Administrative Hearings Bureau

About the Administrative Hearings Bureau

The City of Ypsilanti established an Administrative Hearings Bureau (AHB) in August 2010. The AHB helps to define, prevent, reduce, and eliminate blight factors, and causes of blight by adjudicating violations of the Ypsilanti blight ordinance and the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code.
Payments for Administrative Hearings Bureau citations, judgments, and motions to set aside are accepted Monday-Friday 8 AM - 4 PM on the first floor of city hall.

Notice of Informal or Formal Hearings

At the top of every notice is general information about the Administrative Hearings Bureau, location, and contact information for the City of Ypsilanti in case you have questions. Please take note of the citation number at the top right corner of the notice, which will be useful for helping city staff to assist you with your case.

If you receive notice of an informal hearing, you may pay the appropriate fee for your violation, and your appearance is not required for a hearing.

If you receive notice of a formal hearing, you do not have the opportunity to pay the fine before your hearing date, and your attendance will be required.

In both cases, it is best practice to contact city staff to clarify if the matter can be resolved without a hearing.

If you are required to attend a formal hearing, you can attend in-person at City Hall. All hearings begin at 9 a.m. on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Thursdays of every month. Appearances can also be made via Zoom at the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83489885622 

Meet Your Administrative Hearings Officers

John S. Gilbreath Jr

John Gilbreath John Schaff Gilbreath Jr. joined the City of Ypsilanti as an Administrative Hearings Officer in 2012. He is an alumnus of Wayne State University, obtaining a B.A. in Anthropology and a master’s degree in social work. He later earned his law degree from the Detroit College of Law in 1982.

Gilbreath is a veteran attorney, with a career spanning several decades. From 1998 to 2005, he served as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Ypsilanti, along with providing legal services to Lodi Township, the City of Bellville, and the Saline Area Fire Department. In August 2005, he was appointed as a judge on the Michigan Tax Tribunal by Governor Granholm, serving the State of Michigan until retiring from his position in 2012.

His legal career is also complimented by his passion for teaching younger generations, having served as an Adjunct Professor for Administrative Law at Eastern Michigan University, and continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor at Cooley Law School.

Margaret Kruse Connors

IMG_5099Margaret Connors joined the City of Ypsilanti as an Administrative Hearings Officer in August 2025. Connors attended Michigan State University where she earned a B.A. in art education and earned a master’s degree in special education at Eastern Michigan University. She went on to earn her law degree from the University of Toledo.

Connors began her career practicing law as a civil litigator and then served 19 years as an assistant prosecuting attorney. She has also served on the board of directors for Safe House in Ann Arbor and for Young Lawyers, along with serving on the Governor’s Task Force to Strengthen Michigan Families, the Attorney Discipline Board, and on the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

Now, a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School, Connors teaches Peacemaking and Restorative Justice in State Court Justice Systems and Family Law Litigation.

Dockets

View recent and upcoming Administrative Hearings Bureau dockets.

AHB Documents

  1. 2026 Administrative Hearings Bureau Schedule
  2. AHB Rules and Procedures
  3. AHB Fines and Costs
  4. Process for Requesting Hearing Postponement_Redacted.pdf
  5. Petition to Set Aside Default Judgement
  6. Waiver of Motion filing fees
  7. AHB Final Brochure (PDF)
  8. AHB Ordinance 1130 (PDF)
  9. Blight Bureau 2010 Presentation (PPT)
  10. Home Rule City Act - Act 279 of 1909 (PDF)
  11. Motion for Subpoena