Title: Wisconsin Realtors Assoc. v. Town of West Point

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2007 WI 139 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2006AP2761 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
Wisconsin Realtors Association, Inc. and 
Wisconsin Builders Association, 
          Plaintiffs-Appellants, 
     v. 
Town of West Point, 
          Defendant-Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ON CERTIFICATION FROM THE COURT OF APPEALS 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
December 12, 2007   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
November 29, 2007   
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
Circuit   
 
COUNTY: 
Columbia   
 
JUDGE: 
Andrew P. Bissonnette   
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: ZIEGLER, J., did not participate.   
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
For the plaintiff-appellants there were briefs by Timothy 
D. Fenner, Lori M. Lubinsky, and Axley Brynelson, LLP, Madison, 
and oral argument by Lori M. Lubinsky. 
 
For the defendant-respondent there was a brief by Richard K 
Nordeng, Bryan Kleinmaier, and Stafford Rosenbaum LLP, Madison, 
and oral argument by Richard K. Nordeng. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by Carol B. Nawrocki, 
Shawano, on behalf of the Wisconsin Towns Association. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by Daniel M. Olson, 
Madison, on behalf of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by Brian Ohm, Madison, on 
behalf of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American Planning 
Association and the American Planning Association. 
 
An amicus curiae brief was filed by William White, Paul D. 
Barbato, and Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Madison, on behalf of 
 
 
2 
the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association and Aggregate 
Producers of Wisconsin. 
 
 
 
 
2007 WI 139
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2006AP2761  
(L.C. No. 
2006CV96) 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
Wisconsin Realtors Association, Inc. and 
Wisconsin Builders Association, 
 
          Plaintiffs-Appellants, 
 
     v. 
 
Town of West Point, 
 
          Defendant-Respondent. 
 
 
 
FILED 
 
DEC 12, 2007 
 
David R. Schanker 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
APPEAL from a judgment of the Circuit Court for Columbia 
County, 
Andrew 
P. 
Bissonnette, 
Judge. 
 
Order 
granting 
certification vacated and cause remanded to court of appeals.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   This case comes before the court on 
certification from the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.   
¶2 
The court is equally divided on whether to affirm or 
reverse the judgment of the circuit court.  Chief Justice 
Shirley S. Abrahamson, Justice Ann Walsh Bradley, and Justice 
Patience Drake Roggensack would affirm.  Justice N. Patrick 
Crooks, Justice David T. Prosser, and Justice Louis B. Butler, 
No. 
2006AP2761   
 
2 
 
Jr. would reverse on the grounds that neither Wis. Stat. 
§ 236.45 nor Wis. Stat. § 61.34 provide the Town the authority 
to enact a moratorium on land division.  Justice Annette 
Kingsland Ziegler did not participate. 
¶3 
When a certification or bypass results in a tie vote 
by this court, the better course of action is to vacate our 
decision to accept certification or bypass and remand the cause 
to the court of appeals.  State v. Richard Knutson, Inc., 191 
Wis. 2d 395, 396-97, 528 N.W.2d 430 (1995) (remanding to court 
of appeals on a tie vote on certification); State v. Elam, 195 
Wis. 2d 683, 684-85, 538 N.W.2d 249 (1995) (restating rule but 
declining to remand to court of appeals on a tie vote on bypass 
because court of appeals had previously decided issue). 
¶4 
Accordingly, 
we 
vacate 
our 
order 
granting 
certification and remand to the court of appeals.   
By the Court.—The order granting certification is vacated 
and the cause is remanded to the court of appeals.   
¶5 
Justice ANNETTE KINGSLAND ZIEGLER did not participate. 
 
 
 
 
No. 
2006AP2761   
 
 
 
1