2023 Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations › Chapter 779 - Liens. › 779.71 - Disposition of articles left for laundering, dry cleaning, repair, storage.

779.71
Disposition of articles left for laundering, dry cleaning, repair, storage.
(1)
Any garment, clothing, wearing apparel or household goods remaining in the possession of a person, firm, partnership or corporation, on which laundering, cleaning, pressing, glazing or dyeing has been done or upon which alteration or repairs have been made, or on which materials or supplies have been used or furnished, for a period of 6 months or more, may be sold to pay the reasonable or agreed charges and the cost of notifying the owner, after giving notice of said sale as specified in sub. (3) to such owner. Property that is to be placed in storage after any of the services or labors mentioned herein are performed shall not be affected by the provisions of this subsection.
(2)
All garments, clothing, wearing apparel or household goods placed in storage, or on which any of the services or labors mentioned in sub. (1) have been performed and then placed in storage by agreement and remaining in the possession of a person without the reasonable or agreed charges having been paid for a period of more than 18 months, may be sold to pay said charges after giving notice of said sale as specified in sub. (3) to such owner, provided that where property was delivered to be cleaned, pressed, glazed or dyed, and left for storage in addition to having such work done, it shall not be so sold unless at the time of delivery the owner was given a receipt for such property containing a statement that the property will be sold when such 18 months have elapsed unless called for within such 18 months' period. Persons operating as warehouses or warehouse keepers shall not be affected by this subsection.
(3)
The mailing of a registered letter, with a return address marked thereon, addressed to the owner at their address given at the time of the delivery of the article or articles to a person, firm, partnership or corporation rendering any of the services or labors as set out in this section, stating the time and place of sale, shall constitute notice. Said notice shall be posted or mailed at least 30 days before the date of sale. The costs of posting or mailing said letter shall be added to the charges.
(4)
The person, firm, partnership or corporation to whom the charges are payable, shall, from the proceeds of sale, deduct the charges due plus the costs of notifying the owner and shall hold the overplus, if any, subject to the order of the owner and shall immediately thereafter mail to the owner at the owner's address, if known, a notice of the sale, the amount of overplus, if any, due the owner, and at any time within 12 months, upon demand by the owner, pay to the owner said sums of overplus.
(5)
All persons, firms, partnerships or corporations taking advantage of this section must keep posted in a prominent place in their receiving office or offices at all times 2 notices which shall read as follows: “All articles cleaned, pressed, glazed, laundered, washed, altered or repaired and not called for in 6 months will be sold to pay charges". “All articles stored by agreement and charges not having been paid for 18 months will be sold to pay charges".
History:  1979 c. 32 s. 57; 1979 c. 176; Stats. 1979 s. 779.71; 1983 a. 500 s. 43.