Wisconsin situation guide · Updated November 2026

Wholesaling Code Violation Properties in Wisconsin

Wholesaling code violation properties in Wisconsin works when you buy a city problem and hand it to someone who can solve it. A notice taped to a door can mean fines, a clock and a stressed owner. In Green Bay and across Brown County, that pressure creates sellers who would rather take a fair offer than keep paying for a house they cannot repair.

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The short answer

Can you wholesale a house with code violations in Wisconsin?

Yes, in most cases, as long as you give the seller and your buyer the written wholesaler notices and are honest about what the city has ordered. Open orders usually stay with the property, so your buyer must see them.

A code order does not stop a sale. Under Wis. Stat. 710.13, a wholesaler of a one- to four-unit home must tell the seller in writing no later than the purchase agreement and tell the assignee in writing no later than the assignment. Our assignment guide covers how to hand over your position cleanly.

Ask the city or village for the file before you offer. Find out the deadline, the fines so far and whether a re-inspection is scheduled. Wisconsin cities can also pursue unsafe buildings in other ways, so check current local rules. Our certificate of occupancy guide and code violation leads guide help you read the notices.

Code Violation Properties in Wisconsin at a glance

Wholesaler law	Wis. Stat. 710.13 for one- to four-unit homes
Disclosure to buyer	Written, no later than the assignment
Open orders	Usually tied to the property, so ask the city for the file
Fines	Set locally, so check the city or village
Transfer fee	30 cents per $100, paid by the grantor
Licensing	A pattern of sales can raise brokerage questions

The opportunity

Why code violations create deals in Green Bay

Green Bay has older neighborhoods near the Fox River and on the east and west sides, plus rental stock that needs upkeep. Landlords who fall behind get letters. Owners who age in place may be unable to climb a ladder to fix a porch. The city issues orders, the fines grow and the owner stops answering mail. That is when a respectful offer, with a plan to solve the order, can land. Moderate market volume means buyers are patient and informed.

Motivated owners

A deadline and a fine make sellers listen to a clear offer.

Clear fixes

Many orders list specific repairs, which makes cost easier to price. See our repair guide.

Landlord buyers

Investors in Brown County often like fixing and renting. See our tenant-occupied guide.

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Lead sources

Where to find code violation leads in Green Bay

City records. Public inspection and nuisance records, where available, show open orders.
Tax delinquent lists. Owners behind on taxes are often behind on repairs. See our tax delinquent lists.
Vacant homes. Boarded or overgrown houses. See our zombie property guide.
Absentee owners. Out-of-area landlords. See our absentee owner guide.
Neighbors. Neighbors and tenants often know which house the city is watching.

Your exit

Who buys code violation properties in Wisconsin

Rehabbers, local landlords and contractors who can finish repairs inside the city deadline are the best buyers. Send them the order, the photos and your timeline. A buyer who sees the full file will not drop out late.

If the order is mild, a quick wholetail may work. If it involves structure or safety, the buyer needs a longer plan. Review the wholetailing guide and our motivated sellers guide to decide which path fits.

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Step by step

How to start wholesaling code violation properties in Wisconsin

Get the notice. Ask the owner for every letter and call the city for the file.
Understand the clock. Note the cure deadline, fines to date and re-inspection dates.
Estimate the fixes. Walk the house with a contractor and price each cited item.
Run your numbers. Use the ARV calculator and MAO calculator.
Offer with notice. Present the deal using our wholesale offer guide and the written wholesaler notice.
Assign with the file. Give your buyer the order, photos and your written assignee notice.
Close and report. Close with an investor-friendly title company and confirm who handles city fines.

Your checklist for wholesaling Code Violation Properties in Wisconsin

Request the city file before you sign.
Give the seller the written wholesaler notice before signing.
Share every order and deadline with your buyer.
Ask title about any recorded orders or special charges.
Do not promise the seller that the city will drop its fines.

A Wisconsin example: a Green Bay duplex with a city order

Contract price	$118,000
Cited repairs	$21,000
After-repair value	$205,000
City deadline	60 days from the notice
Assignment fee	$8,500
Fines to date	$1,200, handled at closing

A landlord on Green Bay’s east side owned a duplex with peeling porch rails, a failed smoke detector and a leaking roof. The city sent three letters. Fines were stacking up and the owner, living out of state, did not want the work.

You collected the notices and asked the city for the file. A contractor priced the cited work at $21,000. You signed at $118,000 with the written wholesaler notice, and the owner agreed to credit $1,200 of fines at closing.

A Brown County investor took the assignment for $8,500, fixed the items inside the deadline and rented both sides. Hedge every promise about the city, since deadlines and fines depend on the local office. Check current rules.

Wisconsin rules to know

Wisconsin rules for code violation deals

Section 710.13 requires written wholesaler notices for one- to four-unit homes, and the seller can generally rescind before closing if you miss the deadline. Many sellers also owe a chapter 709 condition report within ten days of acceptance, so ask the owner about it. The state transfer fee is 30 cents per $100, usually paid by the grantor. Confirm every point against the current statute.

Local ordinances set fines, deadlines and appeal rights, so they vary by city and village. If a deal grows into repeated sales, remember the pattern test under 452.01. Run bigger deals past counsel, and check our attorney guide.

Learn it with a mentor

Read city orders with a mentor

A code order can hide a cheap fix or a deal-killer. Mentorship students send us the notices and we help them separate the two.

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FAQ

Code Violation Properties in Wisconsin: common questions

Is wholesaling code violation properties in Wisconsin legal?

Generally yes, with the written notices under Wis. Stat. 710.13. Check current text and local rules. Give the seller notice no later than the purchase agreement and your buyer notice no later than the assignment, and be honest about every order the city has issued.

Do fines transfer to the buyer?

It depends on the order and local rules. Ask the city and title company and put the answer in writing. Open orders usually stay with the property, so find out the deadline, the fines so far and whether a re-inspection is scheduled.

Can I see a property’s violations?

Often yes, through the city or village inspection office. Ask for the full file. Request the orders, the deadline, the fines so far and any re-inspection date before you offer, and share them with your buyer so nothing is a surprise.

What is the transfer fee?

Thirty cents per $100 of value, paid by the grantor, with exemptions. On a $150,000 house that works out to $450 on the seller side. Ask your title company to confirm the fee and any exemption before you set your assignment price.

Do I need a license?

Not as a wholesaler, but repeated sales can raise brokerage questions under 452.01. Wisconsin treats five sales in one year or ten in five years as presumptive evidence of a pattern, so track your yearly volume and ask an attorney early.