Chapter Adm 92

Adm 92.01(14)(b)5. 5. A person who, after receiving a notice of relocation eligibility, is subsequently notified in writing that the person will not be displaced for the project. Such notice shall not be issued unless the person has not moved, the agency provides compensation for any expenses incurred up to the time the no displacement notice is issued and the agency withdraws any attempt to acquire the property or carry out the project affecting the property;

Adm 92.01(14)(b)6. 6. An owner-occupant who voluntarily sells a property after being informed in writing that the agency will not acquire the property by condemnation if a mutually satisfactory agreement of sale is not obtainable. In such cases, however, any tenants who occupy the property are displaced persons under this chapter;

Adm 92.01 Note Note: The agency may be required to obtain a waiver of relocation assistance under s. Adm 92.12.

Adm 92.01(14)(b)7. 7. An owner-occupant who voluntarily sells a property to a displacing agency not vested with eminent domain power;

Adm 92.01(14)(b)8. 8. A person who voluntarily retains the right of use and occupancy of the real property for life following its acquisition by the agency;

Adm 92.01(14)(b)9. 9. A person who is determined to be in unlawful occupancy of the property or has been evicted for cause under applicable law before initiation of negotiations for the property. Unlawful occupancy is defined under s. Adm 92.01 (42).

Adm 92.01(14)(b)10. 10. A person who is a non-occupant owner of commercial or residential property that is rented to others, except that such owner may qualify for actual and reasonable moving expenses under s. Adm 92.52.

Adm 92.01(14)(b)11. 11. For projects that do not receive federal funds and properties that do not involve an outdoor advertising sign or an outdoor advertising company tenant, a tenant who is allowed to occupy leased premises to the end of the term of the lease, or for 180 days, or for a period of time equal to one-half of the term of the lease, or for a period of time determined by the condemnor, whichever of these four alternatives is longer.

Adm 92.01(15) (15) “Dwelling” means a single family house, a single family unit in a duplex, multi-family or multi-purpose property, a condominium or cooperative housing unit, a sleeping room, a mobile home, or other residential unit.

Adm 92.01(16) (16) “Economic rent” means the rent for a property similar to and in the same area as an acquired property.

Adm 92.01(17) (17) “Eminent domain” means a right of government and others under s. 32.02, Stats., permitting a taking of private property for a public purpose with payment of just compensation.

Adm 92.01(18) (18) “Existing patronage” means the business from specific clientele or as evidenced by an annual net income during the 2 taxable years preceding the taxable year of an acquisition or during a more equitable period determined by an agency. The patronage for a nonprofit organization includes persons, clientele and community served or affected by the organization.

Adm 92.01(19) (19) “Farm operation” means an activity conducted mainly for the production of one or more agricultural products or commodities, or timber, for sale or home use, and customarily producing these in sufficient quantity to contribute materially to a person’s support.

Adm 92.01(20) (20) “Financial means” means the standard for determining if a dwelling is affordable. A replacement or comparable dwelling is within a person’s financial means when, as an owner, the monthly housing costs, including payments for mortgage, insurance, utilities and property taxes, or, as a tenant, monthly rent including comparable utility costs, minus any replacement housing payment available to a person under this chapter, does not exceed 30% of average monthly income. In lieu of the 30% of income standard in this subsection, a comparable dwelling may also be considered to be within a person’s financial means if:

Adm 92.01(20)(a) (a) Owner-occupant. The acquisition price of the comparable replacement dwelling does not exceed the sum of the payment for the acquired dwelling and the comparable replacement housing payment available under this chapter.

Adm 92.01(20)(b) (b) Tenant-occupant. The monthly rent of the comparable replacement does not exceed the monthly rent at the displacement dwelling, after taking into account any rental assistance payment available under this chapter.

Adm 92.01(21) (21) “Initiation of negotiations” means:

Adm 92.01(21)(a) (a) In acquisition projects, the date a displacing agency, or its representative, initially contacts an owner of real property, or the owner’s representative and makes a written monetary offer to purchase the property; or

Adm 92.01(21)(b) (b) In rehabilitation, code enforcement or related non-acquisition projects, the date a displacing agency makes its initial funding or other commitment to the project which may cause the displacement of an occupant, or the date a person receives actual or constructive notice that the person will be displaced, whichever is earlier, unless a different action or date is specified in applicable federal program regulations.

Adm 92.01 Note Note: Initiation of negotiations does not generally include a situation where the agency obtains only a first right of refusal to acquire that does not also include a monetary offer or establishment of a purchase price and where the agency is not otherwise committed to the acquisition of the property.

Adm 92.01(21)(c) (c) “Initiation of negotiations” does not include:

Adm 92.01(21)(c)1. 1. Entering into a lease, including a lease with an option to purchase.

Adm 92.01(21)(c)2. 2. Responding to an offer to sell property and negotiating for the purchase of the property, when the offer does not involve the involuntary displacement of any occupant of the property and the agency is not implementing a project to acquire the property.

Adm 92.01(21)(c)3. 3. Obtaining a right of first refusal to acquire that does not also include a monetary offer or establishment of a purchase price and does not otherwise commit the agency to the acquisition of the property.

Adm 92.01(22) (22) “Mortgage” means a lien given to secure an advance for the unpaid purchase price of real property, together with a credit instrument secured thereby.

Adm 92.01(23) (23) “Moving expense-actual” means an actual and reasonable expense necessary to move a person and personal property including charges by public utilities for starting service, storage of property up to 12 months, and necessary temporary lodging and transportation.

Adm 92.01(24) (24) “Moving expense-fixed payment” means an alternate payment for moving. A payment for an occupant of a dwelling is based on a room schedule plus a dislocation allowance. A fixed payment for a business or farm operation is based on average annual net earnings and may not be less than $1,000 nor more than $20,000.

Adm 92.01(25) (25) “Nonprofit organization” means a corporation, partnership, individual or other public or private entity, engaged in a legal business, professional or instructional activity on a nonprofit basis and having fixtures, equipment, stock in trade or other tangible property on the premises and established as a nonprofit organization under federal or state law.

Adm 92.01(26) (26) “Owner” means a person who has an interest in a dwelling or real property to be acquired by a displacing agency in the form of the following:

Adm 92.01(26)(a) (a) A fee title or life estate;

Adm 92.01(26)(b) (b) An interest in cooperative housing including a right to occupy a dwelling;

Adm 92.01(26)(c) (c) A contract purchaser of any of the estates or interests under this subsection;

Adm 92.01(26)(d) (d) A mobile home on a permanent foundation, or a mobile home which is not decent, safe and sanitary, and cannot be moved without substantial damage or unreasonable cost or there are no replacement sites to where it can be moved;

Adm 92.01(26)(e) (e) An interest other than under this subsection which is considered ownership by an agency or the department;

Adm 92.01(26)(f) (f) Has succeeded to any of the interests under this subsection by devise, bequest, inheritance or operation of law, except the tenure of ownership, not occupancy, of a succeeding owner shall include the tenure of a preceding owner.

Adm 92.01(27) (27) “Owner-occupant, residential”, means a person, who is the owner of a property being acquired and occupies a dwelling on the property as a primary residence.

Adm 92.01(28) (28) “Owner-occupant, business”, means a person who is an owner of a property being acquired, and is also the owner and operator of a business or farm operation which was conducted on the property for at least one year before initiation of negotiations to purchase the property or the date of vacation when given a notice of intent to acquire, whichever is earlier.

Adm 92.01(29) (29) “Person” means an individual, family, partnership, corporation, association, business or farm operation, or non profit organization under this chapter. Two or more persons who are tenants of the same dwelling shall be treated as one person.

Adm 92.01(30) (30) “Personal property” means tangible property located on real property but not acquired by an agency.

Adm 92.01(31) (31) “Prepaid expense” means an item paid in advance by a seller of real property and prorated between a seller and buyer at the time of closing on a property including property tax, insurance, assessment, fuel and utilities, and others.

Adm 92.01(32) (32) “Primary residence” means a dwelling occupied as a customary and usual place of residence but not a vacation dwelling. It is occupied by a person for a substantial period of time before initiation of negotiations. It is evidenced by place of voter registration, address on a tax return, mailing address, rent receipt, proximity to work, school, utility and phone bill or other evidence acceptable to an agency.

Adm 92.01(32m) (32m) “Public financial assistance” means direct funding received from a public entity. An authority which uses its own funds for a project is not receiving “public financial assistance.” 

Adm 92.01(33) (33) 

Adm 92.01(33)(a) (a) “Public project” means, in addition to a project being carried out directly by a public entity, an activity or program directly receiving public financial assistance including a grant, loan or contribution. Unless otherwise covered under federal relocation regulations, such assistance must be at least $25,000 in a project having total costs of less than $50,000 or at least 50% in a project having total costs of $50,000 or more, and involve one or more of the following activities:

Adm 92.01(33)(a)1. 1. Real property acquisition;

Adm 92.01(33)(a)2. 2. Housing or commercial rehabilitation or conversion;

Adm 92.01(33)(a)3. 3. Demolition within a designated redevelopment or blight removal area established by formal local government action on or after April 2, 1989; or

Adm 92.01(33)(a)4. 4. Another related public construction or improvement project receiving federal financial assistance covered under federal relocation regulation.

Adm 92.01(33)(b) (b) “Public project” does not include, among others:

Adm 92.01(33)(b)1. 1. Any public guarantee or insurance;

Adm 92.01(33)(b)2. 2. Any interest reduction payment or loan to an individual in connection with the purchase and occupancy of a property by the individual.

Adm 92.01(33)(b)3. 3. Acquisition of property under tax foreclosure proceedings, provided a tenant-occupant is not displaced for a public project related to the acquisition;

Adm 92.01(33)(b)4. 4. Direct acquisition by a federal agency carrying out a federal program or project;

Adm 92.01(33)(b)5. 5. Demolition activity accomplished on a random basis if there is no planned public project for the property affected; or

Adm 92.01(33)(b)6. 6. A private project which is able to proceed as a result of governmental zoning changes, variances or related actions.

Adm 92.01(34) (34) “Real property” means land and improvements on and to the land, estates in land, and fixtures or other personal property directly connected with the land.

Adm 92.01(35) (35) “Relocation payment” means a payment under this chapter, including actual moving expense, a fixed payment in lieu of actual moving expense, purchase, rental and interest differential payment, down payment assistance, and cost incidental to a purchase of replacement property. An agency may pay more than the minimum amounts under this chapter, provided the payments are uniform.

Adm 92.01(36) (36) “Relocation plan” means a document prepared by an agency and submitted to and approved by the department before any property acquisition activity begins. A plan describes the relocation assistance and payments to be provided, and indicates whether displaced persons can be satisfactorily relocated.

Adm 92.01(37) (37) “Searching expense payment” means a payment to a displaced business or farm operation, to compensate for actual and reasonable expense in locating a replacement business or farm operation.

Adm 92.01(38) (38) “Selected comparable” means a comparable dwelling, business or farm operation selected by an agency from one or more comparable properties as the most comparable for computing a replacement differential payment.

Adm 92.01(39) (39) “Tenant” means a person who occupies real property and has not been, or could not otherwise be dispossessed, except pursuant to the procedures under chs. 704 and 799, Stats.

Adm 92.01(40) (40) “Tenant-occupant, residential”, means a person who is the tenant of a displacement dwelling and occupies the dwelling as a primary residence.

Adm 92.01(41) (41) “Tenant-occupant, business”, means, for the purposes of subch. VI, a person who is a tenant-owner and operator of a business or farm operation which was conducted on the property for at least one year before initiation of negotiations or the date of vacation when given a notice of displacement from the agency, whichever is earlier.

Adm 92.01(42) (42) “Unlawful occupancy” means occupancy by a person who has been ordered to move by a court of competent jurisdiction prior to initiation of negotiations for the acquisition of the property. At the discretion of the agency, persons who occupy property without permission of the owner may be considered to be in unlawful occupancy. Technical violations of law and unlitigated violations of the terms of a lease, such as having an unauthorized pet or withholding rent because of improper building maintenance, do not constitute unlawful occupancy.

Adm 92.01(43) (43) “Utility charge” means an average monthly cost for space and water heating, lighting, water and sewer, and trash removal, but not telephone service.

Adm 92.01 History History: Cr. Register, March, 1986, No. 363, eff. 4-1-86; am. (1), (13), (20), (intro.), (21) and (24), r. and recr. (4), renum. (33) to (41) to be (34) to (41) and (43) and am. (40) and (41), cr. (33) and (42), Register, November, 1989, No. 407, eff. 12-1-89; corrections made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats., Register, April, 1996, No. 484; cr. (14) (b) 11., (21) (c), (32m), am. (33) (a) (intro.), Register, March, 1997, No. 495, eff. 4-1-97; correction in (8) (a), (11), (13), (14) (b) 9., 10. made under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 6., 7., Stats., Register December 2011 No. 672; CR 21-110: am. (8) (c) Register June 2022 No. 798, eff. 7-1-22.

Adm 92.04 Adm 92.04 Decent, safe, and sanitary housing.

Adm 92.04(1) (1) Purpose. The following minimum housing standards are to assure that housing quality is adequate for the protection of public health, safety and welfare. They shall be applicable for all dwellings selected for comparable replacement housing payment determinations, referrals to displaced persons and to which persons move.

Adm 92.04(2) (2) Minimum requirement. A decent, safe and sanitary dwelling conforms with applicable provisions for existing structures established under state or local building, plumbing, electrical, housing and occupancy codes and similar ordinances or regulations, and meets the following minimum requirements:

Adm 92.04(2)(a) (a) Water. A dwelling shall have a continuing and adequate supply of water suitable for drinking.

Adm 92.04(2)(b) (b) Kitchen. A dwelling shall have a room or portion of a room where food is normally prepared and cooked and is equipped with:

Adm 92.04(2)(b)1. 1. A kitchen sink in good working condition, properly connected to an approved water system with sufficient hot and cold water, and to an approved sewer system.

Adm 92.04(2)(b)2. 2. Cabinets or shelves for the storage of eating, drinking and cooking equipment and utensils, and food that does not ordinarily require refrigeration for safekeeping. The cabinets or shelves shall be of sound construction with surfaces that are easily cleaned and have no toxic or noxious effect on food.

Adm 92.04(2)(b)3. 3. Sufficient space and utility service connections for installation of a stove and refrigerator.

Adm 92.04(2)(c) (c) Heating system. A dwelling shall have a safe, good working and properly installed heating system capable of heating all habitable rooms to approximately 70° F. Unvented fuel-fired flame space heaters and furnaces shall be prohibited. Portable electric heaters approved under appropriate local and state codes are acceptable.

Adm 92.04(2)(d) (d) Bathroom facility. A dwelling shall contain the following:

Adm 92.04(2)(d)1. 1. A private, nonhabitable room with a properly working flush toilet connected to a water system with sufficient water, and to an approved sewer system.

Adm 92.04(2)(d)2. 2. A room with a lavatory sink. A sink may be in the same room as a toilet. If a sink is located in a room other than the one with a toilet, the toilet shall be near a door leading directly into the room with a sink. A sink shall be in good working condition, properly connected to an approved water system with sufficient hot and cold water, and to an approved sewer system.

Adm 92.04(2)(d)3. 3. A private room with a bathtub or shower. A bathtub or shower may be in the same room as a flush toilet, a room with a lavatory sink, or in another room and shall be connected to an approved water system with sufficient hot and cold water, and to an approved sewer system.

Adm 92.04(2)(e) (e) Electric service. A dwelling unit and public and common areas shall be supplied with electric service, wiring, outlets and fixtures which are properly installed, and maintained in good and safe working condition. The service capacity and the number of outlets and fixtures shall be as follows:

Adm 92.04(2)(e)1. 1. A habitable room shall have a minimum of 2 floor or wall outlets.

Adm 92.04(2)(e)2. 2. A water closet room, bathroom, laundry room, furnace room, dining room, kitchen, and public hall shall have at least one ceiling or wall electric light fixture.

Adm 92.04(2)(e)3. 3. Light switches in a room or passage shall be conveniently located to light the area ahead.

Adm 92.04(2)(e)4. 4. Public halls and stairways in a multiple dwelling shall be adequately lighted at all times.

Adm 92.04(2)(f) (f) Structurally sound.

Adm 92.04(2)(f)1. 1. A foundation, roof, exterior wall door, skylight and windows shall be weathertight, waterproof, dampproof, and together with floors, interior walls and ceilings, be structurally sound and in good repair without visible evidence of structural failure or deterioration.

Adm 92.04(2)(f)2. 2. A dwelling, multiple dwelling, rooming house, other building or accessory structure and premises shall be maintained to prevent and eliminate rodents.

Adm 92.04(2)(f)3. 3. A foundation, roof, floors, exterior and interior walls, ceilings, inside and outside stairs, porches and all appurtenances shall be safe and capable of supporting a normal load. Inside and outside stairs shall have uniform risers and treads. Stairways shall have structurally sound handrails.

Adm 92.04(2)(f)4. 4. Plumbing fixtures and water pipes shall be properly installed and maintained in a good, sanitary working condition.