Abandoned Property Laws in Wisconsin

[se3k4life101]

Well, first of all I'd like to mention that I'm in Wisconsin.

Now, I used to play in a band with this guy who left his amplifier at my house. We had a verbal agreement that he could keep it here, which I'm considering effectively over on April 8th, the day we kicked him out of the band and he asked if he could get his amp back. I told him it was avaialbe for him to pick up and he never came to get it. He asked for it back again on April 29th and I told him the same thing again, and he never came. On May 18th, I told him through email he had "a week or so" to come pick it up or I was going to get it fixed (it was broken) and start using it. He told me he would be out of town and wouldn't be free to come get it until June 1st, and I never heard from him again so I got it fixed and tried to sell it. He saw the ad posted and emailed me angrily on July 27th, 40 days after I told him he had a week or so to pick it up and 80 days after he first asked for it back. I told him that after 30 days it's considered abandoned, which I've only heard secondhand. But all I asked was that he pay me back for the repair fee and he refuses to do that and keeps telling me that it was illegal to get it fixed. So I told him that he has 30 days to either pay me back and pick up the amp, or cite a particular law showing that I was out of bounds in getting it fixed and then pickup the amp, otherwise I will be getting rid of the amp after 30 days.

He showed me this: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/statutes/Stat0177.pdf.

I'm not sure what half of that means, but it seems to me most of it is about money and safe deposit boxes, not stuff left on other people's property. Anyway, I'm willing to concede that he is right if he is, but could anyone tell me if this document is applicable? Or point me in the direction of something that is?

I believe the word intangible relates to money type unclaimed property as opposed to 'real' or personal property. And I believe the 'state' gets it if unclaimed after 5 years.
You still may need to find a law to quote on google etc that shows 30 days is appropriate for personal property abandoned in Wisconsin to satisfy both of you if a lawyer is not an option.
Then, are you required to sell the item and what do you do with the monies? I can't remember if you can just take the item over or not.