171.32 Acquiring title to abandoned property.

504 words·~2 min read·/wi/chapter-171/171-32-2

A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.

(1)Property loaned to a museum or archives whose loan has an expiration date is abandoned when there has not been written contact between the owner and the museum or archives for at least 7 years after that expiration date. If the loan has no expiration date, the property is abandoned when there has not been written contact between the owner and the museum or archives for at least 7 years after the museum or archives took possession of the property.

(2)If a museum or archives wishes to acquire title to abandoned property, the museum or archives shall, not less than 60 days after property is abandoned under sub.

(1), send a notice by certified mail with return receipt requested to the owner’s last-known address. The notice shall contain all of the following:

(a)A statement that the loan is terminated and that the property is abandoned.

(b)A description of the property.

(c)A statement that the museum or archives will become the owner of the property if the present owner does not submit a written claim to the property to the museum or archives within 60 days after receipt of the notice.

(d)A statement that the museum or archives will make arrangements with the owner to return the property to the owner or dispose of the property as the owner requests if the owner submits a written claim to the property to the museum or archives within 60 days after receipt of the notice.

(e)The notice shall be substantially in the following form:

NOTICE OF ABANDONMENT OF PROPERTY

To: .... (name of owner)

.... (address of owner)

Please be advised that the loan agreement is terminated for the following property (describe the property in sufficient detail to identify the property):

The above described property that you loaned to .... (name and address of museum or archives) will be considered abandoned by you and will become the property of .... (name of museum or archives) if you fail to submit to the museum or archives a written claim to the property within 60 days after receipt of this notice.

If you do submit a written claim to the property within 60 days after receipt of this notice, .... (name of museum or archives) will arrange to return the property to you or dispose of the property as you request. The cost of returning the property to you or disposing of the property is your responsibility unless you have made other arrangements with the museum or archives.

....

(name of person to contact at

museum or archives and address

of museum or archives)

(3)If the notice sent by the museum or archives under sub.

(2)is returned to the museum or archives undelivered, the museum or archives shall give notice of the abandoned property by publication of a class 2 notice under ch. 985 containing the following:

(a)The name and last-known address of the present owner.

(b)A description of the property.