Wis. Stat. § 49.854 — WI Code / Chapter 49 / Section 49.854
Liens against property for delinquent support payments.
Status: in_force

(1) Definitions. In this section:

(a) “Department” means the department of children and families.

(b) “County child support agency” means the county child support agency under s. 59.53 (5) .

(c) “Levy” means all powers of distraint and seizure.

(d) “Obligor” means a person who is obligated to pay court-ordered support.

(e) “Property” includes accounts at financial institutions, personal property and real property, tangible and intangible property and rights to property, but is limited to property and rights of the obligor to property existing at the time of levy.

(f) “Support” means any of the following:

1. Child or family support.

2. Maintenance.

3. Medical expenses of a child.

4. Birth expenses.

5. Any accrued interest on delinquent amounts under subds. 1. to 4.

(2) Creation of lien; satisfaction.

(a) Creation. If a person obligated to pay support fails to pay any court-ordered amount of support, that amount becomes a lien in favor of the department upon all property of the person. The lien becomes effective when the information is entered in the statewide support lien docket under par. (b) and that docket is delivered to the register of deeds in the county where the property is located. A lien created under this paragraph is not effective against a good-faith purchaser of titled personal property, unless the lien is recorded on that title.

(b) Statewide support lien docket. The department shall maintain a statewide support lien docket. The department shall provide a copy of the statewide support lien docket to the register of deeds and the county child support agency of each county in this state, and to each state agency that titles personal property. Each entry in the statewide support lien docket shall contain the name and the social security number of the obligor and the date that the lien is entered in the docket, as well as the amount of the lien as of the time that the entry is made.

(c) Updating the statewide support lien docket. The department shall update the statewide support lien docket in response to orders issued by a court or circuit court commissioner. The department shall periodically update the statewide support lien docket to reflect changes in the amounts of the liens contained in the docket.

(d) Amount of lien; satisfaction. The amount of any support obligation that is a lien under this subsection may be determined by requesting that information from the county child support agency or the register of deeds, as specified by the department. Payment of the full amount that is delinquent at the time of payment to that county child support agency extinguishes that lien. Upon request, the county child support agency shall furnish to the payer of the delinquent amount a satisfaction of lien showing that the amount of support owed has been paid in full and that the person no longer owes the delinquent amount. The satisfaction of lien may be recorded in the office of the register of deeds for any county in which real or personal property of the person who owed the support is located.

(3) Notification and appeal of lien.

(a) Notice. When a delinquent support obligation is included in the statewide support lien docket, the department shall provide notice to the obligor that a lien exists with respect to the delinquent support obligation. The notice shall include the amount of the delinquent child support obligation and shall inform the obligor that the lien is in effect. The notice shall inform the obligor of the obligor’s right to request a financial records and court order review under par. (ag) and the obligor’s right to request a court hearing under par. (ar) . The notice under this paragraph shall also inform the obligor that the department will not take actions to enforce the lien if the obligor pays the delinquent amount in full or makes satisfactory alternative payment arrangements with the department or a county child support agency. The notice shall inform the individual of how he or she may pay the delinquent amount or make satisfactory alternative payment arrangements.

(ag) Financial records and court order review.

1. Within 10 business days of the date of the notice under par. (a) , the obligor may file a written request for a financial records and court order review with the county child support agency. If the obligor makes a timely request for a financial records and court order review under this paragraph, the department shall hold the review as soon as practicable, but in no event to exceed 60 days after the date of the request. The department shall conduct the financial records and court order review at no charge to the obligor. As soon as practicable after conducting the financial records and court order review, the department shall make a determination regarding whether the amount of the delinquency contained in the notice is correct and shall provide a copy of the determination to the obligor. If the department determines that the amount of the delinquency is incorrect, the department shall take appropriate actions to correct the inaccuracy. The notice of the determination shall include information regarding the obligor’s right to request a review of the determination under subd. 2.

2. If the obligor disagrees with the determination of the department, the obligor may request a hearing with the court or a circuit court commissioner to review the department’s determination. To request a hearing under this subdivision, the obligor shall make the request within 5 business days of the date of the department’s determination under subd. 1. The obligor shall make the request in writing and shall mail or deliver a copy of the request to the county child support agency. If a timely request for a hearing is made under this subdivision, the court or circuit court commissioner shall hold the hearing within 15 business days of the request. If, at the hearing, the obligor establishes that the lien is not proper because of a mistake of fact, the court or circuit court commissioner shall order the department to remove the lien from the statewide support lien docket or adjust the amount of the delinquent obligation.

(ar) Direct appeal. If the obligor has not requested a financial records and court order review under par. (ag) , the obligor may request a hearing under this paragraph within 20 business days of the date of the notice under par. (a) . The obligor shall make the request in writing and shall mail or deliver a copy of the request to the county child support agency. If a timely request for a hearing is made under this paragraph, the court or circuit court commissioner shall schedule a hearing within 10 days after the date of the request. If, at the hearing, the obligor establishes that the lien is not proper because of a mistake of fact, the court or circuit court commissioner shall order the department to remove the lien from the statewide support lien docket or adjust the amount of the delinquent obligation.

(b) Appeal. If a circuit court commissioner conducts a hearing under par. (ag) or (ar) , the department or the obligor may, within 15 business days after the date of the decision by the circuit court commissioner, request review of the decision by the court having jurisdiction over the action. The court conducting the review may order that the lien be withdrawn from the statewide support lien dockets or may order an adjustment of the amount of the delinquent obligation. If no appeal is sought or if the court does not order the withdrawal of the lien, the department may take appropriate actions to enforce the lien.

(4) Powers of levy and distraint; generally. If any obligor neglects or refuses to pay the support owed by the obligor after the department has made demand for payment, the department may collect that support and the levy fees and costs under sub. (11) by levy upon any property belonging to the obligor as provided in subs. (5) to (7) . Whenever the value of any property that has been levied upon under this subsection is not sufficient to satisfy the claim of the department, the department may levy upon any additional property of the obligor until the support owed and levy costs are fully paid.

(5) Levying against financial accounts.

(a) Definitions. In this subsection:

1. “Account” has the meaning given in s. 49.853 (1) (a) .

2. “Financial institution” has the meaning given in s. 49.853 (1) (c) .

3. “Lien” means a lien under this section or a lien in favor of another state based on a support obligation, including a lien placed under s. 769.305 (2) (g) .

(b) Notice to the financial institution. To enforce a lien by levying against an account at a financial institution, the department shall send a notice of levy to the financial institution instructing the financial institution to prohibit the closing of or withdrawals from one or more accounts that the obligor owns in whole or in part, up to a total amount that is sufficient to pay the support owed, financial institution fees under par. (e) , and estimated levy fees and costs under sub. (11) , until further notice from the department or a court. The financial institution shall comply with the notice of levy and shall hold the amount specified in the notice until the financial institution receives further instructions from the department or a court.

(c) Liens in favor of other states.

1. Notwithstanding par. (b) , if a lien under par. (b) is in favor of another state, the notice sent by the department to the financial institution may consist of the request from the other state to enforce the lien, a certification by the department that any necessary due process requirements were met in the other state, a request that the financial institution honor the request from the other state by sending the amount specified in the request directly to the other state, and the address to which the financial institution shall send the funds.

2. If a financial institution receives directly from another state, or a child support agency in another state, a notice of levy or request to enforce a lien in favor of that other state, along with a certification by the other state that any necessary due process requirements were met in the other state, the financial institution shall honor the notice of levy or request from the other state by sending the amount specified in the notice of levy or request, up to the amount contained in the account or accounts minus any financial institution fee under par. (e) and levy fee under sub. (11) (a) , directly to the other state at the address to which the financial institution is directed to send the funds in the notice or request.

3. Notice and hearing requirements under pars. (d) and (f) do not apply to a lien in favor of another state.

(d) Notice to the obligor and certain others. No later than the next business day after the department sends notice of levy to the financial institution under par. (b) , the department shall send a copy of the notice of levy to the obligor. The department shall also send a copy of the notice of levy to any other person who has an ownership interest in the account. The notices required under this paragraph shall be in the form determined by the department, however the notice shall include language stating all of the following:

1. That the obligor has been certified as delinquent in paying support.

2. The amount of the support owed.

3. The financial institution to which the department sent the notice under par. (b) .

4. That one or more accounts owned in whole or in part by the obligor at the financial institution have been frozen, up to a total amount that is sufficient pay the support owed, the department’s levy costs and financial institution fees.

6. That the obligor may request a hearing within 20 business days after the date of the notice, by submitting the request in writing and by mailing or delivering a copy of the request to the county child support agency.

6m. That a person, other than the obligor, who holds the account jointly with the obligor may request a hearing within 20 business days after the date of the notice, to protect the portion of the jointly held account that is attributable to his or her net contributions to the jointly held account.

7. The address to which the request for hearing must be mailed or delivered in order to schedule a hearing.

(e) Financial institution fees. A financial institution may continue to collect fees, under the terms of the account agreement, on accounts frozen or levied against under this subsection. In addition to the levy fee authorized under sub. (11) (a) , a financial institution may collect any early withdrawal penalty incurred under the terms of an account as a result of the levy. Financial institution fees authorized under this paragraph may be charged to the account immediately prior to the remittance of the amount to the department or the other state and may be charged even if the amounts in the obligor’s accounts are insufficient to pay the total amount of support owed and the department’s levy costs under sub. (11) (b) .

(f) Hearings. A hearing requested under par. (d) 6. shall be conducted before the circuit court rendering the order to pay support. Within 45 business days after receiving a request for hearing under par. (d) 6. , the court shall conduct the hearing. A circuit court commissioner may conduct the hearing. The hearing shall be limited to a review of whether the account holder owes the amount of support certified and whether any alternative payment arrangement offered by the department or the county child support agency is reasonable. If the court or circuit court commissioner makes a written determination that an alternative payment arrangement offered by the department or county child support agency is not reasonable, the court or circuit court commissioner may order an alternative payment arrangement. If the court or circuit court commissioner orders an alternative payment arrangement, the court or circuit court commissioner shall order the department to instruct the financial institution to release all or a portion of the funds. If the court or circuit court commissioner determines that the account holder does not owe support or owes less than the amount claimed by the department, the court shall order the department to instruct the financial institution to release the funds in the account or the excess of those funds over the amount of the delinquency to the account holder. If a circuit court commissioner conducts the hearing under this paragraph, the department or the obligor may, within 15 business days after the date that the circuit court commissioner makes his or her decision, request review of the decision by the court with jurisdiction over the action.

(6) Levying against other personal property.

(a) When notice of seizure required. If the department has enforced a lien under this section by levying against personal property, the department shall immediately notify the obligor that the property has been seized. The department shall provide the notice of seizure under this paragraph to any person having an ownership interest in the property or any other person with an interest of record in the property. If the property is titled, the department shall also send a copy of the notice of seizure to the state agency that titles the property. A state agency receiving a notice under this paragraph may not transfer title to the personal property described in the notice, except on the instructions of a court or the department.

(b) Content of notice of seizure. The notice provided under par. (a) shall include all of the following:

1. The name of the obligor and the amount of the support owed.

2. A description of the personal property seized.

3. A statement that the obligor may, within 20 business days after the date of the notice, request a hearing on the questions of whether past-due support is owed and whether the property was wrongfully seized.

3m. A statement that a person, other than the obligor, who holds the personal property jointly with the obligor may request a hearing within 20 business days after the date of the notice, to protect the portion of the jointly held personal property that is attributable to his or her net contributions to the jointly held personal property.

4. A statement that the hearing may be requested by submitting the request in writing and by mailing or delivering a copy of the request to the county child support agency.

(c) Hearing. If a hearing is requested under par. (b) 4. , the court or circuit court commissioner shall schedule a hearing within 10 business days after receiving the request under par. (b) 4. The hearing shall be limited to a review of whether the obligor owes the amount of support owed that is stated in the notice of seizure and whether any alternative payment arrangement offered by the department or the county child support agency is reasonable. If the court or circuit court commissioner makes a written determination that an alternative payment arrangement offered by the department or county child support agency is not reasonable, the court or circuit court commissioner may order an alternative payment arrangement. If the court or circuit court commissioner orders an alternative payment arrangement, the court or circuit court commissioner shall order the department to return the seized property within 15 business days. If the court or circuit court commissioner determines that the obligor does not owe support or owes less than the amount claimed by the department, the court shall order the department to return the seized property within 15 business days or specify the amount which may be retained by the department after the sale of the seized property. If a circuit court commissioner conducts the hearing under this paragraph, the department or the obligor may, within 15 business days after the date that the circuit court commissioner makes his or her decision, request review of the decision by the court with jurisdiction over the action. The court reviewing the decision may order the department to return the seized property or may authorize the sale of the property by the department. If the department is ordered to return seized property under this paragraph, the court shall instruct any state agency responsible for titling the property that it may transfer title to the property without receiving instructions from a court or the department under par. (a) .

(d) Notice of sale. As soon as practicable after seizing the personal property and after any requested hearings are conducted under par. (c) , the department shall send a notice to the obligor stating that the department intends to issue an execution requiring the sheriff to sell the property within 90 days of the date of the execution. The final notice shall include a notice of the obligor’s right to redeem the property under par. (e) 8.

(e) Execution and sale. After the department has sent the notice under par. (d) , the department may issue an execution on any personal property identified in the notice to enforce a lien contained in the statewide support lien docket. The department shall provide a copy of an execution under this paragraph to the obligor and to any other person having an interest in the property. The provisions of ch. 815 apply to the executions issued by the department, except as follows:

1. References to judgments shall be read as references to liens entered in the statewide support lien docket, references to debtors shall be read as references to obligors and references to the court or a judge shall be read as references to the department.

2. Sections 815.01 to 815.04 do not apply. The department may not issue an execution more than 5 years after the date on which the lien was entered in the statewide support lien docket.

3. Section 815.05 does not apply. If the department has delegated under sub. (17) its authority under this subsection, the execution shall be signed by the director of the child support agency that is initiating the property seizure on behalf of the department. The execution shall include all of the following information: