “office.”
When the owners of the hotel discovered that the real purchaser of the Opdyke Road property was an extremely controversial group and that it
was likely the building would become an abortion clinic—they sought to enforce the deed restriction—a restriction that was originally
designed to protect their own property investment. Contrary to previous news reports and Planned Parenthood’s own complaint, a local
attorney, James Carey, offered his services to the owners of the hotel independently from Citizens for a Pro-life Society. Carey notified
Planned Parenthood that the hotel owners intended to enforce the deed restriction to protect their business interests. Planned Parenthood
has now responded by filing a motion before Oakland County judge James Alexander.
CPLS director Monica Migliorino Miller states, “For us this issue over
the Planned Parenthood building is about abortion. But the owners of
the hotel are now forced to defend their business all because of
Planned Parenthood’s arrogant belief that it can just set up its
killing center wherever it wishes—even if it is to the detriment of
surrounding businesses! For us, we want to make sure that Planned
Parenthood never opens a clinic where innocent human beings will be
put to death. We opposed this clinic from the beginning and are in
this fight for the long haul. We support the vigorous defense of the
deed restriction to keep Planned Parenthood from setting up another
place where women are exploited and their unborn children subjected to
acts of violence”
