A proposed bill pending in the Wisconsin Legislature would allow landlords to serve eviction actions by postal mail, fast-track eviction trials, and give landlords more options to deal with personal property left behind by evicted tenants.
If passed, the bill would allow landlords to presume that personal property left behind by evicted tenants was abandoned and dispose of it immediately. However, the landlord must have provided notice in its lease that the landlord does not intend to store personal property to take advantage of this change.
Additionally, the bill proposes changes to eviction procedures. The bill would allow landlords to serve eviction summons and complaints by mail rather than personally serving the tenant. The time limits for the return date and an eviction trial are also proposed to be shortened to streamline the eviction process.
The proposed legislation would change numerous other aspects of landlord-tenant laws. Pinkert Law Firm LLP represents both landlords and tenants in residential and commercial matters, and we will continue to follow all legal developments which may affect our clients.
Source: Forward, Joe, Landlord-Tenant Law: Proposed Bill Impacts Eviction Process, Property Rights, Inside Track, Vol. 5, No. 11 (June 2013).