(1) Per- sonal property shall be bound from the time it is seized. Whenever personal property is seized on attachment or execution and any part of the property is exempt therefrom and the exemption is claimed by the debtor or the debtor’s spouse, the officer making the seizure shall, upon request by either of them, or may upon the officer’s motion, cause the exempt property to be appraised by 2 disinterested freeholders of the county, who shall first be sworn by the officer to make a true appraisement thereof, which appraisement shall be in writing, be signed by the appraisers and be prima facie evidence of the value of the property appraised. The appraisement, together with the true inventory of all the property seized, shall be returned with the writ. The fees of the appraisers are prescribed in s. 814.72.
815.19.Levy on personal property; appraisal.
Ch. 815: Executions · Last amended 1983 · Last verified July 15, 2026
In one sentenceSection 815.19 makes seized personal property bound from the moment of seizure, requires a sworn appraisal by two disinterested freeholders when a debtor or spouse claims part of it exempt, and lets an officer sell an appraised automobile or farm tractor above set value thresholds, paying the debtor the exempted value and applying the rest to the judgment.
Full Text of Section 815.19
(2) If the property seized is an automobile which is appraised and can be sold for more than $1,000 or if the property seized is a tractor used in farming operations which is appraised and can be sold for more than $1,500, the officer may sell such automobile or tractor and out of the proceeds of such sale the officer shall pay to the debtor or the debtor’s spouse the exempted value of such automobile or tractor. The balance of the proceeds of such sale shall be applied on the execution or attachment.
Plain-English Summary
Section 815.19 opens by fixing the moment personal property becomes bound by an attachment or execution: from the time it is seized. When part of the seized property is exempt and the debtor or the debtor’s spouse claims that exemption, the officer making the seizure must, on request, or may on the officer’s own motion, have the exempt property appraised. That appraisal is done by two disinterested freeholders of the county, first sworn by the officer to make a true appraisement. The written, signed appraisement is prima facie evidence of the property’s value, and it is returned with the writ along with a true inventory of everything seized.
The section then addresses two specific kinds of vehicles that often complicate a levy: automobiles and farming tractors. If the seized property is an automobile that, once appraised, can sell for more than $1,000, or a tractor used in farming operations that can sell for more than $1,500, the officer may sell it. Out of the proceeds, the officer pays the debtor or the debtor’s spouse the exempted value of the automobile or tractor, and applies the balance of the proceeds to the execution or attachment.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does personal property become legally bound by a levy?
From the time it is seized, under section 815.19(1).
Who requests an appraisal of seized property that includes an exemption claim?
Either the debtor or the debtor’s spouse can request it; the officer making the seizure may also cause the appraisal on the officer’s own motion.
Who performs the appraisal, and what weight does it carry?
Two disinterested freeholders of the county, first sworn by the officer to make a true appraisement. Their written, signed appraisement is prima facie evidence of the property’s value.
Can the sheriff sell a seized automobile even though part of its value is exempt?
Yes. If it is appraised and can sell for more than $1,000 (or a farming tractor for more than $1,500), the officer may sell it, pay the debtor or the debtor’s spouse the exempted value from the proceeds, and apply the balance to the execution or attachment.
What happens to the appraisement document?
It is returned with the writ, together with a true inventory of all the property seized.
Amendment History
History: Sup. Ct. Order, 67 Wis. 2d 585, 761 (1975); 1975 c. 94 s. 91 (3); 1975 c. 199; Stats. 1975 s. 815.19; 1979 c. 355; 1981 c. 317; 1983 a. 186.
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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