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Practice Of Real EstateState_specificHARD

Marcus owns a lakefront property in Wisconsin and has operated a small pier for 15 years without a DNR permit. He is now selling the property and discloses this to the buyer, Lisa. Lisa's attorney warns her that the unpermitted pier creates a legal risk. Which of the following BEST describes the legal exposure associated with an unpermitted pier under Wisconsin law?

Correct Answer

A) The Wisconsin DNR may order removal of the unpermitted pier or require the owner to obtain a permit, and the new owner could be held responsible after closing.

Under Wisconsin's Navigable Waters Protection Law, the Wisconsin DNR has authority to require permits for piers and to order removal of unpermitted structures. There is no automatic grandfathering provision based solely on the length of time a pier has existed without a permit. Critically, DNR enforcement obligations run with the land — meaning a new property owner who purchases a property with an unpermitted pier can be required to bring the structure into compliance or remove it. Lisa's attorney is correct to flag this as a material risk that should be resolved before or at closing.

Answer Options
A
The Wisconsin DNR may order removal of the unpermitted pier or require the owner to obtain a permit, and the new owner could be held responsible after closing.
B
The pier becomes legally compliant upon transfer of ownership because the new owner's riparian rights supersede prior permit violations.
C
The pier is automatically grandfathered because it has existed for more than 10 years, and no permit is now required.
D
Only the original installer of the pier can be penalized; a new buyer who did not build the pier has no legal liability.

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

unpermitted_pierdnr_enforcementnavigable_watersriparian_rightsbuyer_liability

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