The sheriff shall file a return or any other papers relating to any actions by the sheriff made under this chapter within a reasonable time after service.
810.12.Papers filed.
Ch. 810: Replevin · Last amended 1977 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 810.12 requires the sheriff to file a return or any other papers relating to actions taken under the replevin chapter within a reasonable time after service.
Full Text of Section 810.12
Plain-English Summary
Section 810.12 is a paperwork backstop for the rest of chapter 810. Whatever the sheriff does in carrying out a replevin order — seizing property, serving papers, responding to a bond — the sheriff must file a return or other relevant papers with the court.
The section sets a flexible deadline: within a reasonable time after service, rather than a fixed number of days. That standard leaves room for the filing deadline to depend on the circumstances of the particular action, but it does not let the sheriff’s paperwork lag indefinitely.
This filing duty matters because so much of the chapter depends on a paper record — the writ, the affidavit, the bond, the inventory. Section 810.12 makes sure the sheriff’s part of that record reaches the court file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What must the sheriff file after acting under the replevin chapter?
A return or any other papers relating to the sheriff’s actions taken under the chapter.
How quickly must the sheriff file these papers?
Within a reasonable time after service, rather than a fixed deadline.
Does this filing duty apply to every action the sheriff takes under chapter 810?
Yes. Section 810.12 refers broadly to any actions by the sheriff made under the chapter.
Why does the timing standard say reasonable instead of naming a specific number of days?
The section does not explain its own reasoning, but a reasonable-time standard allows the deadline to flex with the circumstances of the sheriff’s particular actions rather than fixing one interval for every case.
Who receives the papers the sheriff files under this section?
The court, since the section requires the sheriff to file the return or other papers, building the record the rest of the case relies on.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 758 (1975); Stats. 1975 s. 810.12; 1977 c. 308.
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
Also known as: sheriff return of service replevin wisconsinfiling deadline sheriff replevin wisconsinsection 810.12 wisconsinsheriff paperwork replevin chapter 810