Village of Green Lake v. Ostrander

The claim is founded on sec. 49.10, Stats., which is to the effect that if any person who has received relief at public charge, as an inmate of any state or municipal institution, was at the time of receiving such relief the owner of property, the authorities charged with his care “may sue for and collect the value of the same against such person and against his estate.”

The question before this court is one of interpretation of the statute. It is claimed on the part of the appellant that the statute should be construed to charge the property which the incompetent person had at the time the…