49.854(3)(b) (b) Appeal. If a circuit court commissioner conducts a hearing under par. (ag) or (ar), the department or the obligor may, within 15 business days after the date of the decision by the circuit court commissioner, request review of the decision by the court having jurisdiction over the action. The court conducting the review may order that the lien be withdrawn from the statewide support lien dockets or may order an adjustment of the amount of the delinquent obligation. If no appeal is sought or if the court does not order the withdrawal of the lien, the department may take appropriate actions to enforce the lien.

49.854(4) (4) Powers of levy and distraint; generally. If any obligor neglects or refuses to pay the support owed by the obligor after the department has made demand for payment, the department may collect that support and the levy fees and costs under sub. (11) by levy upon any property belonging to the obligor as provided in subs. (5) to (7). Whenever the value of any property that has been levied upon under this subsection is not sufficient to satisfy the claim of the department, the department may levy upon any additional property of the obligor until the support owed and levy costs are fully paid.

49.854(5) (5) Levying against financial accounts.

49.854(5)(a) (a) Definitions. In this subsection:

49.854(5)(a)1. 1. “Account” has the meaning given in s. 49.853 (1) (a).

49.854(5)(a)2. 2. “Financial institution” has the meaning given in s. 49.853 (1) (c).

49.854(5)(a)3. 3. “Lien” means a lien under this section or a lien in favor of another state based on a support obligation, including a lien placed under s. 769.305 (2) (g).

49.854(5)(b) (b) Notice to the financial institution. To enforce a lien by levying against an account at a financial institution, the department shall send a notice of levy to the financial institution instructing the financial institution to prohibit the closing of or withdrawals from one or more accounts that the obligor owns in whole or in part, up to a total amount that is sufficient to pay the support owed, financial institution fees under par. (e), and estimated levy fees and costs under sub. (11), until further notice from the department or a court. The financial institution shall comply with the notice of levy and shall hold the amount specified in the notice until the financial institution receives further instructions from the department or a court.

49.854(5)(c) (c) Liens in favor of other states.

49.854(5)(c)1. 1. Notwithstanding par. (b), if a lien under par. (b) is in favor of another state, the notice sent by the department to the financial institution may consist of the request from the other state to enforce the lien, a certification by the department that any necessary due process requirements were met in the other state, a request that the financial institution honor the request from the other state by sending the amount specified in the request directly to the other state, and the address to which the financial institution shall send the funds.

49.854(5)(c)2. 2. If a financial institution receives directly from another state, or a child support agency in another state, a notice of levy or request to enforce a lien in favor of that other state, along with a certification by the other state that any necessary due process requirements were met in the other state, the financial institution shall honor the notice of levy or request from the other state by sending the amount specified in the notice of levy or request, up to the amount contained in the account or accounts minus any financial institution fee under par. (e) and levy fee under sub. (11) (a), directly to the other state at the address to which the financial institution is directed to send the funds in the notice or request.

49.854(5)(c)3. 3. Notice and hearing requirements under pars. (d) and (f) do not apply to a lien in favor of another state.

49.854(5)(d) (d) Notice to the obligor and certain others. No later than the next business day after the department sends notice of levy to the financial institution under par. (b), the department shall send a copy of the notice of levy to the obligor. The department shall also send a copy of the notice of levy to any other person who has an ownership interest in the account. The notices required under this paragraph shall be in the form determined by the department, however the notice shall include language stating all of the following:

49.854(5)(d)1. 1. That the obligor has been certified as delinquent in paying support.

49.854(5)(d)2. 2. The amount of the support owed.

49.854(5)(d)3. 3. The financial institution to which the department sent the notice under par. (b).

49.854(5)(d)4. 4. That one or more accounts owned in whole or in part by the obligor at the financial institution have been frozen, up to a total amount that is sufficient pay the support owed, the department’s levy costs and financial institution fees.

49.854(5)(d)6. 6. That the obligor may request a hearing within 20 business days after the date of the notice, by submitting the request in writing and by mailing or delivering a copy of the request to the county child support agency.

49.854(5)(d)6m. 6m. That a person, other than the obligor, who holds the account jointly with the obligor may request a hearing within 20 business days after the date of the notice, to protect the portion of the jointly held account that is attributable to his or her net contributions to the jointly held account.

49.854(5)(d)7. 7. The address to which the request for hearing must be mailed or delivered in order to schedule a hearing.

49.854(5)(e) (e) Financial institution fees. A financial institution may continue to collect fees, under the terms of the account agreement, on accounts frozen or levied against under this subsection. In addition to the levy fee authorized under sub. (11) (a), a financial institution may collect any early withdrawal penalty incurred under the terms of an account as a result of the levy. Financial institution fees authorized under this paragraph may be charged to the account immediately prior to the remittance of the amount to the department or the other state and may be charged even if the amounts in the obligor’s accounts are insufficient to pay the total amount of support owed and the department’s levy costs under sub. (11) (b).

49.854(5)(f) (f) Hearings. A hearing requested under par. (d) 6. shall be conducted before the circuit court rendering the order to pay support. Within 45 business days after receiving a request for hearing under par. (d) 6., the court shall conduct the hearing. A circuit court commissioner may conduct the hearing. The hearing shall be limited to a review of whether the account holder owes the amount of support certified and whether any alternative payment arrangement offered by the department or the county child support agency is reasonable. If the court or circuit court commissioner makes a written determination that an alternative payment arrangement offered by the department or county child support agency is not reasonable, the court or circuit court commissioner may order an alternative payment arrangement. If the court or circuit court commissioner orders an alternative payment arrangement, the court or circuit court commissioner shall order the department to instruct the financial institution to release all or a portion of the funds. If the court or circuit court commissioner determines that the account holder does not owe support or owes less than the amount claimed by the department, the court shall order the department to instruct the financial institution to release the funds in the account or the excess of those funds over the amount of the delinquency to the account holder. If a circuit court commissioner conducts the hearing under this paragraph, the department or the obligor may, within 15 business days after the date that the circuit court commissioner makes his or her decision, request review of the decision by the court with jurisdiction over the action.

49.854(6) (6) Levying against other personal property.

49.854(6)(a) (a) When notice of seizure required. If the department has enforced a lien under this section by levying against personal property, the department shall immediately notify the obligor that the property has been seized. The department shall provide the notice of seizure under this paragraph to any person having an ownership interest in the property or any other person with an interest of record in the property. If the property is titled, the department shall also send a copy of the notice of seizure to the state agency that titles the property. A state agency receiving a notice under this paragraph may not transfer title to the personal property described in the notice, except on the instructions of a court or the department.

49.854(6)(b) (b) Content of notice of seizure. The notice provided under par. (a) shall include all of the following:

49.854(6)(b)1. 1. The name of the obligor and the amount of the support owed.

49.854(6)(b)2. 2. A description of the personal property seized.

49.854(6)(b)3. 3. A statement that the obligor may, within 20 business days after the date of the notice, request a hearing on the questions of whether past-due support is owed and whether the property was wrongfully seized.

49.854(6)(b)3m. 3m. A statement that a person, other than the obligor, who holds the personal property jointly with the obligor may request a hearing within 20 business days after the date of the notice, to protect the portion of the jointly held personal property that is attributable to his or her net contributions to the jointly held personal property.