The owner of a judgment may enforce the same in the manner provided by law.
815.01.Judgments enforced.
Ch. 815: Executions · Last amended 1975 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 815.01 confirms that whoever owns a judgment has the right to enforce it, using whatever method the law provides for that kind of judgment.
Full Text of Section 815.01
Plain-English Summary
Section 815.01 opens chapter 815, titled Executions, with a foundational rule: the owner of a judgment may enforce the same in the manner provided by law. Because judgments can be assigned, the right this section describes belongs to whoever currently owns the judgment, not necessarily the original party who won the case.
The phrase “in the manner provided by law” ties this general right to the specific enforcement mechanisms that chapter 815 and related statutes spell out — execution against property or against the person, execution for delivery of property, and, for judgments that require something other than payment or delivery, contempt proceedings under s. 815.02. Section 815.01 doesn’t create a free-standing enforcement procedure of its own; it establishes the entitlement that those later provisions carry out.
As the opening section of chapter 815, it plays a role similar to the opening lines of s. 814.61: it sets the baseline before the chapter’s more detailed execution mechanics follow in the sections after it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the right to enforce a Wisconsin judgment?
The owner of the judgment, according to section 815.01.
Does section 815.01 explain how to enforce a judgment?
No, it establishes the right; the specific mechanics come from execution under sections 815.02 through 815.07 and other enforcement statutes.
If a judgment is assigned to someone else, can that new owner enforce it?
Section 815.01 speaks in terms of the judgment’s owner, so whoever currently owns the judgment holds the enforcement right it describes.
What does ‘in the manner provided by law’ mean in this section?
It means enforcement follows whatever specific procedure applies to that kind of judgment, such as execution against property or contempt for a judgment requiring some other act.
Is section 815.01 part of Wisconsin’s execution statutes?
Yes, it opens chapter 815, titled Executions, before the chapter’s later sections detail how execution works.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 761 (1975); Stats. 1975 s. 815.01.
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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