Wisconsin 2021-2022 Regular Session Status: Enacted

SB 283 — Relating to: maintenance and repair of private roads.

Last action — Published 12-4-2021

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed Assembly
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 08, 2021. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 70% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

89 added · 13 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Senate Bill 283 clarifies the requirements around how costs for maintaining and repairing private roads are handled. Now, if there are specific documents such as deeds, covenants, or declarations that outline the maintenance obligations of users, those agreements will take precedence over the bill's provisions. This change is important because it helps ensure that existing agreements defining responsibility for road maintenance will be honored, preventing potential disputes among users.

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- 2022 LEGISLATURE LRBa0897/1 KRP:cdc SENATE AMENDMENT 1, TO SENATE BILL 283 October 19, 2021 - Offered by SenatALLWEG.
- 2022 LEGISLATURE LRB-1629/1 KRP:klm SENATE BILL 283 April 8, 2021 - Introduced by Senator BALLWEG , cosponsored by Representatives SUMMERFIELD , K NODL, R OZAR and S KOWRONSKI .
At the locations indicated, amend the bill as follows:
Referred to Committee on Housing, Commerce and Trade.
A N A CT to create 710.20 of the statutes;
relating to:
maintenance and repair of private roads.
Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau This bill requires all persons that have a right to use a private road or driveway located on an access easement (beneficial users) to contribute to the reasonable and necessary costs of maintenance and repair of the private road or driveway.
If the beneficial users enter into a written agreement to determine how costs are shared, that agreement controls.
In the absence of a written agreement, the bill requires the beneficial users to contribute an equitable share based on the amount and intensity of each beneficial user's actual use in proportion to the amount and intensity of all beneficial users' actual use.
The cost-sharing obligation created in the bill does not apply to any of the following:
Page 2, line 17:
Costs for repairing damage, beyond reasonable wear and tear, caused by a beneficial user or a guest or invitee of a beneficial user.
delete “subs.
(3) and" and substitute “sub.".
Page 2, line 21:
An access easement that benefits or burdens real estate owned by the state, a political subdivision, or certain entities, including railroad corporations and public utilities.
after “purpose" insert “, in the instrument that created the access easement, or in a deed restriction, covenant, or declaration that sets forth the respective maintenance and repair obligations of the beneficial users".
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
- 2022 Legislature - 2 - LRB-1629/1 KRP:klm SENATE BILL 283 SECTION 1 SECTION 1.
710.20 of the statutes is created to read:
710.20 Maintenance and repair of private roads.
(1) D EFINITIONS.In this section:
(a) “Access easement” means an easement that is appurtenant to real estate and that provides ingress and egress between the real estate and a public road by means of a private road or driveway.
(b) “Access easement holder” means the owner of real estate that is benefited by an access easement.
(c) “Beneficial user” means a person that has a right to use a private road or driveway.
“Beneficial user” includes an owner of real estate burdened by an access easement if the owner has a right to use the private road or driveway.
(d) “Owner” means a person that has a present ownership interest in real estate.
“Owner” includes a purchaser of real estate under a land contract that has a right to occupy and use the real estate.
(e) “Private road or driveway” means a private road or driveway located on an access easement.
(2) COSTS OF MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.Except as provided under subs.
(3) and (4), the beneficial users of a private road or driveway shall contribute to the reasonable and necessary costs of maintenance and repair of the private road or driveway as provided in a written agreement entered into by the beneficial users for that purpose.
In the absence of such an agreement, the beneficial users shall contribute an equitable share based on the amount and intensity of each beneficial user's actual use in proportion to the amount and intensity of all beneficial users' actual use.
In determining whether costs are reasonable and necessary, the beneficial users may consider any of the following factors:
LRB-1629/1 - 2022 Legislature - 3 - KRP:klm SECTION 1 SENATE BILL 283 (a) Whether notice of, and an opportunity to participate in, the decision to undertake the maintenance and repair was provided to the beneficial users.
(b) Whether the costs were incurred for work that constituted improvements rather than maintenance or repair.
(c) Whether the work was of a reasonable quality and cost.
(d) The value of monetary or in-kind contributions to maintenance and repair made by beneficial users.
(3) COSTS TO REPAIR DAMAGE.
Except as provided in sub.
(4), if a beneficial user or a guest or invitee of a beneficial user causes damage to a private road or driveway, except reasonable wear and tear, the beneficial user is solely responsible for the costs of repairing the damage.
(4) EXCEPTIONS.
This section does not apply to an access easement to which any of the following applies:
(a) The access easement holder or the owner of real estate that is burdened by the access easement is any of the following:
1.
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A railroad corporation.
2.
A public utility, as defined in s.
196.01 (5).
Page 2, line 21:
A water carrier, as defined in s.
delete “an agreement" and substitute “a document and except as provided under sub.
195.02 (5).
(3)".
4.
An electric cooperative organized and operating on a nonprofit basis under ch.
185.
5.
A natural gas company, as defined in 15 USC 717a (6).
6.
A trustee or receiver of a person described under subds.
1.
to 5.
(b) The access easement holder or the owner of real estate that is burdened by the access easement is the state or any of its political subdivisions.
SECTION 20Initial applicability.
- 2022 Legislature - 4 - LRB-1629/1 KRP:klm SENATE BILL 283 SECTION 2 (1) This act first applies to maintenance or repair of a private road or driveway, as defined in s.
710.20 (1) (e), that is conducted on the effective date of this subsection.
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Action History

  1. Published 12-4-2021

  2. Report approved by the Governor on 12-3-2021. 2021 Wisconsin Act 99

  3. Presented to the Governor on 12-2-2021

  4. Report correctly enrolled

  5. Received from Assembly concurred in

  6. Ordered immediately messaged

  7. Read a third time and concurred in

  8. Rules suspended

  9. Ordered to a third reading

  10. Read a second time

  11. Rules suspended to withdraw from calendar and take up

  12. Placed on calendar 10-26-2021 by Committee on Rules

  13. Read first time and referred to committee on Rules

  14. Received from Senate

  15. Ordered immediately messaged

  16. Read a third time and passed

  17. Rules suspended

  18. Ordered to a third reading

  19. Senate Amendment 1 adopted

  20. Read a second time

  21. Placed on calendar 10-20-2021 pursuant to Senate Rule 18(1)

  22. Senate Amendment 1 offered by Senator Ballweg

  23. Available for scheduling

  24. Report passage recommended by Committee on Housing, Commerce and Trade, Ayes 5, Noes 0

  25. Executive action taken

  26. Public hearing held

  27. Executive action taken

  28. Read first time and referred to Committee on Housing, Commerce and Trade

  29. Introduced by Senator Ballweg; cosponsored by Representatives Summerfield, Knodl, Rozar and Skowronski

Sponsors

  • Ballweg · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 131 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Ballweg

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (131)

131 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 283?
SB 283 is sponsored by Ballweg.
What is the current status of SB 283?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced April 08, 2021. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 283?
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