Chapter 823 — NUISANCES

823.01 Jurisdiction over nuisances. Any person, county, city, village or town may maintain an action to recover damages or to abate a public nuisance from which injuries peculiar to the complainant are suffered, so far as necessary to protect the complainant’s rights and to obtai…

823.015 Action against condominium association. If a city, village, town, or county has grounds under this chapter to abate a nuisance occurring upon the common elements of a condominium and the failure of a condominium association under ch. 703 to perform its duties to maintain …

823.02 Injunction against public nuisance, time extension. An action to enjoin a public nuisance may be commenced and prosecuted in the name of the state, either by the attorney general on information obtained by the department of justice, or upon the relation of a private indivi…

823.03 Judgment. In such actions, when the plaintiff prevails, the plaintiff shall, in addition to judgment for damages and costs, also have judgment that the nuisance be abated unless the court shall otherwise order. History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 762 (1975); Stats. 19…

823.04 Execution and warrant. In case of judgment that the nuisance be abated and removed the plaintiff shall have execution in the common form for the plaintiff’s damages and costs and a separate warrant to the proper officer requiring the officer to abate and remove the nuisanc…

823.05 Warrant may be stayed. The court may, on the application of the defendant, order a stay of such warrant for such time as may be necessary, not exceeding 6 months, to give the defendant an opportunity to remove the nuisance, upon the defendant’s giving satisfactory security…

823.06 Expense of abating, how collected. The expense of abating such nuisance pursuant to such warrant shall be collected by the officer in the same manner as damages and costs are collected upon execution or may be collected by finding the defendant personally liable for these …

823.065 Repeated violations of a municipal ordinance a public nuisance. Repeated or continuous violation of a municipal ordinance relating to naphtha, benzol, gasoline, kerosene or any other inflammable liquid or combustible material is declared a public nuisance, and an action m…

823.07 Violations of ordinances or resolutions relating to noxious business. Repeated or continuous violations of a city, village or town resolution or ordinance enacted pursuant to s. 66.0415 (1) is declared a public nuisance and an action may be maintained by any such municipal…

823.075 Actions against forestry operations. (1) In this section: (a) “Department” means the department of natural resources. (b) “Forest” means a parcel of land in which at least 80 percent of the parcel is producing or is capable of producing at least 20 cubic feet of merchanta…

823.085 Actions against owners or operators of solid waste facilities. (1) In this section, “solid waste facility” has the meaning given in s. 289.01 (35). (2) In any action finding a solid waste facility or the operation of a solid waste facility to be a public or private nuisan…

823.09 Bawdyhouses declared nuisances. Whoever shall erect, establish, continue, maintain, use, occupy or lease any building or part of building, erection or place to be used for the purpose of lewdness, assignation or prostitution, or permit the same to be used, in the state of …

823.10 Disorderly house, action for abatement. If a nuisance, as defined in s. 823.09, exists the district attorney or any citizen of the county may maintain an action in the circuit court in the name of the state to abate the nuisance and to perpetually enjoin every person guilt…

823.11 Evidence; dismissal of action; costs. In actions begun under s. 823.10 the existence of any nuisance defined by s. 823.09 shall constitute prima facie evidence that the owner of the premises affected has permitted the same to be used as a nuisance; and evidence of the gene…

823.113 Drug or criminal gang house a public nuisance. (1) Any building or structure that is used to facilitate the delivery, distribution or manufacture, as defined in s. 961.01 (6), (9) and (13) respectively, of a controlled substance, as defined in s. 961.01 (4), or a controll…

823.114 Judgment and order of sale of property. (1) If the existence of the nuisance is established in an action under s. 823.113, an order of abatement shall be entered as part of the judgment in the case. In that order, the court shall do all of the following: (a) Direct the re…

823.115 Sale of property and use of proceeds. (1) If personal and real property are ordered sold under s. 823.114, and

823.12 Punishment for violation of injunction. A party found guilty of contempt for the violation of any injunction granted under ss. 823.09 to 823.15 shall be punished by a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $1,000 or by imprisonment in the county jail not less than 3 nor …

823.13 Judgment and execution; sale of fixtures. If the existence of the nuisance be established in an action under s. 823.09, or in a criminal proceeding, an order of abatement shall be entered as a part of the judgment in the case, which order shall direct the removal from the …

823.14 Application of proceeds of sale; lis pendens. The proceeds of the sale of such personal property, shall be applied in the payment of the costs of the action and abatement and the balance, if any, shall be paid to the defendant. The plaintiff may file a notice of the penden…

823.15 Undertaking to release building or structure. May 22, 2026, are designated by NOTES. (Published 5-22-26) 5 Updated 23-24 Wis. Stats. The owner of any building or structure, or the owner of the land upon which the building or structure is located, affected by an action unde…

823.16 Remedy of lessor of place of prostitution. If the lessee of a place has been convicted of keeping that place as a place of prostitution or if such place has been adjudged a nuisance under this chapter, the lease by which such place is held is void and the lessor shall have…

823.20 Gambling place a public nuisance. (1) Any gambling place, as defined in s. 945.01 (4) (a), is a public nuisance and may be proceeded against under this chapter. (2) Any citizen of the county in which such nuisance exists may bring an action, without showing special damages…

823.21 Dilapidated buildings declared nuisances. Any building which, under s. 66.0413 (1) (b) 1., has been declared so old, dilapidated or out of repair as to be dangerous, unsafe, unsanitary or otherwise unfit for human habitation or has been determined to be unreasonable to rep…

823.215 Dilapidated wharves and piers in navigable waters declared nuisances. Any wharf or pier in navigable waters which is declared so old, dilapidated or in need of repair that it is dangerous, unsafe or unfit for use under s. 30.13 (5m) (a) 2. or repair is determined unreason…

823.23 Receivership for public nuisances. (1) DEFINITIONS. In this section: (a) “Abatement” means the removal, suspension, improvement, or correction of any condition at a residential property that has been adjudicated to constitute a nuisance. “Abatement” may include the demolit…