Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 88 - Drainage of lands.
88.44 - Contesting validity of assessments.

88.44 Contesting validity of assessments.
(1) If an interested person petitions the drainage board for review of the validity of any order assessing benefits or costs, correcting omitted assessments, reassessing benefits or apportioning benefits upon division of a parcel, the drainage board shall fix a time and place of hearing and require all interested persons to show cause why the assessment should be modified. The order to show cause shall be served as provided in s. 801.11 upon such persons as the court directs.
(2) Any person objecting to the validation of the assessment shall, on or before the day fixed for the hearing, file a written statement of the person's objections with the drainage board. The drainage board shall hear the objections at the time fixed for the hearing and shall enter an order directing all necessary amendments and curing all defects in the former proceedings or shall render valid and binding the former order.
(3) No drainage assessment is void or voidable for irregularity in the proceedings unless it is shown that the assessment is inequitable.
(4) An interested person shall submit a petition under sub. (1) and obtain either the decision of the drainage board under this section or a denial of the petition for a hearing before seeking judicial review of the drainage board's order levying an assessment.
History: 1991 a. 316; 1993 a. 456.

Structure Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations

Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations

Chapter 88 - Drainage of lands.

88.01 - Definitions.

88.02 - Outstanding securities and contracts not affected.

88.03 - Drainage proceedings equitable in nature.

88.032 - Amendment of documents.

88.04 - General rules relating to signatures on petitions.

88.05 - General rules applicable to notices of hearings.

88.06 - General procedure for obtaining consent or approval of the court in drainage proceedings.

88.065 - General procedure for drainage board hearings.

88.07 - General rules; drainage proceedings in court.

88.08 - Costs in drainage proceedings.

88.09 - Certiorari; drainage board decisions.

88.10 - Guardian ad litem; failure to appoint.

88.11 - Assistance to drainage districts.

88.12 - Proceedings when drainage area is in more than one county.

88.13 - Right to enter lands of drainage district.

88.14 - Controversies between districts.

88.145 - Limitation of damages and suits.

88.16 - Notification requirements, engineering study.

88.161 - Transition for certain drainage districts.

88.17 - Appointment and organization of drainage board.

88.172 - Limited liability of drainage board members.

88.18 - County treasurer to serve as treasurer of drainage districts.

88.19 - Board to keep records.

88.20 - Conflict of interest prohibited.

88.21 - General powers of the drainage board.

88.212 - Required actions for the drainage board.

88.215 - Landowner petitions.

88.22 - Power of board to contract with the federal government and other agencies.

88.23 - Power of board to levy assessments for costs.

88.24 - Board to file annual report.

88.27 - Who may petition for organization of a drainage district.

88.28 - Contents of petition.

88.29 - Referral of petition to board; examination of lands; hearing by board.

88.31 - Special procedure in cases affecting navigable waters.

88.32 - Report to the court.

88.33 - Drainage project may be stopped prior to organization of district.

88.34 - Hearing by the court; organization of drainage district.

88.35 - Laying out drains, assessment of benefits and award of damages in newly organized district.

88.36 - Hearing on report.

88.40 - Assessments for costs to be certified to register of deeds; assessments are lien on lands.

88.405 - Assessment for connection to district drain.

88.41 - Payment of assessments for costs.

88.42 - Unpaid drainage assessments to be collected as taxes.

88.43 - Collection of assessments as delinquent taxes.

88.44 - Contesting validity of assessments.

88.45 - Procedure upon discovering omitted assessments.

88.46 - Reassessment of benefits.

88.47 - Apportionment of assessments when assessed parcel is divided.

88.48 - Assessment of county and municipal lands.

88.49 - Assessment of one district by another; judgment against district.

88.50 - When state lands subject to assessment; right-of-way across state lands.

88.54 - Borrowing money.

88.55 - Refunding district obligations.

88.56 - Compromise and discharge of obligations.

88.61 - Laying out drains, assessment of benefits and award of damages in existing drainage district.

88.62 - Conditions relative to doing of work.

88.63 - Maintenance and repair of drains.

88.64 - Assessment against municipalities for enlargement or maintenance of drains.

88.66 - Construction and repair of drains crossing railroad right-of-way.

88.67 - Construction and repair of drains crossing utility installations; laying utility installations across drains.

88.68 - Construction of drain across public highway; construction of bridges across drains.

88.69 - District liable for damage to land outside its boundaries.

88.70 - Formation of subdistrict to obtain more thorough drainage.

88.71 - Enlarging or supplementing existing drains.

88.72 - Removal of dams or other obstructions in drainage outlets.

88.73 - Providing drainage for lands assessed but not adequately drained.

88.74 - District corridors.

88.77 - Annexation of lands upon petition of owners.

88.78 - Annexation of benefited lands.

88.785 - Certain annexations prohibited.

88.79 - Consolidation of drainage districts in process of organization.

88.791 - Consolidation of existing drainage districts.

88.80 - Withdrawal of lands from drainage district.

88.81 - Proceedings to suspend operations of drainage district.

88.815 - Dissolution of suspended drainage districts.

88.817 - Leola drainage district.

88.82 - Dissolution of drainage districts.

88.83 - Transfer of district to municipal jurisdiction.

88.87 - Road grades not to obstruct natural drainage, landowners not to obstruct highway drainage; remedies.

88.88 - Railroad to construct ditch or sluiceway across right-of-way.

88.89 - Roads not to obstruct natural watercourse.

88.90 - Removal of obstructions from natural watercourses.

88.91 - Penalty for placing obstruction in ditches.

88.92 - Private drains not to be connected with district drains.

88.93 - Right to take water from drainage ditch.

88.94 - Drains for individual landowners.