Committee hears update on seized property; eviction and code enforcement actions pending

County staff gave the Finance and Executive Committee an update on one seized property that the county took control of roughly a year and a half earlier and said the matter remains unresolved because the occupant has not been removed.

The staff member said the county previously pursued a legal theory beyond a standard eviction but a judge preferred that the county proceed through eviction proceedings; the staff member dismissed the earlier action and prepared to refile as an eviction. The staff member told the committee he had also engaged city code enforcement because the remaining occupant operates a stove or fireplace that may be improperly vented and could present a hazard.

The staff member said eviction enforcement is constrained by local moratoria and by statutory process: he said there is currently a moratorium on evictions through the winter months that the county expects the court to consider when issuing any removal order, and that "in Wisconsin, the sheriff is the only person who can remove someone from a property" once a court issues an order. The staff member added that staff do not expect immediate physical removal until the legal process and sheriff execution occur.

Committee members asked procedural questions about timing and whether the matter aligns with utility shutoff schedules; the staff member said the timeline is not immediate and that the county is coordinating with neighbors and city representatives. No formal committee action was taken on this report at the meeting.