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This month, the Court of Appeals affirmed a circuit court decision that held that the City of Brookfield engaged in an unconstitutional taking when it conditioned the approval of a subdivision development on construction of a new public street. The Court of Appeals determined that this “exaction” was not permissible because it did not address a need caused by the development proposal and, even if it did, the exaction was not proportional to the conditions sought to be addressed…
Continue Reading Court of Appeals Determines City Development Condition Is Unconstitutional Taking

Owners of real estate property are required to pay property taxes, and each year, property tax assessments are performed to determine the value of a property and the portion of a local tax levy that the property owner will be responsible for. A property tax assessment will affect the amount of taxes that a property owner will be required to pay, and property owners will need to make sure their property is valued correctly to avoid being required to…
Continue Reading Can a Property Tax Assessment for an Apartment Building Be Challenged?

Real estate transactions can be very complicated, and there are multiple types of legal issues that buyers and sellers will want to be aware of. Easements are one issue that will affect how a piece of property can be used. If easements are not properly disclosed during a transaction, real estate litigation may be required to address this issue.
Understanding Easements
An easement is a legal agreement that gives a person, company, or organization the right to use…
Continue Reading How Do Easements Affect Real Estate Transactions and Litigation?

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has further refined the standard for what is a continuation of a legal non-conforming use.  In Village of Slinger vs. Polk Properties, LLC  the Court, in a unanimous decision, set a clear standard to judge a municipality’s effort to enforce the abandonment of a legal non-conforming use.

Non-conforming uses, or structures, are created when a rezoning of a parcel takes place, causing the current use to not conform with the new zoning designation placed on…
Continue Reading What Constitutes the Continuation of a Legal Non-Conforming Use

The purchase of a home is a complex process that has a significant impact on both the buyer and the seller. As such, a successful purchase requires a certain level of transparency and trust between the two parties. When a buyer or seller does not act in good faith or fails to fulfill an obligation, major obstacles to the sale can arise, not to mention legal issues that often must be resolved through real estate litigation. One such…
Continue Reading What Are the Disclosure Requirements in a Wisconsin Home Sale?