Fair Haven Township runs along Saginaw Bay in the southwest corner of Huron County, where Thumb farmland meets the water. Its best-known community is Bay Port, a small place with a surprisingly big past: after the railroad arrived in the 1880s, commercial fishing here boomed, and by the 1920s and '30s Bay Port was called the largest freshwater fishing port in the world. The old fishing district by the water is now on the National Register of Historic Places, the Bay Port Fish Company is still in business, and every August the town throws a Fish Sandwich Festival that draws crowds from across the Thumb.
At a glance
State millage data currently shows about 28.1 to 29.7 mills for a primary home. 2 school districts cover the community, so the parcel and PRE status decide the final bill.
Practical directory
Common home and paperwork paths
Start with the Michigan guide that matches the job. For a parcel, bill, permit, or recorded document in Fair Haven Township, confirm the final answer with the local or county office shown farther down this page.
- Delinquent property tax Get help before the redemption date Find the foreclosing unit, exact payoff, assistance programs, counseling, and legal-help paths.
- Utility shutoff or past-due bill Work the utility-help sequence Call the provider, apply for emergency relief, use 2-1-1, and ask about household protections.
- Essential home repair Find repair or weatherization help Match the repair, household, service area, and rural status to programs that may actually fit.
- Home and estate Handle a home after someone dies Keep the property stable, find the deed and authority to act, and choose the right estate or title path.
- Manufactured home Transfer or repair the home title Start with the Secretary of State path for a sale, missing title, lien, or legal affixture to land.
- Buying rural or waterfront land Check the parcel before closing Work through access, survey, buildability, well, septic, wetlands, title, and local office checks.
Who handles what
Send the question to the right office
Start local for a parcel, tax bill, permit, or housing rule. Move to the county or a district when the record or service covers more than one community.
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Assessment, PRE, current tax bill, or Board of Review
Fair Haven Township assessor or treasurer
Start with the Fair Haven Township office shown on the assessment notice or tax bill. The assessor handles value and exemptions; the treasurer handles the current summer or winter bill.
Michigan property-tax basics -
Rental registration, building permit, or code problem
Fair Haven Township building, rental, or code office
The enforcing agency can be the municipality, county, or state, and electrical, mechanical, and plumbing work may go to different places.
Find the official permit jurisdiction ↗ Michigan homeowner guide -
Marriage license, local record, deed, or delinquent tax
Huron County offices
The clerk, register of deeds, and county treasurer handle different parts of this work. The county page separates them for you.
Open the official Huron County site ↗ Getting married in Michigan -
Private well, septic system, local health, or trial court
County, district, or court finder
A health district or court can serve more than one community. The county page links to the official statewide finders.
Find the local health department ↗ Michigan well and septic guide
The practical stuff
Buying, owning, or selling in Fair Haven Township
The seller's tax bill may not be your tax bill.
2025 property-tax snapshot
- Primary home (PRE)
- 28.1269 mills - 29.6792 mills
- Other property / non-homestead
- 46.1269 mills - 47.6792 mills
- School districts available
- 2 in Fair Haven Township
One mill means $1 per $1,000 of Taxable Value. Rate rows come from the official 2025 Michigan Treasury report. Last reviewed July 12, 2026.
What these local words mean
- Primary home (PRE)
- A home you own and live in as your main home. PRE stands for Principal Residence Exemption and can lower the school operating tax.
- Non-homestead
- Property that is not treated as the owner's main home, such as a rental, vacation home, or second home.
- Assessor
- The local office that estimates and records property values and exemptions.
- Treasurer
- The local office that collects property tax payments and can confirm bill timing.
Michigan homebuyer tax calculator
See the tax bill after you buy.
Where is the house?
Pick the county, city or township, and school district. We use the official 2025 tax rates published by Michigan Treasury.
Not sure of the school district? Check the property listing. It is usually under "Schools."
Need to double-check the exact parcel? Use the official state estimator at treas-secure.state.mi.us/ptestimator or call the local treasurer. Rates can change across city, township, village, and school district lines, so the exact parcel matters.
Why a buyer's property-tax bill can change after a sale
In Michigan, property tax isn't figured on what you paid — it's figured on the home's Taxable Value, with the local millage rates applied to that number. While one owner keeps the home, Proposal A caps how fast that Taxable Value can climb. When the home sells, the cap usually comes off — this is called uncapping — and the Taxable Value resets toward the State Equalized Value, or SEV, which tends to run about half of a home's market value.
That reset is the part that catches buyers: a longtime owner may have been paying on an old, capped number, so the year after you buy, yours can jump to the new one — and your first full-year bill can land well above what the seller was paying. In Fair Haven Township, your rate can vary by parcel. The school district tied to the property matters, and 2 school districts cover Fair Haven Township. For a primary home with PRE, Michigan's main-home exemption, rates currently run about 28.1 to 29.7 mills. Without PRE, non-homestead rates run about 46.1 to 47.7 mills. The calculator above turns those local rates into your actual number.
If this will be your main home, make sure that PRE is filed with the local assessor — it can lift up to 18 school-operating mills off the bill. Rentals, vacation homes, and second homes stay on the higher non-homestead rate.
The tax reset is the big one, but it isn't the whole checklist. Out here, a home beyond city water and sewer usually comes with a private well and septic system worth testing before you close. It's also worth checking whether the address sits in a floodplain, and whether you'll owe a city income tax where you live or work. The buying-a-home guide walks through the rest.
School districts in this area
Elkton Pigeon Baypor
Primary home (PRE) 28.1269 mills · non-homestead 46.1269 mills
Unionville Sebewaing
Primary home (PRE) 29.6792 mills · non-homestead 47.6792 mills
Local rules and costs to check
Note-sized practical catches tied to Fair Haven Township: taxes, property rules, permits, local costs, or other things worth checking before you decide.
Local check
Buying near the water
Great Lakes shoreline property in Huron County can mean erosion history, public-trust beach access, and state permits for work near the water.
Local check
Out here, it's wells and septic
Outside Huron County's cities and villages, most homes rely on private wells and septic systems, so inspections, water tests, and perc tests matter before buying.
Local check
Buying in a township? Watch for special assessments on top of your taxes
Michigan township buyers should check for special assessments that can add separate road, sewer, water, lighting, sidewalk, or drain charges.
Local check
In Michigan, you get two property-tax bills a year — not one
Most Michigan property owners get separate summer and winter tax bills, with local rules deciding what lands on each bill.
Stories & local context
Get to know Fair Haven Township
If you're buying here, expect private wells and septic systems on most homes, and check erosion, public beach rights, and EGLE permit rules near the water. Taxes come in summer and winter bills, and the township can add special assessments for local projects. The notes below have the details.
Featured local story
Wild Fowl Bay: a flyway rest stop the size of a small county
The marshes and uninhabited islands of Wild Fowl Bay near Bay Port form one of Michigan's largest state wildlife areas, a critical stopover for migrating birds.
Read the story →-
The fishing port behind Bay Port's fish sandwich festival
Bay Port's commercial fishing district reached the National Register in 1977, and a working fish company and local festival still carry the story forward.
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The Thumb feeds America its beans
Michigan's Thumb is the nation's powerhouse for navy and black beans, and Tuscola County farmland is at the heart of it.
Nearby places
The closest Michigan Porch pages to Fair Haven Township. Open one to read it, or put it side by side with Fair Haven Township — tax rates, school districts, and city income tax.
Compare Fair Haven Township with a neighbor →Next steps
What to check next for Fair Haven Township
Use the county office map for records and services, or follow the home path that matches what you are doing now.
- County Open Huron County See the county page for other cities, townships, villages, local notes, and the county-wide tax snapshot. Open county page →
- Homeowner Keep the house on track Use one calm directory for tax notices, insurance, contractors, permits, records, and repairs. Open homeowner guide →
- Seller Plan the Michigan closing Walk through disclosure, title, transfer tax, PRE rescission, and the records worth keeping. Open seller guide →
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