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Wisconsin Real Estate Law Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Can a condo board president (unpaid position) also be the condo association office/property manager (paid position)?

My condo board president is also the office manager. Because of this, she really does not have anyone to hold her accountable. She makes up rules that are not in the condo docs, only enforces certain rules/regulations in the condo docs and then breaks other ones herself. She has harassed me to the... View More

Thomas B. Burton
Thomas B. Burton
answered on Jun 5, 2020

I am sorry to hear about this difficult situation. The answer to this question will likely depend on what the Condo Board Bylaws say. I would obtain a copy of the Bylaws from a member of the Condo Board and then review them carefully to see what they say about conflicts of interest and whether the... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: can sellers of home sign deal for land with D.O.T after accepted offer?

We were aware of the road expansion. Nothing was stated in the condition report. Prior to accepting the counter offer, we were aware no checks have been issued. We were the primary offer for the home and the 1 acre property. 4/22 we went into contract. 5/8 the signed with the Department of... View More

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Jun 2, 2020

If a Seller has a primary accepted Offer then, generally, they cannot accept another Primary Offer. Generally they could accept a Secondary Offer that is "secondary" to the accepted Primary Offer. There are provisions within the standard offer to purchase forms for Wisconsin that allow... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Land Use & Zoning and Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: my neighbor has put up a mailbox on my property,can i remove it.

the mail box has been in place for over a year, no livable accommodations on property,he does not live there, it is in the ROW of road, I am wrong by describing him as a neighbor, he is an estranged brother. His daughter who lives in another state owns adjacent property he does not live nearby and... View More

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on May 20, 2020

Generally the law does not afford an aggrieved party the right to self help. In other words, you may not remove the mailbox. You may go to court and ask for an order requiring the neighbor to remove the box.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Is there someone in Baraboo that could review purchase documents for a house we are closing on 05/15? I am wondering if

we should have an attorney go over the paperwork and possibly accompany us to our closing? This is the first home we are buying and we do have a realtor, we are just not sure how all of this work.

Thomas B. Burton
Thomas B. Burton
answered on May 12, 2020

Justia has an attorney listing service. I would do a search for attorneys in the Baraboo area who practice real estate law and contact some of them to see if they could review your documents before the closing. There are also other attorney listing services you could use to locate attorneys in the... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: How does a land contract work. The seller still has a mortgage on the house. What will happen if the seller dies. .

My father-in-law would like to sell my husband and I his house on a land contract. My father-in-law still has a mortgage on the house currently but he was diagnosed with Cancer and put on Hospice. Can we use a land contract to obtain the house.

Thomas B. Burton
Thomas B. Burton
answered on Apr 27, 2020

You should examine the mortgage documents carefully. Usually, the bank will have a lien on the house, as a secured interest on the property, superior to all of the other lien holders. Therefore, if your father-in-law should die, his heirs (the people he names in his Will if he has one, or the heirs... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Commercial Real Estate LLC

I’m wondering if there is anything I can do? I had 36% ownership in a building. The other partners borrowed $1.5M against a paid building without notifying me. I never signed anything on the loan & found out 5 months later from St. MN. The bank loaned the money without an appraisal –... View More

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Apr 14, 2020

I'd recommend that you post this question to the Business Lawyer section as this matter appears to concern your rights and obligations as a member of the LLC as opposed to real property rights. The attorneys in that section may be better suited to assist you.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: my brothers inherited our family farm the property was never split,my brother left his half to me how do i claim it
Thomas B. Burton
Thomas B. Burton
answered on Apr 8, 2020

The answer to this question depends on whether your brother left you his half through his Will, or through a trust, or by deed. Depending on which instrument he used, you will need to examine the instrument itself. If he left it through a Will, it is likely a probate action will be needed in... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law and Small Claims for Wisconsin on
Q: Rental next door-Constant noise. can I sue the landlord
Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Apr 1, 2020

Generally a landlord is not liable for noise caused by a tenant unless the complaining party is another tenant in the same complex who is being denied quiet enjoyment of their unit. Otherwise, noise complaints are properly directed to local law enforcement.

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: I signed an apartment lease in WI, 4 days later I called the leasing office to cancel it. Do I have to pay the rent?

I never moved in, I called to cancel it before my moving date. But they said I'm liable to pay the rent until someone re-rents. But they rented two same units, same price, and same style, not mine. What happens if I stop making payments?

Thanks in advance

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Mar 30, 2020

Assuming that the lease is enforceable, which may only be determined after review by a qualified attorney, you may be liable for the full contract amount. The landlord is under a duty to mitigate damages and to work to re-rent the unit. That duty does not necessarily mean that the landlord has to... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: In WI my husband and I were planning to purchase a condo. With COVID 19 we want to back out. Can we get earnest money
Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Mar 29, 2020

Your rights and obligations under the contract can only be determined after reviewing the entire offer. Generally, a buyer may only use a valid contingency to terminate an offer. Simply deciding that the market conditions are no longer ideal to move forward is not typically a valid reason to... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: My lease expires Feb 28th this year I gave my notice Feb 11th that I would be out march 25th but they are saying I will

Be responsible for April's rent I was paying 570 and they upped it to 645 this month so I thought that being month to month you only had to give 30 days notice ?plz help me

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Mar 5, 2020

For a month to month lease you have to give 28 days notice before the beginning of the next rental period unless the lease has a different notice provision. See Section 704.19 below:

704.19  Notice necessary to terminate periodic tenancies and tenancies at will.

704.19(1)(1) ...
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1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: I am not on the title of our property even both me and my husband has signed the purchase contract as buyers.

I have just found out I am not on the title of our property and the warranty deed was transfered only to my husband, even both my and my husbands name are on the purchase contract as buyers and both me and my husband has signed all the purchase documents. The mortgage is only on my husbands name... View More

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Feb 29, 2020

I can only speculate as to why you were not included on the title though I suspect it has to do with the loan though there would have been a way to include you on the title and the mortgage and not on the underlying note. Regardless, you are now in the position where you are not on the title. The... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Seller did not record easement as stated in the signed offer to purchase contract, Now sold his house. Do I lose rights?

My "residential offer to purchase" agrees to ingress egress easement from neighbor owner for parking. "seller shall deliver a written assessment in recordable form". Seller owned both homes at the time. 10yrs using easement access, the seller never recorded the easement and just... View More

Thomas B. Burton
Thomas B. Burton
answered on Feb 28, 2020

I am sorry to hear about this situation. Did the seller ever deliver the written assessment to you in recordable form? If so, it sounds like it may have been your responsibility to record it as the new buyer. Does the offer to purchase explicitly state who is supposed to record the easement? I... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: I inherited a one third share of some property when my dad passed away and would like to sell.

I've contacted the other owners asking them to purchase my share. I've gotten no response. What are my options?

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Feb 25, 2020

Your options are:

1) one or both of the other owners agree to purchase your interest;

2) all the owners agree to sell the property;

3) you find an outside party willing to purchase your 1/3 interest in the property;

4) you commence an action in partition asking for...
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1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Purchasing in Wisconsin- Seller accepted offer to bump our offer

Seller accepted offer to bump our offer, which gives us 72 hrs to remove our contingencies per the original accepted offer. We have removed our contingencies and sent back this information, seller refusing to acknowledge although seller's agent has acknowledged. We have met all of the agreed... View More

Jason Anthony Greller
Jason Anthony Greller
answered on Feb 22, 2020

Assuming the offer provided that the bump clause could be waived by the buyer within the 72 hours and assuming that you provided the proper and timely notice of waiver along with any required supporting documentation per the terms of the offer, then you could enforce the offer. If seller will not... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Consumer Law, Contracts and Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Who's responsible for the repairs after a home has been closed? How many days do you have to cancel the sale of a home ?
Vincent Gallo
Vincent Gallo
answered on Feb 22, 2020

In New York? None unless possibly bringing an equitable action based on fraud and concealment. I wouldn’t count on it.

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2 Answers | Asked in Contracts and Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: I currently have a valid registered land contract for a house with one person.

But found out there’s a lien on the house with someone else. The person with the lien passed away recently. If I end up paying for the house who does the money go to? Or should I keep paying my land contract and he pays of the lien ?

Bruce Alexander Minnick
Bruce Alexander Minnick
answered on Feb 15, 2020

Land can be sold with liens attached to it. And whatever tax liens there are on the land will have to be satisfied before you or anyone else receives the deed.

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3 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Do attorneys have to keep your files for a certain amount of time? What if they had something they never gave you?

Our attorney received a title in 2007 directly from another attorney and never gave it to us. He now says he no longer has the file.

Sarah Lynn Ruffi
Sarah Lynn Ruffi
answered on Jan 14, 2020

Since you asked the question under the heading of real estate law, I presume that the "title" is a deed conveying an interest in a parcel of real estate. Lawyers are not required to keep files indefinitely. The best practice for lawyers is to set forth their file retention policy in... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: The offer says buyer to pay appraisal fee. Title company made me, the seller, pay it at closing

They called it a "closing cost". I had offered to pay up to a certain amount of closing costs. What now? This is part of the cost of buyer getting a mortgage.

Thomas B. Burton
Thomas B. Burton
answered on Jan 12, 2020

If the terms of the offer says the Buyer is responsible for the appraisal fee, then the Buyer should pay this cost. You should examine the offer to purchase carefully to be sure this is indeed what it says. It is possible the title company made a mistake in charging this amount to you instead of... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Wisconsin on
Q: Have Neighbor that took out line fence on property without my knowledge, now claims 20ft of my property.

He piled all the barbed wire on my property. He asked my logger to cut my trees that he claims on my property.

Brian R. Zimmerman
Brian R. Zimmerman
answered on Jan 6, 2020

You would have a claim against your neighbor for trespass and damages for removal of the fence if it was on your property. There may be additional damages for removal of trees.

The first step in these claims is usually to clearly identify the lot line through a survey that locates the...
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