(1) When a judgment has been fully paid but not satisfied or the satisfaction has been lost, the trial court may authorize the attorney of the judgment creditor to satisfy the judgment or may by order declare the judgment satisfied and direct satisfaction to be entered upon the judgment and lien docket.
806.20.Court may direct satisfaction; refusal to satisfy.
Ch. 806: Judgment · Last amended 1995 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 806.20 lets a court declare a judgment satisfied when it has been fully paid but the satisfaction was never filed or got lost, and makes a judgment owner who refuses to satisfy after a proper request liable for $50 in damages plus any actual harm caused.
Full Text of Section 806.20
(2) If any owner of any judgment, after full payment thereof, fails for 7 days after request and tender of reasonable charges therefor, to satisfy the judgment, the owner shall be liable to the party paying the same, the party’s heirs or representatives in the sum of $50 damages and also for actual damages occasioned by such failure.
Plain-English Summary
When a judgment has been fully paid but not satisfied of record, or the satisfaction document has been lost, Section 806.20 lets the trial court step in. It may authorize the attorney for the judgment creditor to satisfy the judgment, or it may declare by order that the judgment is satisfied and direct that satisfaction be entered on the judgment and lien docket.
The section also penalizes a judgment owner who will not cooperate. If, after full payment, the owner fails for seven days after a request and tender of reasonable charges for satisfying the judgment to do so, the owner becomes liable to the party who paid, or that party’s heirs or representatives, for fifty dollars in damages, plus any actual damages caused by the failure to satisfy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I paid off my judgment but the satisfaction document got lost?
The trial court may authorize the judgment creditor’s attorney to satisfy the judgment, or the court may declare it satisfied by order and direct that satisfaction be entered on the judgment and lien docket.
Can the court order satisfaction without the judgment creditor’s cooperation?
Yes. Section 806.20 lets the court declare the judgment satisfied by order and direct the docket entry.
What happens if the judgment owner just refuses to sign off after I have paid in full?
If the owner fails, for seven days after a request and tender of reasonable charges, to satisfy the judgment, the owner is liable to the paying party, or that party’s heirs or representatives, for fifty dollars in damages plus any actual damages caused by the failure.
Do I need to pay anything besides the judgment amount to get a satisfaction signed?
The section refers to a tender of reasonable charges for satisfying the judgment as part of triggering the seven-day period, so some tender of reasonable charges may be required alongside the request.
Who can collect the $50 penalty if the owner refuses to satisfy?
The party who paid the judgment, or that party’s heirs or representatives.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 737 (1975); 1975 c. 218; 1995 a. 224.
Source & verification. Section text and official notes are
reproduced verbatim from the Wisconsin Statutes, published by the
Wisconsin Legislature (Legislative Reference Bureau). Last verified July 15, 2026.
· Official source
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