All the property of the defendant, not exempt from execution, may be attached. Personal property shall be attached as upon an execution and the provisions respecting the levy of an execution thereon shall be applicable to an attachment.
811.12.What may be attached; how attached.
Ch. 811: Attachment · Last amended 1975 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 811.12 allows attachment of all of the defendant’s property that is not exempt from execution, and directs that personal property be attached and levied the same way it would be under an execution.
Full Text of Section 811.12
Plain-English Summary
Section 811.12 sets the outer boundary of what attachment can reach and borrows a familiar procedure for carrying it out. The scope is broad but not unlimited: all of the defendant’s property may be attached, except property that is exempt from execution — the same categories of property Wisconsin law protects from being taken to satisfy a judgment stay protected here too.
For how attachment happens with personal property, the section does not create a separate procedure. Personal property is attached the same way it would be levied upon under an execution, and the provisions governing the levy of an execution apply equally to an attachment. That link ties attachment procedure to the more familiar and more frequently used execution process, rather than duplicating a whole separate set of rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can every piece of a defendant’s property be attached?
No. Section 811.12 limits attachment to property that is not exempt from execution; exempt property remains protected.
How is personal property physically attached under this section?
The same way it would be attached upon an execution, since section 811.12 makes the execution-levy provisions applicable to attachment.
Does attachment use a different levy procedure than an execution does?
No. The section applies the same provisions respecting the levy of an execution to an attachment of personal property.
What kind of property is exempt from execution, and therefore from attachment, under this section?
The section does not itself list exempt property; it incorporates whatever property is exempt from execution under Wisconsin law generally.
Does section 811.12 cover real estate as well as personal property?
The section states that all non-exempt property of the defendant may be attached, while its specific direction on levy procedure addresses personal property; real estate attachment procedure is set out separately in section 811.11.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 758 (1975); Stats. 1975 s. 811.12.
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: what property can be attached wisconsinexempt property from attachment wisconsinlevy procedure attachment wisconsinsection 811.12 wisconsin