My spouse and I have divorced. Why does his/her name keep appearing on the assessment notices and tax bills?

Our office is required to list the owners of real estate according to the recorded documents in the Register of Deeds office. If there was no type of documentation to change the ownership in the property (quit claim deed, divorce judgment, etc.) we do not have any way of changing the names. In this case, you may wish to check with the attorney handling the divorce about transferring the property.

My spouse has passed away, but the assessment notice and tax bill still show the name. How can I get their name removed?

It depends on how the title to the property was held. If the property was held in joint tenancy or survivorship marital property, you can file a Termination of Decedent’s Interest form with the Register of Deeds office. If the property was not titled this way, you may wish to contact an attorney to help transfer the property, especially if the property needs to go through probate.

I was married recently. Why hasn’t my name been changed on the tax bill and assessment notice?

If you haven’t recorded any document to transfer the title to your property since your marriage, the name reflected on the tax bill and assessment notice will be the same as listed on the conveyance where you took title. To change the ownership, you may contact an attorney to prepare the documents.

I don't believe my property assessment is correct. Can you change it?

Our office is required to maintain the values established by the assessor for your municipality. If you do not agree with your values, you should first contact your assessor to discuss it. A good source of information is the state Department of Revenue website which contains information on property owners' rights and information about the assessment process.

I would like to obtain a survey of my property. I want to know what the lot dimensions of my property are. Does your office have this?

The La Crosse County Surveyor’s office has a search option for looking up copies of plats and surveys located on their website. Their contact number is 608-785-9626

Can you tell me what my property is zoned?

La Crosse County Zoning has information on zoning for properties in rural La Crosse County. You will need to contact the cities and villages for zoning information if your area of interest is not rural. The County administers the zoning, signs, public works, and telecom ordinances for all unincorporated towns except the towns of Campbell and Burns. The County does administer Floodplain and Shoreland ordinances for all unincorporated areas of the County. You may also check the GIS Zoning Web App website.

What are the taxes on my property?

For first installment amounts, you should check with the treasurer for your municipality. After that, check with the La Crosse County Treasurer’s office at 608-785-9711.

I get several tax bills for adjacent parcels of land. Is there any way to combine them?

If your property is in the City of La Crosse please contact the Building Inspector and the Assessor Office for the City of La Crosse. If your property is located outside of the City of La Crosse and you want the real estate parcels combined to create one assessment parcel, please contact our office so we may review the parcels. Sometimes, due to taxing district boundaries, such as school or tif districts, we are not able to combine parcels for taxpayers.

We just bought a new lot this year, but the tax bill came in the previous owner’s name. Why didn’t you update this?

When new lots, or parcels are created during the year, new parcel numbers are assigned. However, assessments are based on how the property existed on January 1 of the given year. If a parcel is split during the year, the tax bill will go out as “a whole” to the person who owned it when it was split. The new parcels will not be assessed or taxed until the following year. If you would like the tax bill split, contact the treasurer for your municipality. Under certain circumstances they may split the tax bill for you.

Can you make me a map of my property?

Yes, we can. Use this digital order form to request just such a map. Common requests may include aerial photograph (current and historical), elevation and land use.

Can I get some property records in a spatial or tabular format?

Yes, you can. Select spatial data is available free from the state site or if what you are interested in is not available there it can be ordered from the County along with tabular data for a nominal fee using the digital order form.

How do I update my mailing address?

Please contact the treasurer for your municipality.

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