877.21 Recovery against legatee; contribution.
(1) If an action is brought against all the legatees and devisees, the plaintiff shall not recover unless the plaintiff shows, in addition to the facts required to be shown in an action against the heirs, any of the following:
(a) That no assets were delivered by the personal representative to the heirs.
(b) That the value of the assets delivered to the heirs has been recovered by some other creditor.
(c) That the assets delivered by the personal representative to the heirs are not sufficient to satisfy the demands of the plaintiff and that the plaintiff is entitled to recover the deficiency.
(2) If an action is brought against a preferred legatee or devisee or a preferred class, the plaintiff must also show the same matters as to the legatee or devisee or class to whom the defendants are preferred as is required to be shown under sub. (1) as to the heirs.
(2m) Any legatee or devisee against whom recovery is made may maintain an action for contribution against others of the same class as heirs may among themselves.
(3) Specific legacies and devises are preferred to residuary legacies and devises.
History: 1979 c. 32 s. 55; 1979 c. 176; Stats. 1979 s. 777.21; 2001 a. 102 s. 112 to 115; Stats. 2001 s. 877.21.
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.