895.446 Property damage or loss caused by crime; action for.

(1) Any person who suffers damage or loss by reason of intentional conduct that occurs on or after November 1, 1995, and that is prohibited under s. 943.01, 943.20, 943.21, 943.24, 943.26, 943.34, 943.395, 943.41, 943.50, 943.61, 943.74, or 943.76, or by reason of intentional conduct that occurs on or after April 28, 1998, and that is prohibited under s. 943.201 or 943.203, or by reason of intentional conduct that occurs on or after July 1, 2004, and that is prohibited under s. 943.011, 943.012, or 943.017, has a cause of action against the person who caused the damage or loss.

(2) The burden of proof in a civil action under sub. (1) is with the person who suffers damage or loss to prove a violation of s. 943.01, 943.011, 943.012, 943.017, 943.20, 943.201, 943.203, 943.21, 943.24, 943.26, 943.34, 943.395, 943.41, 943.50, 943.61, 943.74, or 943.76 by a preponderance of the credible evidence. A conviction under s. 943.01, 943.011, 943.012, 943.017, 943.20, 943.201, 943.203, 943.21, 943.24, 943.26, 943.34, 943.395, 943.41, 943.50, 943.61, 943.74, or 943.76 is not required to bring an action, obtain a judgment, or collect on that judgment under this section.

(3) If the plaintiff prevails in a civil action under sub. (1), he or she may recover all of the following:

(a) Actual damages, including the retail or replacement value of damaged, used, or lost property, whichever is greater, for a violation of s. 943.01, 943.011, 943.012, 943.017, 943.20, 943.201, 943.203, 943.21, 943.24, 943.26, 943.34, 943.395, 943.41, 943.50, 943.61, 943.74, or 943.76.

(b) All costs of investigation and litigation that were reasonably incurred, including the value of the time spent by any employee or agent of the victim.

(c) Exemplary damages of not more than 3 times the amount awarded under par. (a). No additional proof is required under this section for an award of exemplary damages under this paragraph.

(3m)

(a) In this subsection, “plant" includes the material taken, extracted, or harvested from a plant, or a seed or other plant material that is being used or that will be used to grow or develop a plant.

(b) If the violation of s. 943.01 (1) involves the circumstances under s. 943.01 (2d), the court may award a prevailing plaintiff the reasonable attorney fees incurred in litigating the action and, when determining the damages recoverable under sub. (3), shall include the market value of the plant before the damage or destruction, and the costs of production, research, testing, replacement, and plant development directly related to the plant that has been damaged or destroyed.

(4) Any recovery under this section shall be reduced by the amount recovered as restitution under ss. 800.093 and 973.20 and ch. 938 for the same act or as recompense under s. 969.13 (5) (a) for the same act.

(5) No person may bring a cause of action under both this section and s. 95.195, 895.449, 943.212, 943.245 or 943.51 regarding the same incident or occurrence. If the plaintiff has a cause of action under both this section and s. 895.449, 943.212, 943.245 or 943.51 regarding the same incident or occurrence, the plaintiff may choose which action to bring. If the plaintiff has a cause of action under both this section and s. 95.195, the plaintiff must bring the action under s. 95.195.

(6) A person is not criminally liable under s. 943.30 for any action brought in good faith under this section.

History: 1995 a. 27; 1997 a. 101; 2001 a. 16, 91; 2003 a. 36, 138; 2005 a. 155 s. 70; Stats. 2005 s. 895.446; 2005 a. 447 s. 1; 2007 a. 96; 2011 a. 186.

Civil theft under this section is an “other civil action" under s. 799.01 (1) (d), not an “action based in tort" under s. 799.01 (1) (cr). The use of the term “civil action" in this section to describe the cause for civil theft indicates that the cause may also be properly characterized as a “civil action" under s. 799.01. This statutory civil theft claim has been specifically distinguished from similar claims of conversion, which sound in tort. Miller v. Storey, 2017 WI 99, 378 Wis. 2d 358, 903 N.W.2d 759, 14-2420.

Attorney fees are included within the meaning of “costs of investigation and litigation" under sub. (3) (b) because Stathus, 2003 WI App 28, has long stood for that proposition and the legislature, despite taking other, subsequent action in this section, has not legislated so as to alter that interpretation. Miller v. Storey, 2017 WI 99, 378 Wis. 2d 358, 903 N.W.2d 759, 14-2420.

Under Wisconsin law the economic loss doctrine does not bar recovery under s. 100.18, but it does bar recovery under s. 895.80 [now s. 895.446], at least under the facts of this case. Dow v. Poltzer, 364 F. Supp. 2d 931 (2005).