Wisconsin Code § 814.04

Items of costs
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Except as provided in ss. 93.20,
100.195 (5m) (b) , 100.30 (5m) , 106.50 (6) (i) and (6m) (a) ,
115.80 (9), 767.553 (4) (d) , 769.313, 802.05, 814.245, 895.035
(4), 895.044, 895.443 (3), 895.444 (2), 895.445 (3), 895.446 (3),
895.506, 943.212 (2) (b) , 943.245 (2) (d) , 943.51 (2) (b) , and
995.10 (3), when allowed costs shall be as follows:
(1) ATTORNEY FEES. (a) When the amount recovered or the
value of the property involved is greater than the maximum
amount specified in s. 799.01 (1) (d), attorney fees shall be $500;
when it is equal to or less than the maximum amount specified in
s. 799.01 (1) (d) , but is $1,000 or more, attorney fees shall be
$300; when it is less than $1,000, attorney fees shall be $100. In
all other cases in which there is no amount recovered or that do
not involve property, attorney fees shall be $300.
(c) No attorney fees may be taxed on behalf of any party unless the party appears by an attorney other than himself or herself.
(2) DISBURSEMENTS. All the necessary disbursements and
fees allowed by law; the compensation of referees; a reasonable
disbursement for the service of process or other papers in an action when the same are served by a person authorized by law
other than an officer, but the item may not exceed the authorized
sheriff’s fee for the same service; amounts actually paid out for
certified and other copies of papers and records in any public office; postage, photocopying, telephoning, electronic communications, facsimile transmissions, and express or overnight delivery;
the electronic filing fee prescribed in s. 801.18 (7) (c) ; depositions including copies; plats and photographs, not exceeding
$100 for each item; an expert witness fee not exceeding $300 for
each expert who testifies, exclusive of the standard witness fee
and mileage which shall also be taxed for each expert; and in actions relating to or affecting the title to lands, the cost of procuring an abstract of title to the lands. Guardian ad litem fees shall
not be taxed as a cost or disbursement.
(4) INTEREST ON VERDICT. Except as provided in s. 807.01
(4), if the judgment is for the recovery of money, interest at an annual rate equal to 1 percent plus the prime rate in effect on January 1 of the year in which the judgment is entered if the judgment
is entered on or before June 30 of that year or in effect on July 1 of
the year in which the judgment is entered if the judgment is entered after June 30 of that year, as reported by the federal reserve
board in federal reserve statistical release H. 15, on the amount of
the money judgment from the time of verdict, decision, or report
until judgment is entered shall be computed by the clerk and
added to the costs.
(6) JUDGMENT BY DEFAULT. If the judgment is by default or
upon voluntary dismissal by the adverse party the costs taxed under sub. (1) shall be one-half what they would have been had the
matter been contested.
(7) JUDGMENT OFFER NOT ACCEPTED. If the offer of judgment pursuant to s. 807.01 is not accepted and the plaintiff fails to
recover a more favorable judgment the plaintiff shall not recover
costs but the defendant shall have full costs to be computed on the
demand of the complaint.
(8) ACTIONS FOR MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS. In all actions
brought for the benefit of any county, town, village, city or other
municipal corporation of this state by a citizen taxpayer, the
plaintiff shall be entitled to recover for the plaintiff’s own use, in
case the plaintiff shall prevail, the taxable costs of such action
and such part of the recovery as the court considers reasonable, as
attorney fees, not to exceed 20 percent of such recovery, and not
to exceed $500.

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