Wisconsin title forms · Lien sales and abandoned vehicles
Form MV2882: a vehicle a tenant left behind
Short answer
MV2882 is for one situation: a tenant moved out or was evicted and left a titled car or RV on a Wisconsin landlord's property. After the notice steps on the form, the landlord can sell it, junk it or title it in their own name, and the new owner sends the MV2882 with an MV1 and $214.50 per vehicle plus tax and plate fees. A copy of the signed rental agreement must go with it.
TitleFiled is not WisDOT. The official form is free at wisconsindot.gov.
MV2882 at a glance
- Form
- MV2882, Abandonment of Property to a Landlord
- Version we read
- Revision 10/2025, checked 2026-10-31
- Fee
- $214.50 title fee for each titled vehicle, plus sales tax and any registration fees. The form itself has no separate charge.
- Paid to
- WisDOT, with the MV1
- Where it goes
- Special Plates Unit, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, P.O. Box 7911, Madison WI 53707-7911
- What goes with it
- The completed MV2882, signed by the landlord
- Form MV1 from the new owner
- A copy of the signed rental agreement
- Copies of the certified letters to the owners and lien holders
- Form MV2488 if the vehicle is a 2011 or newer model year
- Any lien release
- The title, sales tax and plate fees
What has to happen before the sale
The form walks a landlord through five steps, and the landlord signs that each one was done.
The easy case is a lease that told the tenant, when they signed or renewed it, that you would not store anything left behind. Without that clause there are two extra notices: one about storage charges within 10 days after they start, and one saying the vehicle will be sold if the tenant does not reclaim it within 30 days of the notice.
- Look up who owns the vehicle and who holds a loan on it. For a Wisconsin title that means a record request on form MV2896; for another state, that state's records.
- Send written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the owners and every lien holder, with the vehicle's description and VIN and the date of the sale.
- Wait. If nobody claims it by the date in the notice, you may dispose of it as the notice said.
- Sell it at a public auction or privately, or keep it and title it yourself.
- Give the buyer the completed MV2882, plus an MV2488 for a 2011 or newer vehicle.
When MV2882 is the wrong form
It only covers a vehicle abandoned by a tenant on the landlord's premises, under the tenancy statute. A stranger's car dumped on your land, a car you were storing as a favor, or a vehicle with no title on record does not fit. WisDOT's lien page also lists MV2881 for landlord transfers; MV2882 is the landlord-only version with the steps spelled out.
What each part of MV2882 asks
In our words, not WisDOT's. Read the form's own instructions before you sign; your answers are yours to give.
- The three certifications at the top
- The landlord confirms the lease notice was given (or that the extra steps were followed), that an official vehicle record was pulled, and that the tenant, owners and lien holders were told the sale date.
- Vehicle information
- VIN, year, make, model and the state it is titled in, the owner and co-owner on record, any recorded lien holders, and whether lien releases are attached.
- What happened to the vehicle
- Whether it was sold to the buyer named on the form or junked, its value, and the certified mail tracking number.
- Sale type
- Public sale, meaning an advertised auction open to bidders, or private sale to one buyer, with the date and price.
- Landlord and buyer details
- The landlord's name or business and the person signing for it, then the buyer's name, address, phone and driver license number.
- The landlord's signature
- A statement that the landlord rented to the vehicle's recorded owner, followed the steps, and will cover WisDOT for any claim over the new title. It also says a recorded loan stays on the new title unless a release is provided.
Where people get stuck
- No copy of the signed rental agreement.
- No proof of the certified letters to the owner and every lien holder of record.
- A photocopied MV2488. The form says copies are not accepted; the original comes from a DMV service center or the DMV contact center.
Common questions
Can the landlord keep the vehicle?
Yes. The form's guidelines list titling it in the landlord's own name or business name as one way to dispose of it, after the same notice steps.
What about the money from the sale?
The guidelines say the landlord may send the proceeds, minus sale costs and storage charges, to the Wisconsin Department of Administration. Keep copies of every notice, ad and receipt.
The tenant is in the military. Does that change anything?
Yes. The form notes that federal law bars enforcing a lien on a service member's property during their service and for 90 days after without a court order.
Still working out which forms you need? Browse plain answers to Wisconsin title questions or see every form we explain.
Related forms and answers
Can you get a title for an abandoned car left on your property in Wisconsin?
No. A car left on your land is not yours to title. Police remove it under Wis. Stat. 342.40 and the town sells it with title paperwork.
Read this guide →Form MV2881, explained
Filled out by a repair shop, tow company, storage operator or landlord that sold a car to collect what it was owed. The buyer titles with it.
Read this guide →How does a towing or storage lien sale title work in Wisconsin?
After 20 days' certified notice, a Wisconsin tower can sell an unclaimed car. You title it with the tower's signed MV2881 plus your MV1.
Read this guide →No title for your car in Wisconsin
Which path fits: replacement, bonded title, or neither.
Read this guide →Sources, checked 2026-10-31: WisDOT: form MV2882 (10/2025) · WisDOT: involuntary lien transfers · WisDOT: vehicle forms list. Forms are revised from time to time; use the current version from WisDOT.
TitleSolved is a document-preparation and title-recovery assistance service operated by Nuvent66 LLC, a Wisconsin limited liability company. It is not a law firm, does not provide legal advice, and is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by any DMV or government agency, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). We do not guarantee that any agency will approve or issue a title. Information on this page is provided for general reference, was verified against official WisDOT sources on the date shown, and is not legal advice.