Filing deadline

Claim for Lien filed with the Clerk of Circuit Court of the county where the land lies (each county, if the project spans several) no later than 6 months after the claimant's last furnishing of labor/services/materials/plans, and no sooner than 30 days after serving the Notice of Intention. Punch-list and warranty work do not extend the trigger. The claim must attach copies of the earlier notices; signed by claimant/attorney/agent but not verified.

Notice prerequisites

On smaller residential jobs (4 family units or fewer, wholly residential), the prime contractor must put a statutory lien-rights notice (8-pt bold/caps) in the written owner contract, or serve a separate Prime Contractor Notice of Lien Rights within 10 days if the deal is oral. Subcontractors on such jobs serve two signed copies of a Subcontractor Identification Notice on the owner within 60 days of first furnishing; late notice covers only later-supplied work. Exemptions: laborers, direct owner contracts, projects over 4 units, and any partly/wholly nonresidential project. Separately, every claimant must serve a Notice of Intention to File Claim for Lien at least 30 days before filing the lien - effectively within 5 months of last furnishing.

Service on the owner

Notice of Intention served on the owner 30+ days pre-filing; then a copy of the filed Claim for Lien must be served on the owner within 30 days after filing. Service methods: personal, registered/certified mail, summons-style service, or any delivery with written confirmation.

Enforcement

Foreclosure action within 2 years after the Claim for Lien is filed, brought in the county of filing; filing a lis pendens with the Register of Deeds at commencement is recommended.

Wis. Stats. ch. 779 (esp. 779.01, 779.02, 779.035-.036, 779.06, 779.08); slander of title 706.13; theft 943.20.