70.17 Lands, to whom assessed; buildings on exempt lands.
(1) Real property shall be entered in the name of the owner, if known to the assessor, otherwise to the occupant thereof if ascertainable, and otherwise without any name. The person holding the contract or certificate of sale of any real property contracted to be sold by the state, but not conveyed, shall be deemed the owner for such purpose. The undivided real estate of any deceased person may be entered to the heirs of such person without designating them by name. The real estate of an incorporated company shall be entered in the same manner as that of an individual. Improvements on leased lands may be assessed either as real property or personal property.
(2) All lands which have been or may be contracted for sale by any county shall be assessed and taxed to the parties contracting therefor.
The term “leased lands" should be construed broadly to include a number of situations in which the occupier of land not owned by him or her places improvements on the land; a formal lease is not required. Town of Menominee v. Skubitz, 53 Wis. 2d 430, 192 N.W.2d 887 (1972).
The tax lister may, but is not required to, change the ownership designation on joint property on the basis of notification other than formal procedures. 80 Atty. Gen. 73.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 70 - General property taxes.
70.01 - General property taxes; upon whom levied.
70.02 - Definition of general property.
70.03 - Definition of real property.
70.04 - Definition of personal property.
70.043 - Mobile homes and manufactured homes.
70.045 - Taxation district defined.
70.05 - Valuation of property; assessors in cities, towns and villages.
70.055 - Expert assessment help.
70.06 - Assessments, where made; first class city districts; assessors; appointment, removal.
70.07 - Functions of board of assessors in first class cities.
70.075 - Functions of board of assessors in cities of the 2nd class.
70.09 - Official real property lister; forms for officers.
70.095 - Assessment roll; time-share property.
70.10 - Assessment, when made, exemption.
70.109 - Presumption of taxability.
70.11 - Property exempted from taxation.
70.111 - Personal property exempted from taxation.
70.112 - Property exempted from taxation because of special tax.
70.113 - State aid to municipalities; aids in lieu of taxes.
70.114 - Aids on certain state lands equivalent to property taxes.
70.115 - Taxation of real estate held by investment board.
70.119 - Payments for municipal services.
70.12 - Real property, where assessed.
70.13 - Where personal property assessed.
70.14 - Incorporated companies.
70.15 - Assessment of vessels.
70.17 - Lands, to whom assessed; buildings on exempt lands.
70.174 - Improvements on government-owned land.
70.18 - Personal property, to whom assessed.
70.19 - Assessment, how made; liability and rights of representative.
70.20 - Owner's liability when personalty assessed to another; action to collect.
70.21 - Partnership; estates in hands of personal representative; personal property, how assessed.
70.22 - Personal property being administered, how assessed.
70.23 - Duties of assessors; entry of parcels on assessment roll.
70.24 - Public lands and land mortgaged to state.
70.25 - Lands, described on rolls.
70.28 - Assessment as one parcel.
70.29 - Personalty, how entered.
70.32 - Real estate, how valued.
70.323 - Assessment of divided parcel.
70.327 - Valuation and assessment of property with contaminated wells.
70.337 - Tax exemption reports.
70.339 - Reporting requirements.
70.345 - Legislative intent; department of revenue to supply information.
70.35 - Taxpayer examined under oath or to submit return.
70.36 - False statement; duty of district attorney.
70.365 - Notice of changed assessment.
70.37 - Net proceeds occupation tax on persons extracting metalliferous minerals in this state.
70.375 - Net proceeds occupation tax on mining of metallic minerals; computation.
70.38 - Reports, appeals, estimated liability.
70.385 - Collection of the tax.
70.39 - Collection of delinquent tax.
70.395 - Distribution and apportionment of tax.
70.396 - Use of metalliferous mining tax payments by counties.
70.3965 - Fund administrative fee.
70.397 - Oil and gas severance tax.
70.40 - Occupational tax on iron ore concentrates.
70.42 - Occupation tax on coal.
70.421 - Occupational tax on petroleum and petroleum products refined in this state.
70.43 - Correction of errors by assessors.
70.44 - Assessment; property omitted.
70.45 - Return and examination of rolls.
70.46 - Boards of review; members; organization.
70.47 - Board of review proceedings.
70.48 - Assessor to attend board of review.
70.49 - Affidavit of assessor.
70.501 - Fraudulent valuations by assessor.
70.502 - Fraud by member of board of review.
70.503 - Civil liability of assessor or member of board of review.
70.51 - Assessment review and tax roll in first class cities.
70.511 - Delayed action of reviewing authority.
70.52 - Clerks to examine and correct rolls.
70.53 - Statement of assessment and exemptions.
70.555 - Provisions directory.
70.57 - Assessment of counties and taxation districts by department.
70.575 - State assessment, time.
70.58 - Forestation state tax.
70.60 - Apportionment of state tax to counties.
70.63 - Apportionment of county and state taxes to municipalities.
70.64 - Review of equalized values.
70.67 - Municipal treasurer's bond; substitute for.
70.71 - Proceedings if roll not made.
70.72 - Clerical help on reassessment.
70.73 - Correction of tax roll.
70.74 - Lien of reassessed tax.
70.77 - Proceedings; inspection.
70.79 - Power of supervisor of equalization.
70.81 - Statement of expenses.
70.82 - Review of claims; payment.
70.83 - Deputies; neglect; reassessment.
70.84 - Inequalities may be corrected in subsequent year.
70.85 - Review of assessment by department of revenue.
70.855 - State assessment of commercial property.