In this chapter:

Terms Used In Wisconsin Statutes 242.01

  • Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Following: when used by way of reference to any statute section, means the section next following that in which the reference is made. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Person: includes all partnerships, associations and bodies politic or corporate. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
  • Property: includes real and personal property. See Wisconsin Statutes 990.01
   (1)   “Affiliate” means any of the following:
      (a)    A person who directly or indirectly owns, controls or holds with power to vote, 20 percent or more of the outstanding voting securities of the debtor, other than a person who holds the securities:
         1.    As a fiduciary or agent without sole discretionary power to vote the securities; or
         2.    Solely to secure a debt, if the person has not in fact exercised the power to vote.
      (b)    A corporation 20 percent or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held with power to vote, by the debtor or a person who directly or indirectly owns, controls or holds with power to vote, 20 percent or more of the outstanding voting securities of the debtor, other than a person who holds the securities:
         1.    As a fiduciary or agent without sole discretionary power to vote the securities;
         2.    Solely to secure a debt, if the person has not in fact exercised the power to vote.
      (c)    A person whose business is operated by the debtor under a lease or other agreement, or a person substantially all of whose assets are controlled by the debtor.
      (d)    A person who operates the debtor’s business under a lease or other agreement or controls substantially all of the debtor’s assets.
   (2)   “Asset” means property of a debtor, but does not include any of the following:
      (a)    Property to the extent it is encumbered by a valid lien.
      (b)    Property to the extent it is generally exempt under nonbankruptcy law.
      (bm)    Property to the extent it is exempt under s. 815.18.
      (c)    An interest in property held in tenancy by the entireties to the extent it is not subject to process by a creditor holding a claim against only one tenant.
   (3)   “Claim” means a right to payment, whether or not the right is reduced to judgment, liquidated, unliquidated, fixed, contingent, matured, unmatured, disputed, undisputed, legal, equitable, secured or unsecured.
   (4)   “Creditor” means a person who has a claim.
   (5)   “Debt” means liability on a claim.
   (6)   “Debtor” means a person who is liable on a claim.
   (7)   “Insider” includes any of the following:
      (a)    If the debtor is an individual:
         1.    A relative of the debtor or of a general partner of the debtor;
         2.    A partnership in which the debtor is a general partner;
         3.    A general partner in a partnership described in subd. 2.;
         4.    A corporation of which the debtor is a director, officer or person in control; or
         5.    A limited liability company of which the debtor is a manager or person in control.
      (b)    If the debtor is a corporation:
         1.    A director of the debtor;
         2.    An officer of the debtor;
         3.    A person in control of the debtor;
         4.    A partnership in which the debtor is a general partner;
         5.    A general partner in a partnership described in subd. 4.; or
         6.    A relative of a general partner, director, officer or person in control of the debtor.
      (bL)    If the debtor is a limited liability company, any of the following:
         1.    A manager of the debtor.
         2.    A person in control of the debtor.
         3.    A partnership in which the debtor is a general partner.
         4.    A general partner in a partnership described in subd. 3.
         5.    A relative of a manager or person in control of the debtor.
      (c)    If the debtor is a partnership:
         1.    A general partner in the debtor;
         2.    A relative of a general partner in, a general partner of or a person in control of the debtor;
         3.    Another partnership in which the debtor is a general partner;
         4.    A general partner in a partnership described in subd. 3.; or
         5.    A person in control of the debtor.
      (d)    An affiliate, or an insider of an affiliate as if the affiliate were the debtor.
      (e)    A managing agent of the debtor.
   (8)   “Lien” means a charge against or an interest in property to secure payment of a debt or performance of an obligation, and includes a security interest created by agreement, a judicial lien obtained by legal or equitable process or proceedings, a common-law lien or a statutory lien.
   (9)   “Person” means an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, association, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust or any other legal or commercial entity.
   (10)   “Property” means anything that may be the subject of ownership.
   (11)   “Relative” means an individual related by blood within the 3rd degree of kinship as computed under s. 990.001 (16), a spouse or an individual related to a spouse within the 3rd degree as so computed, and includes an individual in an adoptive relationship within the 3rd degree.
   (12)   “Transfer” means every mode, direct or indirect, absolute or conditional, voluntary or involuntary, of disposing of or parting with an asset or an interest in an asset, and includes payment of money, release, lease and creation of a lien or other encumbrance.
   (13)   “Valid lien” means a lien that is effective against the holder of a judicial lien subsequently obtained by legal or equitable process or proceedings.

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