Section 49.08. Recovery of relief and other assistance.

  If any person is the owner of property at the time of receiving general relief under ch. 49 , 1993 stats., relief funded by a relief block grant or other assistance as an inmate of any county or municipal institution in which the state is not chargeable with all or a part of the inmate's maintenance or as a tuberculosis patient provided for in ss. 252.07 to 252.10 , or at any time thereafter, or if the person becomes self-supporting, the authorities charged with the care of the dependent, or the board in charge of the institution, may sue for the value of the relief or other assistance from the person or the person's estate. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the 10-year statute of limitations may be pleaded in defense in an action to recover relief or other assistance. Where the recipient of relief or other assistance is deceased, a claim may be filed against the decedent's estate and the statute of limitations specified in s. 859.02 shall be exclusively applicable. The court may refuse to render judgment or allow the claim in any case where a parent, spouse, surviving spouse or child is dependent on the property for support. The court in rendering judgment shall take into account the current family budget requirement as fixed by the U.S. department of labor for the community or as fixed by the authorities of the community in charge of public assistance. The records kept by the municipality, county or institution are prima facie evidence of the value of the relief or other assistance furnished.

1975 c. 94 ; 1975 c. 413 s. 18 ; 1979 c. 102 s. 237 ; 1983 a. 27 ; 1985 a. 29 ; 1989 a. 96 ; 1993 a. 27 ; 1995 a. 27 ; 1999 a. 9 . A dependent of a relief applicant incurs no liability to repay any portion of relief granted under the application. Claims against the recipient's estate are not limited to recovery of relief granted less than 10 years prior to death. In re Estate of Bundy, 81 Wis. 2d 32 , 259 N.W.2d 701 (1977).