Ch. 813: Injunctions, Ne Exeat and Receivers · Last amended 1975 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 813.25 lets a court direct a receiver to search for an absentee through published notices, alerts to justice and welfare agencies, or an investigation agency, and requires the costs of that search and of the required notices to be taxed as costs and paid from the absentee’s property.
(1)The court, upon application, may direct the receiver to make search for the absentee in any manner which the court may deem advisable, including any or all of the following methods:
(a)By inserting in one or more suitable periodicals a notice requesting information from any person having knowledge of the absentee’s whereabouts;
(b)By notifying officers of justice and public welfare agencies in appropriate locations of the absentee’s disappearance;
(c)By engaging the services of an investigation agency.
(2)The expenses of such search and of the notices provided for in s. 813.24 shall be taxed as costs and paid out of property of the absentee.
Plain-English Summary
Once a receiver is in place, section 813.25 lets the court direct a search for the missing absentee, using any manner the court considers advisable. The section names three specific methods: placing a notice in one or more suitable periodicals asking anyone with knowledge of the absentee’s whereabouts to come forward; notifying justice officers and public welfare agencies in appropriate locations of the disappearance; and hiring an investigation agency.
The expenses of that search, along with the expenses of the notices required under section 813.24, are taxed as costs and paid out of the absentee’s own property, rather than falling on the applicant who sought the receivership.
Frequently Asked Questions
What methods can a Wisconsin court authorize to search for a missing absentee?
Section 813.25 lists periodical notices seeking information, notifying justice and public welfare officers of the disappearance, and engaging an investigation agency.
Can the court have a private investigation agency look for the absentee?
Yes. Hiring an investigation agency is one of the search methods the court may direct under this section.
Who pays for the search and the required notices?
The expenses of the search and of the notices under section 813.24 are taxed as costs and paid out of the absentee’s property.
Is a receiver required to search for the absentee in every case?
The section frames the search as something the court may direct upon application, using whatever manner it deems advisable, rather than an automatic step in every receivership.
Does the search cost come out of the applicant’s own pocket?
No. Section 813.25 has those costs paid from the absentee’s property, not the applicant’s.
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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