SB639,30 17Section 30. 175.403 (2) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB639,17,2118 175.403 (2) Each By July 1, 2018, each law enforcement agency shall have a
19written policy regarding the investigation of complaints alleging a violation of s.
20943.14. The policy shall require a law enforcement officer who has probable cause
21to arrest a person for a violation of s. 943.14 to remove the person from a dwelling.
SB639,31 22Section 31. 196.643 (title) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB639,17,24 23196.643 (title) Owner responsibility for Public utility service to rental
24dwelling unit.
SB639,32 25Section 32. 196.643 (3) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,18,5
1196.643 (3) Notifications; electric service. If requested by the owner of a
2rental dwelling unit, a public utility that provides electric service to a tenant residing
3in the unit shall notify the owner no later than 5 days before disconnecting service
4based on the tenant's nonpayment of past due charges. A public utility may provide
5information about a tenant's past due charges to the owner by telephone.
SB639,33 6Section 33. 196.643 (4) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,18,107 196.643 (4) Resumption of service. No public utility may require the owner
8of a rental dwelling unit to provide proof of eviction or other evidence that a tenant
9has vacated the unit as a condition for providing or resuming public utility service
10to the unit.
SB639,34 11Section 34. 704.07 (3) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 704.07 (3) (a) (intro.)
12and amended to read:
SB639,18,2013 704.07 (3) (a) (intro.) If the premises are damaged, including by an infestation
14of insects or other pests, due to the acts or inaction of the tenant, the landlord may
15elect to allow the tenant to remediate or repair the damage and restore the
16appearance of the premises by redecorating. However, the landlord may elect to
17undertake the remediation, repair, or redecoration, and in such case the tenant must
18reimburse the landlord for the reasonable cost thereof; the cost to the landlord is
19presumed reasonable unless proved otherwise by the tenant. Reasonable costs
20include any of the following:
SB639,35 21Section 35. 704.07 (3) (a) 1. and 2. of the statutes are created to read:
SB639,18,2222 704.07 (3) (a) 1. Materials provided or labor performed by the landlord.
SB639,18,2423 2. At a reasonable hourly rate, time the landlord spends doing any of the
24following:
SB639,18,2525 a. Purchasing or providing materials.
SB639,19,1
1b. Supervising an agent of the landlord.
SB639,19,22 c. Hiring a 3rd-party contractor.
SB639,36 3Section 36. 704.07 (4) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB639,19,204 704.07 (4) Untenantability. If the premises become untenantable because of
5damage by fire, water, or other casualty or because of any condition hazardous to
6health, or if there is a substantial violation of sub. (2) materially affecting the health
7or safety of the tenant, the tenant may remove from the premises unless the landlord
8proceeds promptly to repair or rebuild or eliminate the health hazard or the
9substantial violation of sub. (2) materially affecting the health or safety of the tenant;
10or the tenant may remove if the inconvenience to the tenant by reason of the nature
11and period of repair, rebuilding, or elimination would impose undue hardship on the
12tenant. If the tenant remains in possession and the condition materially affects the
13health or safety of the tenant or substantially affects the use and occupancy of the
14premises
, rent abates to the extent the tenant is deprived of the full normal use of
15the premises. This section does not authorize rent to be withheld in full, if the tenant
16remains in possession. If the tenant justifiably moves out under this subsection, the
17tenant is not liable for rent after the premises become untenantable and the landlord
18must repay any rent paid in advance apportioned to the period after the premises
19become untenantable. This subsection is inapplicable if the damage or condition is
20caused by negligence or improper use by the tenant.
SB639,37 21Section 37. 704.07 (5) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,19,2522 704.07 (5) Restriction of regulation of abatement. An ordinance enacted by
23a city, town, village, or county regulating abatement of rent shall permit abatement
24only for conditions that materially affect the health or safety of the tenant or
25substantially affect the use and occupancy of the premises.
SB639,38
1Section 38. 704.085 of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,20,8 2704.085 Credit and background checks. (1) (a) Except as provided under
3par. (b), a landlord may require a prospective tenant to pay the landlord's actual cost,
4up to $25, to obtain a consumer credit report on the prospective tenant from a
5consumer credit reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers
6on a nationwide basis. The landlord shall notify the prospective tenant of the charge
7before requesting the consumer credit report, and shall provide the prospective
8tenant with a copy of the report.
SB639,20,139 (b) A landlord may not require a prospective tenant to pay for a consumer credit
10report under par. (a) if, before the landlord requests a consumer credit report, the
11prospective tenant provides the landlord with a consumer credit report, from a
12consumer credit reporting agency that compiles and maintains files on consumers
13on a nationwide basis, that is less than 30 days old.
SB639,20,18 14(2) A landlord may require a prospective tenant who is not a resident of this
15state to pay the landlord's actual cost, up to $25, to obtain a background check on the
16prospective tenant. The landlord shall notify the prospective tenant of the charge
17before requesting the background check and shall provide the prospective tenant
18with a copy of the report.
SB639,39 19Section 39. 704.10 of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,20,22 20704.10 Electronic delivery. A rental agreement may include a provision that
21permits the landlord to provide and indicate agreement by electronic means any of
22the following:
SB639,20,24 23(1) A copy of the rental agreement and any document related to the rental
24agreement.
SB639,21,2
1(2) A security deposit and any documents related to the accounting and
2disposition of the security deposit and security deposit refund.
SB639,21,4 3(3) A promise made before the initial rental agreement to clean, repair, or
4otherwise improve any portion of the premises.
SB639,21,5 5(4) Advance notice of entry under s. 704.05 (2).
SB639,40 6Section 40. 704.17 (1) of the statutes is renumbered 704.17 (1p).
SB639,41 7Section 41. 704.17 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,21,98 704.17 (1g) Definition. In this section, “rent” includes any rent that is past due
9and any late fees owed for rent that is past due.
SB639,42 10Section 42. 704.17 (4m) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,21,1411 704.17 (4m) Effect of incorrect amount in notice. A notice for failure to pay
12rent or any other amount due under the rental agreement that includes an incorrect
13statement of the amount due is valid unless the tenant has paid or tendered payment
14of the amount the tenant admits is actually due.
SB639,43 15Section 43. 758.20 of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,21,21 16758.20 Consolidated court automation programs. (1) In this section,
17“Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Internet site" means the Internet site of the
18consolidated court automation programs, which is the statewide electronic circuit
19court case management system established under s. 758.19 (4) and maintained by
20the director of state courts, that provides information regarding the cases heard in
21the circuit courts.
SB639,21,25 22(2) The director of state courts may not remove case management information
23from the Wisconsin Circuit Court Access Internet site for any civil case that is not
24a closed, confidential, or sealed case for a period of at least 10 years after the date that
25final judgment was entered in a case.
SB639,44
1Section 44. 799.06 (3) of the statutes is renumbered 799.06 (3) (a).
SB639,45 2Section 45. 799.06 (3) (b) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,22,43 799.06 (3) (b) A court may not require that a person filing a summons or
4complaint under this chapter have the summons or complaint notarized.
SB639,46 5Section 46. 799.206 (3) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB639,22,106 799.206 (3) When all parties appear in person or by their attorneys on the
7return date in an eviction, garnishment, or replevin action and any party claims that
8raises valid legal grounds for a contest exists, the matter shall be forthwith
9scheduled for a hearing, to be held as soon as possible before a judge and in the case
10of an eviction action, not more than 30 days after the return date.
SB639,47 11Section 47. 799.40 (1g) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,22,1812 799.40 (1g) Notice terminating tenancy. If a landlord gives a notice
13terminating tenancy under s. 704.16, 704.17, or 704.19 through certified mail in
14accordance with s. 704.21 (1) (d), proof of certified mailing from the United States
15post office shall be sufficient to establish that proper notice has been provided for the
16purpose of filing a complaint or otherwise demonstrating that proper notice has been
17given in an eviction action, and an affidavit of service may not be requested to
18establish that proper notice has been provided.
SB639,48 19Section 48. 799.40 (1s) of the statutes is created to read:
SB639,23,220 799.40 (1s) No waiver by landlord. It shall not be a defense to an action of
21eviction or a claim for damages that the landlord has previously waived any violation
22or breach of any of the terms of the rental agreement by the tenant including, but not
23limited to, the acceptance of rent or that a custom or practice occurred or developed
24between the parties in connection with the rental agreement so as to waive or lessen

1the landlord's right to insist upon strict performance of the terms of the rental
2agreement.
SB639,49 3Section 49. 799.40 (4) (a) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB639,23,124 799.40 (4) (a) The court shall stay the proceedings in a civil action of eviction
5if the tenant applies for emergency assistance under s. 49.138. The, except that no
6stay may be granted under this paragraph after a writ of restitution has been issued
7in the proceedings. If a stay is granted, the
tenant shall inform the court of the
8outcome of the determination of eligibility for emergency assistance. The stay
9remains in effect until the tenant's eligibility for emergency assistance is determined
10and, if the tenant is determined to be eligible, until the tenant receives the
11emergency assistance, except that the stay may not remain in effect for more than
125 working days, as defined in s. 227.01 (14)
.
SB639,50 13Section 50. 802.05 (2m) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB639,23,2414 802.05 (2m) Additional representations to court as to preparation of
15pleadings or other documents.
An attorney may draft or assist in drafting a
16pleading, motion, or document filed by an otherwise self-represented person. The
17attorney is not required to sign the pleading, motion, or document. Any such
18document must contain a statement immediately adjacent to the person's signature
19that “This document was prepared with the assistance of a lawyer .",” followed by the
20name of the attorney and the attorney's state bar number.
The attorney providing
21such drafting assistance may rely on the otherwise self-represented person's
22representation of facts, unless the attorney has reason to believe that such
23representations are false, or materially insufficient, in which instance the attorney
24shall make an independent reasonable inquiry into the facts.
SB639,51
1Section 51. Cross-reference changes. In the sections of the statutes listed
2in Column A, the cross-references shown in Column B are changed to the
3cross-references shown in column C: - See PDF for table PDF
SB639,52 4Section 52 . Nonstatutory provisions.
SB639,24,95 (1) Rental unit energy efficiency program; orders void and unenforceable.
6An order or special order issued before the effective date of this subsection by the
7department of safety and professional services under its authority under section
8101.122 of the statutes, as repealed by 2017 Wisconsin Act 59, is void and
9unenforceable.
SB639,24,1410 (2) Rental unit energy efficiency program; enforcement related to prior
11violations.
The department of safety and professional services may not hold a
12hearing, issue a subpoena, issue a special order, or take any other enforcement action
13related to a violation of section 101.122 of the statutes, as repealed by 2017 Wisconsin
14Act 59
, that occurs before the effective date of this subsection.
SB639,25,215 (3) Rental unit energy efficiency program; stipulations and waivers void and
16unenforceable.
A stipulation under section 101.122 (4) (c) of the statutes, as
17repealed by 2017 Wisconsin Act 59, or a waiver under section 101.122 (4) (b) of the

1statutes, as repealed by 2017 Wisconsin Act 59, entered into before the effective date
2of this subsection is void and unenforceable.
SB639,53 3Section 53 . Initial applicability.
SB639,25,64 (1) Landlord and tenant. The treatment of sections 704.085, 704.10, and
5704.17 (1), (1g), and (4m) of the statutes first applies to rental agreements entered
6into or renewed on the effective date of this subsection.
SB639,54 7Section 54. Effective dates. This act takes effect on the day after publication,
8except as follows:
SB639,25,109 (1) Rental unit energy efficiency. The treatment of Section 52 (1 ), (2), and
10(3) of this act takes effect on January 1, 2018.
SB639,25,1111 (End)
Loading...
Loading...