Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 891 - Presumptions.
891.43 - Relief from destruction of public records.

891.43 Relief from destruction of public records.
(1) Rerecording instruments. If the records of any county are destroyed, any instrument in writing or certified copy of such instrument which affects title to land in that county and which has been recorded may be rerecorded. Upon rerecording, the register of deeds shall record the certificate of the previous record, and the date of filing for record appearing in the original certificate shall be the date of the record. Copies of any record of such instrument, certified by the register of deeds, shall be received in evidence and have the same effect as certified copies of the original record.
(3) Court records. If, in any court of record in this or any other state or of the United States, there is any instrument in writing, or certified copy of such instrument, which affects title to land in any county of this state where the records have been destroyed, a copy of the instrument certified by the clerk of such court of record may be made and recorded in the county where the records have been destroyed. Upon recording the certified copy the register of deeds shall record all attached certificates, and if any certificates show the previous recording of the instrument in the county where the records have been destroyed, the date of filing appearing in the certificate shall be taken as the date of the record. Copies of any record, certified by the register of deeds, shall be received in evidence and have the same effect as certified copies of the original record.
(4) Records of lost plats or maps.
(a) If the public record of any plat or map has been injured, lost or destroyed, the clerk of the circuit court shall, upon notification by the register of deeds of the injury, loss or destruction of the records, publish a class 3 notice under ch. 985 setting forth the facts of the injury, loss or destruction, together with a notice addressed to all whom it may concern that the circuit court will, at a specified time not less than 4 weeks from the first publication of the notice, proceed to take testimony for the purpose of reproducing and reestablishing the record of maps or plats it finds to be injured, lost or destroyed. All persons interested may appear and be heard.
(b) If the court is satisfied that any public record of maps or plats has been injured, lost or destroyed, an order to that effect shall be entered and the court shall take testimony for the purpose of reproducing and reestablishing the record. Orders and judgments shall be made as to each map or plat separately. The clerk shall cause all maps or plats adjudged to be correct copies of the records lost, injured or destroyed to be filed and recorded in the office of the register of deeds, with an attached certified copy of the order or judgment. The record shall be taken in all courts as a prima facie correct reproduction of the original record. All costs and expenses incurred in the proceedings shall be taxed as costs against the county in which the proceedings are held.
(5) Chains of title. If the record or any part of the records of any county are destroyed, so that a connected chain of title cannot be shown, certified copies of all deeds, patents, certificates, plats and legal subdivisions of land in the county, in the custody or control of any officer of this state or of the United States, may be recorded in the register of deed's office of the county, and the record shall have the same effect as the record of the originals of such instruments.
(7) Abstracts of title. If the records of any county are injured, lost or destroyed by fire, the judge of the circuit court of the county shall examine the state of the records, and if the court finds that any abstracts, copies, minutes or extracts exist after such injury, loss or destruction, and that the abstracts, copies, minutes or extracts were made before such injury, loss or destruction by any person in the ordinary course of business, and that they contain a material and substantial part of the records, the court shall certify the facts in regard to such abstracts of titles as found. If the abstracts, copies, minutes and extracts tend to show a connected chain of title to the land in the county, the court shall file an opinion with the clerk of the circuit court and the abstracts, copies, minutes and extracts, or certified copies, shall be admissible as prima facie evidence in all the courts of this state. The owner or keeper of the abstracts shall furnish to all parties so requesting certified copies of the abstracts.
(8) Reestablishment of title.
(a) If the records of any county are injured, lost or destroyed, any court in the county with equity jurisdiction may inquire, upon notice to the parties interested, into the condition of any interest in any land in the county, and make all necessary orders and judgments to determine title.
(b) Any person claiming an interest in land in the county at the time of the injury, loss or destruction of the records may maintain an action for a declaration of interest in real property under ch. 841. The complaint under s. 841.02 shall be published by the clerk of the court in which the complaint is filed as a class 3 notice under ch. 985.
(12) Record of new instruments. If any instrument in writing affecting title to land in any county is filed for record so short a time before the injury, loss or destruction of the records that no proof of it remains either on the records or among the abstracts, copies, minutes or extracts under sub. (7), it shall be the duty of the person having filed the instrument, within one year after the injury, loss or destruction, to rerecord the instrument, or, if that cannot be done, he or she may file a complaint to establish title under sub. (8) (b).
(14) Evidence to show title. In all cases under this section, and in all proceedings concerning any interest in land, when any party to the proceeding testifies that the original of any deed, conveyance or other written or recorded evidence relating to the title to the land has been lost or destroyed, or it is not in the power of the party wishing to use it on trial to produce it, and the record has been injured, lost or destroyed, the court shall receive any evidence that may establish the execution or contents of the deed, conveyance, record or other written evidence lost or destroyed, including any abstract of title made in the ordinary course of business before the injury, loss or destruction, showing the title or any part of title to the land.
(15) Record of deed in chain of title. If the records of any county have been injured, lost or destroyed so that a connected chain of title to any land cannot be shown, any person who can produce deeds showing a chain running back for 10 years or more may make an affidavit before the circuit court of the county to the effect that he or she is the person named as grantee in the last conveyance in the chain of title and that his or her immediate grantor has been in continual possession of the premises, which the affidavit shall completely describe, for not less than 10 years and he or she may record the affidavit and the deeds showing the chain of title in the office of the register of deeds. The deeds and affidavit or the record shall then be prima facie evidence that the affiant holds title to the land described in the deed or affidavit. For the purposes of constituting the possession required under this subsection, s. 893.26 (4) shall apply.
History: 1927 c. 523 s. 115; 1965 c. 66; 1979 c. 90; 1981 c. 391 s. 210.
Legislative Council Note, 1979: In chapter 523, laws of 1927, the legislature withdrew s. 891.43 from the statutes. Section 891.43 is amended to reflect current statutory drafting practices, without any intention of making substantive changes in the law. In section 26 of this act, it is declared that s. 891.43 shall be printed in future editions of the statutes. [Bill 458-A]