Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau
Under current law, if real property, other than an owner-occupied one-family
or two-family dwelling, is in violation of a municipal building code provision that
concerns health or safety, the municipality or an interested party may commence an
action to have the property declared a health hazard. Under the law, a receiver may
be appointed to manage and control the property if a court finds that the property
is a health hazard and that the owner has not abated that hazard. This bill allows
the court to declare such property to be a nuisance and allows the court to permit
cities, villages and towns to create a receivership to take control of residential
property that is declared a nuisance and abate that nuisance.
The bill also allows cities, villages, towns and interested parties to ask a court
to appoint a receiver to manage and control residential property, including a
single-family dwelling, that is declared a nuisance for other reasons, including
because it is dilapidated, used as a place of gambling, for the delivery or manufacture
of a drug or as a meeting place for a criminal gang. The bill requires that the owner
of the residential property be given notice of the intent to petition a court for the
appointment of receiver at least 60 days before filing the petition, to give the owner
time to abate the nuisance.
If a court determines that abatement is required and that the owner will not
rehabilitate the property, the court shall appoint a receiver. A receiver created by the

court under this bill has authority to take control of the property, terminate or modify
tenancies, charge and collect rents, contract with others to conserve and rehabilitate
the property and dispose of personal property found at the residential property.
Under the bill, costs of the abatement, including the fee charged by the receiver, are
reviewed by the court and the costs not paid may be entered as a judgment against
the property. Under the bill, the court shall terminate the receivership when the
abatement or rehabilitation is completed or if the receiver shows the court that the
abatement is not feasible and that the improvements on the real property have been
demolished by the city, village or town.
For further information see the local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB162, s. 1 1Section 1. 254.595 (1) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB162,3,82 254.595 (1) If real property is in violation of those provisions of a municipal
3building code that concern health or safety or of an order or a regulation of the local
4board of health, the city, village or town in which the property is located may
5commence an action to declare the property a nuisance or human health hazard. A
6tenant or class of tenants of property that is in violation of the municipal building
7code or of an order or regulation of the local board of health or any other person or
8class of persons whose health, safety or property interests are or would be adversely
9affected by property that is in violation of the municipal building code or of an order
10or regulation of the local board of health may file a petition with the clerk of the city,
11village, or town requesting the governing body to commence an action to declare the
12property a nuisance or human health hazard. If the governing body refuses or fails
13to commence an action within 20 days after the filing of the petition, a tenant, class
14of tenants, other person or other class of persons may commence the action directly
15upon the filing of security for court costs. The court before which the action of the
16case is commenced shall exercise jurisdiction in rem or quasi in rem over the property

1and the owner of record of the property, if known, and all other persons of record
2holding or claiming any interest in the property shall be made parties defendant and
3service of process may be had upon them as provided by law. Any change of
4ownership after the commencement of the action shall not affect the jurisdiction of
5the court over the property. At the time that the action is commenced, the
6municipality or other parties plaintiff shall file a lis pendens. If the court finds that
7a nuisance or violation exists, it shall adjudge the property a nuisance or human
8health hazard and the entry of judgment shall be a lien upon the premises.
SB162, s. 2 9Section 2. 254.595 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB162,3,2310 254.595 (2) A property owner or any person of record holding or claiming any
11interest in the property shall have 60 days after entry of judgment to abate the
12nuisance or
eliminate the violation. If, within 60 days after entry of judgment under
13sub. (1), an owner of the property presents evidence satisfactory to the court, upon
14hearing, that the nuisance or violation has been eliminated, the court shall set aside
15the judgment. It may not be a defense to this action that the owner of record of the
16property is a different person, partnership or corporate entity than the owner of
17record of the property on the date that the action was commenced or thereafter if a
18lis pendens has been filed prior to the change of ownership. No hearing under this
19subsection may be held until notice has been given to the municipality and all the
20plaintiffs advising them of their right to appear. If the judgment is not so set aside
21within 60 days after entry of judgment, the court shall appoint a disinterested person
22to act as receiver of the property for the purpose of abating the nuisance or human
23health hazard.
SB162, s. 3 24Section 3. 254.595 (3) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB162,4,8
1254.595 (3) (a) Any receiver appointed under sub. (2) shall collect all rents and
2profits accruing from the property, pay all costs of management, including all general
3and special real estate taxes or assessments and interest payments on first
4mortgages on the property, and make any repairs necessary to abate the nuisance or
5meet the standards required by the building code or the order or regulation of the
6local board of health. The receiver may, with the approval of the circuit court, borrow
7money against and encumber the property as security for the money, in the amounts
8necessary to abate the nuisance or meet the standards.
SB162, s. 4 9Section 4. 254.595 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB162,4,1810 254.595 (4) The receiver appointed under this section shall have a lien, for the
11expenses necessarily incurred to abate the nuisance or in the execution of the order,
12upon the premises upon or in respect of which the work required by the order has
13been done or expenses incurred. The municipality that sought the order declaring
14the property to be a nuisance or human health hazard may also recover its expenses
15and the expenses of the receiver under subs. (3) (a) and (5), to the extent that the
16expenses are not reimbursed under s. 632.103 (2) from funds withheld from an
17insurance settlement, by maintaining an action against the property owner under
18s. 74.53.
SB162, s. 5 19Section 5. 815.39 of the statutes is renumbered 815.39 (1) and amended to
20read:
SB162,5,221 815.39 (1) Within Except as provided in sub. (2), within one year after an
22execution sale the real estate sold, or any lot, tract or portion that was separately
23sold, may be redeemed by the payment to the purchaser, to the purchaser's personal
24representatives or assigns, or to the then sheriff of the county where such real estate

1is situated, for the use of such purchaser, of the sum paid on the sale thereof, together
2with the interest from the time of the sale.
SB162, s. 6 3Section 6. 815.39 (2) of the statutes is created to read:
SB162,5,54 815.39 (2) If an execution sale is for a lien filed under s. 823.23 (4), the period
5of redemption under sub. (1) is 2 months.
SB162, s. 7 6Section 7. 823.23 of the statutes is created to read:
SB162,5,7 7823.23 Receivership for public nuisances. (1) Definitions. In this section:
SB162,5,118 (a) "Abatement" means the removal or suspension of any condition at a
9residential property that creates a nuisance or violates the provisions of any duly
10enacted building code. "Abatement" may include the demolition of some or all of the
11improvements on the residential property.
SB162,5,1412 (b) "Interested party" means any person that possesses any legal or equitable
13interest of record in the residential property, including the holder of any lien or
14encumbrance of record on the residential property.
SB162,5,1515 (c) "Purchase money security interest" means any of the following:
SB162,5,1816 1. The interest of a vendor under a land sale contract relating to the residential
17property if the contract was recorded prior to the issuance of the notice under sub.
18(2) (c).
SB162,5,2119 2. The interest of a mortgagee under a purchase money mortgage relating to
20the residential property if the mortgage was recorded prior to the issuance of the
21notice under sub. (2) (c).
SB162,5,2422 3. The interest of a beneficiary under a purchase money trust deed relating to
23the residential property if the trust deed was recorded prior to the issuance of the
24notice under sub. (2) (c).
SB162,6,2
1(d) "Rehabilitate" means to make any improvements or corrections necessary
2to remove a threat to public health, safety or welfare.
SB162,6,63 (f) "Residential property" means land and all the improvements erected on the
4land that are used or intended to be used for residential purposes, including
5single-family, duplex and multifamily structures, and mixed-use structures that
6have one or more residential units.
SB162,6,13 7(2) Receivership for buildings that constitute a threat to public health,
8safety or welfare; procedure.
(a) If a residential property is alleged to be a nuisance
9under this chapter or s. 254.595 or if the condition of a residential property is in
10violation of a state or local building code and a city, village or town in the exercise of
11reasonable discretion, believes that the residential property is a threat to the public
12health, safety or welfare, the city, village or town may apply to the circuit court for
13the appointment of a receiver to abate or rehabilitate the residential property.
SB162,6,1714 (b) A person who brought an action under s. 254.595 (1) that resulted in a
15residential property being declared a nuisance may apply to the circuit court for the
16appointment of a receiver to abate or rehabilitate the residential property upon the
17filing of security for court costs.
SB162,6,2218 (c) At least 60 days before filing an application for the appointment of a receiver
19under par. (a) or (b), the city, village, town or person shall give written notice by 1st
20class mail to all owners, owner's agents and interested parties at their last-known
21address of the intent to file the application and by publication as a class 1 notice
22under ch. 985. The notice shall include all of the following information:
SB162,6,2323 1. The address and other information that identifies the residential property.
SB162,7,3
12. The conditions of the residential property that constitute a nuisance or
2health, safety or welfare violations of the state or local building code and that
3resulted in the decision to apply for a receiver.
SB162,7,64 3. The name, address and telephone number of the person or department where
5additional information can be obtained concerning the nuisance or the building code
6violations and the action necessary to abate the nuisance or remedy those violations.
SB162,7,97 4. That the appointment of a receiver may be requested unless action is taken
8to abate the nuisance or correct the building code violations within 60 days after
9receipt of this notice.
SB162,7,1410 (d) If a notice sent under par. (c) is recorded with the register of deeds in the
11county in which the residential property is located, the notice is considered to have
12been served, as of the date the notice is recorded, on any person claiming an interest
13in the residential property as a result of a conveyance from the owner of record unless
14the conveyance was recorded before the recording of the notice.
SB162,7,1915 (e) A person or city, village or town may not apply for the appointment of a
16receiver under this subsection if an interested party has commenced and is
17prosecuting in a timely fashion an action or other judicial or administrative
18proceeding to foreclose a security interest on the residential property, or to obtain
19specific performance of or forfeit the purchaser's interest in a land sale contract.
SB162,7,2220 (f) Notice of the application for the appointment of a receiver pursuant to this
21section shall be served on all owners, owners' agents and interested parties. At the
22time that the application is filed with the court, the applicant shall file a lis pendens.
SB162,8,423 (g) If, following the application for appointment of a receiver, one or more of the
24interested parties elects to abate the nuisance or rehabilitate the residential
25property, the party or parties shall be required to post security in an amount and

1character as the court considers appropriate to ensure timely performance of all work
2necessary to abate the nuisance or rehabilitate the residential property, as well as
3such other conditions as the court considers appropriate for timely completion of the
4abatement or rehabilitation.
SB162,8,115 (h) In the event that no interested party elects to act under par. (g) or fails to
6timely perform work undertaken under par. (g), the court shall make a
7determination as to whether the residential property is a threat to public health,
8safety or welfare. The court shall determine if abatement or rehabilitation is
9required, the extent of the abatement or rehabilitation necessary and the scope of
10work necessary to eliminate the conditions and shall appoint a receiver to complete
11the abatement or rehabilitation.
SB162,8,1212 (i) The court shall appoint a receiver who is one of the following:
SB162,8,1413 1. A housing authority, redevelopment authority, redevelopment corporation
14or community development authority authorized under ss. 66.40 to 66.4325.
SB162,8,1615 2. A nonprofit corporation, the primary purpose of which is the improvement
16of housing conditions within the city, village or town in which the property is located.
SB162,8,1917 (j) If the court is unable to appoint a receiver from one of the entities listed in
18par. (i), the court may appoint as a receiver any other person that the court
19determines to be competent.
SB162,8,2120 (k) A receiver appointed by the court pursuant to this section shall not be
21required to give security or bond as a condition of the appointment.
SB162,8,24 22(3) Authority of receiver; financing agreements; fee. (a) A receiver
23appointed under sub. (2) (i) or (j) shall have the authority to do all of the following
24unless specifically limited by the court:
SB162,9,4
11. Take possession and control of the residential property including the right
2to enter, modify and terminate tenancies, manage the property and charge and
3collect rents derived from the residential property, applying the sum of those rents
4to the costs incurred due to the abatement or rehabilitation and receivership.
SB162,9,75 2. Negotiate contracts and pay all expenses associated with operation and
6conservation of the residential property including all utility, fuel, custodial, repair
7or insurance expenses.
SB162,9,108 3. Pay all accrued property taxes, penalties, assessments and other charges
9imposed on the residential property by a unit of government including any charges
10accruing during the pendency of the receivership.
SB162,9,1211 4. Dispose of any or all abandoned personal property found at the residential
12property.
SB162,9,1413 5. Enter into contracts and pay for the performance of any work necessary to
14complete the abatement or rehabilitation.
SB162,9,2015 (b) In addition to the powers under par. (a), the receiver may, under such terms
16and conditions as a court shall allow, enter into financing agreements with public or
17private lenders and encumber the property so as to have moneys available to abate
18the nuisance or rehabilitate the property. The receiver may give a holder of a
19purchase money security interest who received notice under sub. (2) the first
20opportunity to lend the money under this paragraph.
SB162,9,2321 (c) A receiver may charge an administration fee at an hourly rate approved by
22the court or at a rate of 20% of the total cost of the abatement or rehabilitation,
23whichever the court considers more appropriate.
SB162,9,25 24(4) Review of expenditures by court; lien for unpaid expenses. (a) All moneys
25the receiver expends and all of the costs and obligations that he or she incurs in

1performing the abatement or rehabilitation shall be reviewed by the court for
2reasonableness and necessity. To the extent that the court finds the moneys, costs
3or obligations to be reasonable and necessary, it shall issue an order reciting this fact
4as well as the amount found to be reasonable and necessary.
SB162,10,105 (b) If the costs and obligations incurred due to the abatement or rehabilitation
6have not been paid, the court shall issue a judgment for the unpaid amount and file
7that judgment with the office of the clerk of court within 60 days after the receiver
8files a statement of those unpaid costs and obligations with the court and that
9judgment shall constitute a lien on the residential property from the date of the filing
10of the judgment.
SB162,10,17 11(5) Effect on purchase money security interest of lien for unpaid abatement
12expenses.
(a) The issuance of the notice under sub. (2) (c) shall constitute a default
13for waste under the purchase money security interest, and if the violations of the
14building code listed in the notice are not corrected within 30 days after the mailing
15of the notice, the vendor, mortgagee or beneficiary under the purchase money
16security interest may commence proceeding to exercise the remedies set forth in the
17purchase money security interest.
SB162,10,2018 (b) A lien created under sub. (4) (b) shall be prior and superior to any purchase
19money security interest in the residential property if all of the following apply to that
20purchase money security interest:
SB162,10,2321 1. The city, village or town gave the holder of the purchase money security
22interest and any vendee, mortgagor or grantor under such purchase money security
23interest the notice under sub. (2) (c).
SB162,11,224 2. The holder of the purchase money security interest has not, prior to the
25appointment of a receiver under sub. (2) (h), initiated proceedings to foreclose the

1purchase money security interest, to abate the conditions resulting in issuance of the
2notice under sub. (2) (c) or to gain possession of the property.
SB162,11,73 (c) Except for property tax liens, assessment liens and purchase money security
4interests not included in par. (b), a lien created under sub. (4) (b) shall be prior and
5superior to all other liens, mortgages and encumbrances against the residential
6property upon which it is imposed without regard to the date the other liens,
7mortgages or encumbrances were attached to the residential property.
SB162,11,9 8(6) Termination of receivership. (a) The receivership appointed under sub.
9(2) (i) or (j) shall terminate only by an order of the court.
SB162,11,1210 (b) The court shall terminate the receivership if the residential property's
11owner or owner's agent or an interested party or the receiver show the court all of the
12following:
SB162,11,1313 1. That the abatement or rehabilitation has been completed.
SB162,11,1614 2. That the costs and obligations incurred due to the abatement or
15rehabilitation have been paid by an owner, owner's agent or interested party or that
16a lien has been filed pursuant to sub. (4).
SB162,11,1817 3. That the owner, owner's agent or interested party will manage the
18residential property in conformance with applicable housing codes.
SB162,11,2019 (c) The court shall terminate the receivership if the receiver shows the court
20one of the following:
SB162,11,2121 1. That the abatement or rehabilitation is not feasible.
SB162,11,2322 2. That the improvements on the property have been demolished by the city,
23village or town.
SB162,11,2424 (End)
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