Wis. Stat. § 70.32 — WI Code / Chapter 70 / Section 70.32
Real estate, how valued.
Status: in_force

(1) Real property shall be valued by the assessor in the manner specified in the Wisconsin property assessment manual provided under s. 73.03 (2a) from actual view or from the best information that the assessor can practicably obtain, at the full value which could ordinarily be obtained therefor at private sale. In determining the value, the assessor shall consider recent arm’s-length sales of the property to be assessed if according to professionally acceptable appraisal practices those sales conform to recent arm’s-length sales of reasonably comparable property; recent arm’s-length sales of reasonably comparable property; and all factors that, according to professionally acceptable appraisal practices, affect the value of the property to be assessed.

(1g) In addition to the factors set out in sub. (1) , the assessor shall consider the effect on the value of the property of any zoning ordinance under s. 59.692 , 61.351 , 61.353 , 62.231 , or 62.233 , any conservation easement under s. 700.40 , any conservation restriction under an agreement with the federal government and any restrictions under ch. 91 . Beginning with the property tax assessments as of January 1, 2000, the assessor may not consider the effect on the value of the property of any federal income tax credit that is extended to the property owner under section 42 of the Internal Revenue Code.

(1m) In addition to the factors set out in sub. (1) , the assessor shall consider the impairment of the value of the property because of the presence of a solid or hazardous waste disposal facility or because of environmental pollution, as defined in s. 299.01 (4) .

(2) The assessor, having fixed a value, shall enter the same opposite the proper tract or lot in the assessment roll, following the instruction prescribed therein.

(a) The assessor shall segregate into the following classes on the basis of use and set down separately in proper columns the values of the land, exclusive of improvements, and, except for subds. 5. , 5m. , and 6. , the improvements in each class:

1. Residential.

2. Commercial.

3. Manufacturing.

4. Agricultural.

5. Undeveloped.

5m. Agricultural forest.

6. Productive forest land.

7. Other.

(c) In this section:

1d. “Agricultural forest land” means land that is producing or is capable of producing commercial forest products, if the land satisfies any of the following conditions:

a. It is contiguous to a parcel that has been classified in whole as agricultural land under this subsection, if the contiguous parcel is owned by the same person that owns the land that is producing or is capable of producing commercial forest products. In this subdivision, “contiguous” includes separated only by a road.

b. It is located on a parcel that contains land that is classified as agricultural land in the property tax assessment on January 1, 2004, and on January 1 of the year of assessment.

c. It is located on a parcel at least 50 percent of which, by acreage, was converted to land that is classified as agricultural land in the property tax assessment on January 1, 2005, or thereafter.

1g. “Agricultural land” means land, exclusive of buildings and improvements and the land necessary for their location and convenience, that is devoted primarily to agricultural use.

1i. “Agricultural use” means agricultural use as defined by the department of revenue by rule and includes the growing of short rotation woody crops, including poplars and willows, using agronomic practices.

1k. “Agronomic practices” means agricultural practices generally associated with field crop production, including soil management, cultivation, and row cropping.

1m. “Other,” as it relates to par. (a) 7. , means buildings and improvements; including any residence for the farm operator’s spouse, children, parents, or grandparents; and the land necessary for the location and convenience of those buildings and improvements.

2. “Productive forest land” means land that is producing or is capable of producing commercial forest products and is not otherwise classified under this subsection.

3. “Residential” includes any parcel or part of a parcel of untilled land that is not suitable for the production of row crops, on which a dwelling or other form of human abode is located and which is not otherwise classified under this subsection.

4. “Undeveloped land” means bog, marsh, lowland brush, uncultivated land zoned as shoreland under s. 59.692 and shown as a wetland on a final map under s. 23.32 or other nonproductive lands not otherwise classified under this subsection.

(2r) Agricultural land shall be assessed according to the income that could be generated from its rental for agricultural use.

(3) Manufacturing property subject to assessment under s. 70.995 shall be assessed according to that section.

(4) Beginning with the assessments as of January 1, 2004, agricultural forest land shall be assessed at 50 percent of its full value, as determined under sub. (1) , and undeveloped land shall be assessed at 50 percent of its full value, as determined under sub. (1) .

(5) Beginning with the assessments as of January 1, 2017, the assessor shall assess the land within a district corridor described under s. 88.74 in the same class under sub. (2) (a) as the land adjoining the corridor, if the adjoining land and the land within the corridor are owned by the same person.

History: 1973 c. 90 ; 1977 c. 29 , 418 ; 1979 c. 34 ; 1981 c. 20 , 390 ; 1983 a. 36 ; 1983 a. 275 s. 15 (8) ; 1983 a. 410 ; 1985 a. 54 , 153 ; 1991 a. 39 , 316 ; 1993 a. 337 ; 1995 a. 27 , 201 , 227 ; 1999 a. 9 ; 2001 a. 109 ; 2003 a. 33 , 230 ; 2009 a. 177 , 235 , 276 , 401 ; 2013 a. 80 ; 2017 a. 115 .