136.10 Bond. - Wisconsin Statutes

136.10

136.10 Bond.

136.10(1)

(1) Every contractor shall maintain a bond issued by a surety company licensed to do business in this state. The principal sum of the bond shall at all times be $25,000, except that if a contractor enters into a contract described in s. 136.02 (7), the principal sum of the bond shall be $250,000.

136.10(2)

(2) The bond required by this section shall be in favor of the state for the benefit of any member who suffers loss of prepayments made pursuant to a contract due to insolvency of the contractor, the cessation of business by the plan, or the failure of a contractor to make a refund under a provision in a future service contract described in s. 136.02 (7) (e). A copy of the bond shall be filed with the department. Any person claiming against the bond may maintain an action at law against the contractor and the surety.

136.10(3)

(3) In addition to other means for the enforcement of the surety's liability on the bond required by this section, the surety's liability may be enforced by motion after a final judgment has been obtained against a contractor. The notice of motion, the motion, and a copy of the judgment shall be served on the surety as provided under s. 801.14. The notice shall set forth the amount of the claim and a brief statement indicating that the claim is covered by the bond. Service shall also be made on the division of trade and consumer protection of the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection. The court shall grant the motion unless the surety establishes that the claim is not covered by the bond or unless the court sustains an objection made by the department of agriculture, trade and consumer protection that the grant of the motion might impair the rights of actual or potential claimants or is not in the public interest. The court may, in the interest of justice, order a proportional or other equitable distribution of the bond proceeds.

136.10 - ANNOT.

History: 1975 c. 209; 2009 a. 115.