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Foreclosure and tax sales in Wisconsin

What our research shows about Wisconsin's rules. General information with sources — not legal advice, and not a reading of your papers.

CoreResearched in depth, key rules checked against the official text.Research last reviewed 2026-09-22
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How foreclosure works

Usual process
Judicial (through court)
From a reputable summary[1]
Allowed processes
Judicial (through court)
From a reputable summary[1][2]
Main statutes
Wis. Stat. § 815.31; Wis. Stat. § 846.04; Wis. Stat. § 846.05; Wis. Stat. § 846.101; Wis. Stat. § 846.13
From a reputable summary[1]
Typical length (estimate)
Not researched yet for this state.

The usual timeline

  1. +At least 120 days

    Federal rule: the servicer generally cannot make the first foreclosure notice or filing until you are more than 120 days behind

    Applies to most home loans in every state. A complete loss-mitigation application sent more than 37 days before a sale also triggers federal protections.

    Checked against the official text12 CFR § 1024.41(f)(1)

  2. Lawsuit filed and you are served with the summons and complaint

    From a reputable summary

  3. Answer the lawsuit by the deadline on your summons

    Read the summons: it states the deadline. Missing it can mean a default judgment.

    Not confirmed — check it

  4. Mediation may be available (voluntary or local programs)

    Wisconsin Foreclosure Mediation Network and county programs. Mediation is available in participating counties; the lender often must attach a mediation notice and application to the complaint.

    From a reputable summary

  5. Court judgment of foreclosure (if the lender wins)

    From a reputable summary
  6. +At least 21 days

    Sheriff’s / court sale

    After the redemption period, the sale is published once a week for three weeks and posted publicly (and on the county website) at least three weeks before the sale.

    From a reputable summary

  7. Court confirms (ratifies) the sale

    In many states you can still redeem or object until the court confirms the sale.

    From a reputable summary
  8. +At least 35 days

    Redemption window (at least 35 days in the shortest common case)

    Redemption happens BEFORE the sale: the period between judgment and sale runs from 5 weeks to 12 months depending on the case (e.g., whether a deficiency is sought). You can stay until the sale is confirmed.

    From a reputable summary

A general sequence built from the rules above. "At least" periods are the shortest we found; your case can take longer.

Notices and the sale

Notice before foreclosure
Not researched yet for this state.
Notice of sale
At least 21 daysAfter the redemption period, the sale is published once a week for three weeks and posted publicly (and on the county website) at least three weeks before the sale.

Wis. Stat. § 815.31

From a reputable summary[1]
Publication
Newspaper once a week for three weeks; public and county-website posting.
From a reputable summary[1]
When sales happen
Not researched yet for this state.
Time to answer the lawsuit
Not researched yet for this state.
Court confirms the sale
Yes
From a reputable summary[1]

Your rights before and after the sale

Catching up (reinstatement)
Before judgment (the case is dismissed); after judgment and before the sale (the case is stayed).

Wis. Stat. § 846.05

From a reputable summary[1][2]
Buying the home back (redemption)
LimitedRedemption happens BEFORE the sale: the period between judgment and sale runs from 5 weeks to 12 months depending on the case (e.g., whether a deficiency is sought). You can stay until the sale is confirmed.

Wis. Stat. § 846.13

From a reputable summary[1][2]
Owing money after the sale (deficiency)
LimitedOnly if requested in the complaint; lenders often waive it to shorten the redemption period.

Wis. Stat. §§ 846.04, 846.101

From a reputable summary[1]
Mediation
Some courts or countiesWisconsin Foreclosure Mediation Network and county programs.Mediation is available in participating counties; the lender often must attach a mediation notice and application to the complaint.
From a reputable summary[1]

Property tax sales

Tax sale system
Forfeiture to the government

The county takes a tax certificate (no lien sales), then gets title by tax deed, mortgage-style foreclosure or in rem foreclosure, and sells the property.

From a reputable summary[3]
How it works
The treasurer issues the tax certificate on Sept. 1 for taxes unpaid on Aug. 31 and mails notice within 90 days.
From a reputable summary[3]
Redeeming after a tax sale
Generally at least two years from the certificate (one year in some cases), and until the deed is recorded; at least 8 weeks after first publication in an in rem case.

Wis. Stat. §§ 74.57, 75.01, 75.521

From a reputable summary[3]
Relief programs
Not researched yet for this state.
Payment plans
Not researched yet for this state.
Surplus after a tax sale
Changed after Tyler v. Hennepin County (2023).After Tyler, the county must notify the former owner and pay net sale proceeds (after taxes and costs); unclaimed after one year they become unclaimed funds.

Wis. Stat. § 75.36

From a reputable summary[3]

Bankruptcy exemptions

Federal exemption list
You may choose the federal list

You may choose the federal bankruptcy exemption list (11 U.S.C. § 522(d)) instead of the state list — one list or the other, never a mix.

From a reputable summary[4]
Homestead exemption
$75,000 ($150,000 couple)$75,000 per spouse; sale proceeds protected 2 years if you intend to buy another home.(Wis. Stat. § 815.20)
From a reputable summary[5]

Where to get free help

Free legal aid (LSC-funded)
Checked against the official text[7]
Legal help website
Checked against the official text[8]
State housing agency
Checked against the official text[6]
Attorney general / consumer protection
Checked against the official text[9]
Court self-help
Checked against the official text[10]
HUD-approved housing counselors
HUD-approved housing counseling agencies — Free or low-cost, HUD-approved housing counselors in every state. Call or search by ZIP code.

Sources

Retrieved 2026-09-22. Official texts are marked “official”; summaries are marked “summary”.

  1. [1]Nolo — Wisconsin Foreclosure Laws and Proceduressummary
  2. [2]Nolo — State Foreclosure Laws: 50-state chart (process, deficiency, redemption, reinstatement)summary
  3. [3]Nolo — Wisconsin property tax deeds and foreclosuresummary
  4. [4]Nolo — Federal Bankruptcy Exemptions — which states allow the federal list11 U.S.C. § 522(b)(2)summary
  5. [5]Asset Protection Planners — Homestead Exemptions by U.S. State and Territory (2026 chart with statute cites)summary
  6. [6]WHEDA | WHEDA (official site, checked live)official
  7. [7]Legal Services Corporation — Our Grantees (official list of LSC-funded programs by state)official
  8. [8]Home - Legal Action Wisconsin (official site, checked live)official
  9. [9]DATCP Home Bureau of Consumer Protection (official site, checked live)official
  10. [10]Wisconsin Court System - Court services - For the public - Self-help law center (official site, checked live)official