New law comes to fruition thanks to guidance from Weld Riley attorneys

Senate Bill 235, which clarifies Wisconsin law to clearly state that campers are not tenants, is now law thanks in part to guidance from two Weld Riley attorneys, Anders Helquist and Mark Hazelbaker.

The bill, sponsored by Senators Andre Jacque and Steve Nass, was supported by the Wisconsin Association of Campground Owners (“WACO”), for whom Weld Riley serves as legal counsel, and was signed into law on Friday, August 8, 2025, by Governor Tony Evers. The legislation amends Chapter 704 of the Wisconsin Statutes (the “Landlord Tenant Law”), to state explicitly that guests at private campgrounds are not covered by the Landlord Tenant Law.

The change removes a serious obstacle to a campground’s ability to immediately remove disruptive guests. For many years, when guests refused to leave, campgrounds called for help from local law enforcement. Many times, those agencies refused to act, stating the campground guests need to be evicted, making it a civil matter that had to be handled in court.

Weld Riley Attorney Mark Hazelbaker testified in support of the bill before Assembly and Senate committees and collaborated with their staff members. He relayed examples of guests who caused trouble in campgrounds and then refused to leave. He noted one example in which it took the court system eighteen (18) months to get a camper to leave.

This bill does not by itself guarantee law enforcement will help campgrounds, nor does it mandate that guests who refuse to leave be arrested. The original bill, proposed by WACO, did mandate arrest—a provision considered too strong by the legislative committees and was compromised upon to get the bill passed.

However, the new law specifically states that a camper who has been asked to leave and remains at the campground is a trespasser and in violation of Wisconsin’s land trespass law. WACO will be communicating with the counties and municipalities to bring the change in law to their attention. Additionally, Weld Riley will revise the model 2026 Seasonal Agreement we prepared for campgrounds to include a reference to the new law.