Wisconsin Code § 779.71

Disposition of articles left for laundering, dry cleaning, repair, storage
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(1) Any garment, clothing, wearing apparel or household goods remaining in the possession of a
person, firm, partnership or corporation, on which laundering,
cleaning, pressing, glazing or dyeing has been done or upon
which alteration or repairs have been made, or on which materials
or supplies have been used or furnished, for a period of 6 months
or more, may be sold to pay the reasonable or agreed charges and
the cost of notifying the owner, after giving notice of said sale as
specified in sub. (3) to such owner. Property that is to be placed
in storage after any of the services or labors mentioned herein are
performed shall not be affected by the provisions of this
subsection.
(2) All garments, clothing, wearing apparel or household
goods placed in storage, or on which any of the services or labors
mentioned in sub. (1) have been performed and then placed in
storage by agreement and remaining in the possession of a person
without the reasonable or agreed charges having been paid for a
period of more than 18 months, may be sold to pay said charges
after giving notice of said sale as specified in sub. (3) to such
owner, provided that where property was delivered to be cleaned,
pressed, glazed or dyed, and left for storage in addition to having
such work done, it shall not be so sold unless at the time of delivery the owner was given a receipt for such property containing a
statement that the property will be sold when such 18 months
have elapsed unless called for within such 18 months’ period.
Persons operating as warehouses or warehouse keepers shall not
be affected by this subsection.
(3) The mailing of a registered letter, with a return address
marked thereon, addressed to the owner at their address given at
the time of the delivery of the article or articles to a person, firm,
partnership or corporation rendering any of the services or labors
as set out in this section, stating the time and place of sale, shall
constitute notice. Said notice shall be posted or mailed at least 30
days before the date of sale. The costs of posting or mailing said
letter shall be added to the charges.
(4) The person, firm, partnership or corporation to whom the
charges are payable, shall, from the proceeds of sale, deduct the
charges due plus the costs of notifying the owner and shall hold
the overplus, if any, subject to the order of the owner and shall
immediately thereafter mail to the owner at the owner’s address,
if known, a notice of the sale, the amount of overplus, if any, due
the owner, and at any time within 12 months, upon demand by the
owner, pay to the owner said sums of overplus.
(5) All persons, firms, partnerships or corporations taking
advantage of this section must keep posted in a prominent place
in their receiving office or offices at all times 2 notices which
shall read as follows: “All articles cleaned, pressed, glazed, laundered, washed, altered or repaired and not called for in 6 months
will be sold to pay charges”. “All articles stored by agreement
and charges not having been paid for 18 months will be sold to
pay charges”.

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