846.04 Deficiency, judgment for.

(1) The plaintiff may, in the complaint, demand judgment for any deficiency that may remain due the plaintiff after sale of the mortgaged premises against every party who is personally liable for the debt secured by the mortgage. Judgment may be rendered for any deficiency remaining after applying the proceeds of sale to the amount due. The judgment for deficiency shall be ordered in the original judgment and separately rendered against the party liable on or after the confirmation of sale. The judgment for deficiency shall be entered in the judgment and lien docket and, except as provided in subs. (2) and (3), enforced as in other cases. A mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment entered on or after October 14, 1997, on property under agricultural use, as defined in s. 91.01 (2), for at least 12 consecutive months during the preceding 36-month period shall be recorded as an agriculture judgment.

(2) Except as provided in sub. (3), if a mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment is entered on property under agricultural use, as defined in s. 91.01 (2), for at least 12 consecutive months during the preceding 36-month period, an action on the deficiency judgment shall be commenced within 10 years after the date on which the mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment is entered or be barred.

(3) If a mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment was entered before January 1, 1990, on property devoted primarily to agricultural use, as defined in s. 91.01 (5), an action on the deficiency judgment shall be commenced within 2 years after October 14, 1997, or be barred. If the deficiency judgment remains unsatisfied in a mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment action entered before October 14, 1997, the defendant in that action shall notify the clerk of circuit court of the existence of that deficiency judgment and of the date that an action on that deficiency judgment shall be commenced or be barred. Not later than 60 days prior to 2 years after October 14, 1997, if notified of an unsatisfied deficiency judgment by the defendant in that action, the clerk of each circuit court in which a mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment on property devoted primarily to agricultural use, as defined in s. 91.01 (5), was entered before January 1, 1990, and remains unsatisfied, shall, upon payment by the defendant in that action of the costs of the publication and certified mail, do all of the following:

(a) Publish a notice as a class 1 notice under ch. 985, in the official newspaper of the county where the mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment was entered, stating that the party holding the mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment is required to commence an action on the deficiency judgment prior to 2 years after October 14, 1997, or be barred from any further action on that deficiency judgment.

(b) Notify by certified mail the primary plaintiff in the action for the mortgage foreclosure deficiency judgment that the plaintiff is required to commence an action on the deficiency judgment prior to 2 years after October 14, 1997, or be barred from any further action on that deficiency judgment.

History: 1973 c. 189 s. 7; Stats. 1973 s. 816.04; Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 768 (1975); Stats. 1975 s. 846.04; 1993 a. 486; 1995 a. 224; 1997 a. 27; 2009 a. 28.

“Personally liable for the debt secured by the mortgage" has the same meaning in ss. 846.103 (2) and 846.04. “Personally liable" is a term of art used to distinguish the borrower's liability, which is a personal obligation, from the mortgagor's liability, which is an obligation limited to the property used to secure the note debt. Bank Mutual v. S.J. Boyer Construction, Inc. 2010 WI 74, 326 Wis. 2d 521, 785 N.W.2d 462, 08-0912.

There is no reasonable way to read sub. (1) and s. 846.101 to mean that a money judgment obtained on a second mortgage and note should count as a deficiency judgment for purposes of a foreclosure action on a separate indebtedness secured by a first mortgage. Harbor Credit Union v. Samp, 2011 WI App 40, 332 Wis. 2d 214, 796 N.W.2d 813, 10-0974.