AB 779

Under current law, with certain exceptions, civil actions in which the amount claimed is $10,000 or less and actions for replevin in which the value of the property does not exceed $10,000 must generally be tried in small claims court. This bill increases the $10,000 limit for those cases to $15,000 on January 1, 2027, to $20,000 on January 1, 2028, and to $25,000 on January 1, 2029.

The bill also increases the jurisdictional limit for third-party complaints, personal injury claims, and actions based in tort from $5,000 to $15,000 on January 1, 2027, to $20,000 on January 1, 2028, and to $25,000 on January 1, 2029.

Current law provides that certain consumer transactions and leases are not covered by the Wisconsin Consumer Act and, if the amount financed is $25,000 or less, these actions must be brought in small claims court. The bill increases that amount to $32,500 on January 1, 2027, to $40,000 on January 1, 2028, and to $50,000 on January 1, 2029.

The bill also requires that, beginning five years after the effective date of the last statutory increases made by the bill, these small claims jurisdictional amounts be adjusted every five years to reflect any changes in the U.S. consumer price index.