877.19 Action against heirs and legatees; what may be recovered; costs. If an action described in s. 877.18 is brought, the plaintiff must show that he or she has been or will be unable, with due diligence, to collect all or part of his or her debt by proceedings in the circuit court or from the personal representative of the decedent. In that event, except as limited by s. 859.23, the plaintiff may recover the value of all the assets received by all the defendants if necessary to satisfy his or her demand, and the amount of the recovery shall be apportioned among the defendants in proportion to the value of the property received by each of them. Costs of the action shall be apportioned in like manner. No allowance or deduction may be made from the amount on account of other heirs or legatees or devisees to whom assets have also been delivered or paid. The judgment shall express the amount recovered against each defendant for damages and costs.
History: 1977 c. 449; 1979 c. 32 ss. 55, 92 (7); Stats. 1979 s. 777.19; 2001 a. 102 s. 110; Stats. 2001 s. 877.19.
Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 877 - Actions by and against personal representatives, heirs, and legatees.
877.01 - Tort actions on surviving causes.
877.03 - Multiple personal representatives to be considered one.
877.05 - Judgment not to bind realty.
877.07 - Authority of deceased personal representative's personal representative.
877.08 - Liability as executor of his or her own wrong.
877.14 - Rebuttal of inventory.
877.16 - Foreign personal representatives empowered to act.
877.17 - Actions against personal representatives; when allowed; when not.
877.18 - Action to recover from heirs, legatees; parties defendant.
877.19 - Action against heirs and legatees; what may be recovered; costs.
877.20 - Contribution among heirs.
877.21 - Recovery against legatee; contribution.
877.26 - Accounts as evidence.
877.29 - Debts charged upon realty not affected.
877.32 - Judgment, how collected.
877.36 - Debts, order of payment.
877.40 - Preferred debts deducted.
877.41 - Rights and liabilities of posthumous child and witness to will.