Limitations on certificates and issue of deeds; life of tax certificate liens
Wis. Stat. § 75.20
in effect(1) Tax certificates; when void. Tax certificates shall be void after 11 years following December 31 of the year in which such certificates were dated.
(2) County treasurer to cancel all outlawed taxes. No deed shall be issued or action commenced on any tax certificate whatever after it shall have become void by virtue of the statute of limitations provided in this section. The interest in the land represented by such certificate shall terminate upon the last date upon which a deed could have been issued thereon, or an action could have been commenced thereon if no summons and complaint was served and filed prior to such date. The county treasurer shall cancel all tax certificates which have become void by limitation and shall make an entry in the treasurer’s record of unredeemed property subject to a tax certificate evidencing such cancellation.
(3) Certification of cancellation to local treasurer. Whenever the county treasurer shall cancel a tax certificate which has become void by virtue of any statutes of limitation the county treasurer shall within 30 days thereafter in writing certify such cancellation to the proper town, city or village treasurer who shall make entry thereof in his or her records. Such cancellation need not be so certified in cases where the county has settled in full with the town, city or village.
(4) Stay by injunction not part of limitation. When the issuing of a deed on a tax certificate or certificates or the commencement of an action thereon shall be stayed by injunction, the time of the continuance of such injunction shall not be a part of the time hereinabove limited in this section as the life of a tax certificate.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/75.20Fetched: 10/7/2026