74.53 Personal liability for delinquent taxes and other costs.

(1) Recovery of taxes and costs against persons. Except as provided in subs. (3) and (5), a county or a municipality may bring a civil action against a person to recover any of the following amounts that are included in the tax roll for collection and any of the amounts under pars. (b) and (c) that are not included in the tax roll for collection:

(a) Delinquent real property taxes, special charges, special assessments and special taxes, not including amounts under pars. (b) and (c), that were delinquent during the period that the person owned the property.

(b) The cost of razing and removing property and restoring the site to a dust-free and erosion-free condition incurred under s. 66.0413 (1) (br) 2., (f), (g) or (i), (2) (d) or (4) or of filling an excavation incurred under s. 66.0427 if the person owned the property when the property was razed and removed and the site restored or the excavation was filled, or if the person owned the property while the order to raze the property was recorded in the register of deeds office.

(c) The cost of abating a public nuisance under s. 254.595 or 823.04 if the person owned the property when the public nuisance was abated.

(2) Co-owner liability. Co-owners of property are jointly and severally liable for the payment of real property taxes, assessments or costs collectible under sub. (1).

(3) Limitation. A county or a city authorized to act under s. 74.87 may not proceed against any person under sub. (1) for amounts under sub. (1) (a) unless the property against which the amounts are levied in the tax roll is included in a tax certificate issued under s. 74.57.

(4) Recovery limited. A county or a municipality that proceeds against a property owner under this section may not recover more than the amount owed plus interest and penalties.

(5) Prior approval; notice. No action may be commenced under sub. (1) for the amounts under sub. (1) (a) unless it is approved by the county board or the governing body of the municipality. The clerk shall mail, to the last-known address of the person against whom an action is proposed to be commenced, advance written notice of the time and place the county board will meet to consider approval of legal action. A county board or the governing body of the municipality may abrogate its duty to approve and notice each action to be commenced under sub. (1) by adopting an ordinance waiving the duty and specifying procedures by which an action under sub. (1) may be commenced.

(6) Action by taxing jurisdiction. A taxing jurisdiction may bring a civil action under this section against a person to recover special assessments as defined in s. 75.36 (1) and special charges levied by it for which the county or municipality did not settle in full or which were not fully paid by proceeds distributed under s. 75.05 or 75.36. Any amount recovered in an action under this subsection shall be reported to the county or city treasurer, who shall subtract it from the amount owed for purposes of sub. (4).

(7) Appointment of receiver. A court may appoint a receiver to take charge of property included in a tax certificate under s. 74.57 if a county or a city authorized to act under s. 74.87 proceeds against the owner of the property under this section. The receiver shall manage the property, collect rents and apply income to the payment of delinquent real property taxes.

History: 1987 a. 378; 1989 a. 104, 347, 359; 1993 a. 27, 382, 453, 491; 1997 a. 27; 1999 a. 68, 150; 2001 a. 38.

A land contract vendor is not an owner of real estate under this section. City of Milwaukee v. Greenberg, 163 Wis. 2d 28, 471 N.W.2d 33 (1991).