66.0705 Property of public and private entities subject to special assessments.

(1)

(a) The property of this state, except that held for highway right-of-way purposes or acquired and held for purposes under s. 85.08 or 85.09, and the property of every county, city, village, town, school district, sewerage district or commission, sanitary or water district or commission, or any public board or commission within this state, and of every corporation, company, or individual operating any railroad, telegraph, telecommunications, electric light, or power system, or doing any of the business mentioned in ch. 76, and of every other corporation or company is in all respects subject to all special assessments for local improvements.

(b) Certificates and improvement bonds for special assessments may be issued and the lien of the special assessments enforced against property described in par. (a), except property of the state, in the same manner and to the same extent as the property of individuals. Special assessments on property described in par. (a) may not extend to the right, easement or franchise to operate or maintain railroads, telegraph, telecommunications or electric light or power systems in streets, alleys, parks or highways. The amount represented by any certificate or improvement bond issued under this paragraph is a debt due personally from the corporation, company or individual, payable in the case of a certificate when the taxes for the year of its issue are payable, and in the case of a bond according to the terms of the bond.

(2) In this subsection, “assessment" means a special assessment on property of this state and “project" means any continuous improvement within overall project limits regardless of whether small exterior segments are left unimproved. If the assessment of a project is less than $50,000, or if the assessment of a project is $50,000 or more and the building commission approves the assessment under s. 66.0703 (6), the state agency which manages the property shall pay the assessment from the revenue source which supports the general operating costs of the agency or program against which the assessment is made.

History: 1977 c. 29; 1977 c. 418 ss. 431, 924 (48); 1983 a. 27; 1985 a. 187; 1985 a. 297 s. 76; 1987 a. 27; 1999 a. 150 s. 548; Stats. 1999 s. 66.0705; 2015 a. 55.