Wisconsin Statutes
Wis. Stat. § 766.57 (2026)
Protection of bona fide purchasers dealing with spouses
✓ current as of July 2026
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766.57(1)(a)(a) “Bona fide purchaser” means a purchaser of property for value who was not knowingly a party to fraud or illegality affecting the interest of the spouses or other parties to the transaction, does not have notice of an adverse claim by a spouse and acted in the transaction in good faith.
766.57(1)(b)(b) “Purchase” means to acquire property by sale, lease, discount, negotiation, mortgage, pledge or lien, or otherwise to deal with property in a voluntary transaction other than a gift.
766.57(1)(c)(c) A purchaser gives “value” for property acquired in return for a binding commitment to extend credit, as security for or in total or partial satisfaction of a preexisting claim, by accepting delivery pursuant to a preexisting contract for purchase, or, generally, in return for any consideration sufficient to support a simple contract.
766.57(2)(2) Notice of the existence of a marital property agreement, a marriage or the termination of a marriage does not affect the status of a purchaser as a bona fide purchaser.
766.57(3)(3) Marital property purchased by a bona fide purchaser from a spouse having the right to manage and control the property under s. 766.51 is acquired free of any claim of the other spouse and of any claim asserted through or under the other spouse. The effect of this subsection may not be varied by a marital property agreement.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 3
cases, 2005–2006 · leading case: Liebzeit v. Universal Mortg. Corp. (In Re Larson), 346 B.R. 486 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. 2006).
Liebzeit v. Universal Mortg. Corp. (In Re Larson), 346 B.R. 486 (Bankr. E.D. Wis. 2006). “The lender contends that Wis. Stat. § 766.57 provides it with a safe harbor as a good faith mortgagee who unknowingly took a mortgage from one spouse on homestead property occupied by married persons in technical violation of the statute of frauds.”
Maciolek v. City of Milwaukee Employes' Ret. Sys. Annuity & Pension Bd., 2005 WI App 74 (Wis. Ct. App. 2005). “§ 766.57 protects a bona fide purchaser in a sale, even if the purchaser has notice of the marital property agreement.”
Maciolek v. Milwaukee Employes'retire. Sys. Annuity, 2005 WI App 74 (Wis. Ct. App. 2005). “§ 766.57 protects a bona fide purchaser in a sale, even if the purchaser has notice of the marital property agreement.”
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