Sec. 16-262f. Action for receivership of rents and common expenses by electric, electric distribution, gas and telephone companies; petition; hearing; appointment; duties; termination. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 16-262f. Action for receivership of rents and common expenses by electric, electric distribution, gas and telephone companies; petition; hearing; appointment; duties; termination. (a)(1) Upon default of the owner, agent, lessor or manager of a residential dwelling who is billed directly by an electric, electric distribution, gas or telephone company or by a municipal utility for electric or gas utility service furnished to such building, such company or municipal utility or electric supplier providing electric generation services may petition the Superior Court or a judge thereof, for appointment of a receiver of the rents or payments for use and occupancy or common expenses, as defined in section 47-202, for any dwelling for which the owner, agent, lessor or manager is in default. The court or judge shall forthwith issue an order to show cause why a receiver should not be appointed, which shall be served upon the owner, agent, lessor or manager or his agent in a manner most reasonably calculated to give notice to such owner, agent, lessor or manager as determined by such court or judge, including, but not limited to, a posting of such order on the premises in question.

      (2) A hearing shall be had on such order no later than seventy-two hours after its issuance or the first court day thereafter. The sole purpose of such a hearing shall be to determine whether there is an amount due and owing between the owner, agent, lessor or manager and the company, electric supplier or municipal utility. The court shall make a determination of any amount due and owing and any amount so determined shall constitute a lien upon the real property of such owner. A certificate of such amount may be recorded in the land records of the town in which such property is located describing the amount of the lien and the name of the party in default. When the amount due and owing has been paid the company, electric supplier or municipality shall issue a certificate discharging the lien and shall file the certificate in the land records of the town in which such lien was recorded.

      (3) The receiver appointed by the court shall collect all rents or payments for use and occupancy or common expenses forthcoming from or paid on behalf of the occupants or residents of the building or facility in question in place of the owner, agent, lessor, manager or administrator.

      (4) The receiver shall pay the petitioner or other supplier, from such rents or payments for use and occupancy or common expenses for electric, gas, telephone, water or heating oil supplied on and after the date of his appointment. The owner, agent, lessor or manager shall be liable for such reasonable fees and costs determined by the court to be due the receiver, which fees and costs may be recovered from the rents or payments for use and occupancy under the control of the receiver, provided no such fees or costs shall be recovered until after payment for current electric, gas, telephone and water service and heating oil deliveries has been made. The owner, agent, lessor or manager shall be liable to the petitioner for reasonable attorney's fees and costs incurred by the petitioner, provided no such fees or costs shall be recovered until after payment for current electric, gas, telephone and water service and heating oil deliveries has been made and after payments of reasonable fees and costs to the receiver. Any moneys from rental payments or payments for use and occupancy or common expenses remaining after payment for current electric, gas, telephone and water service or heating oil deliveries, and after payment for reasonable costs and fees to the receiver, and after payment to the petitioner for reasonable attorney's fees and costs, shall be applied to any arrearage found by the court to be due and owing the company, electric supplier or municipal utility from the owner, agent, lessor or manager for service provided such building. Any moneys remaining thereafter shall be turned over to the owner, agent, lessor or manager. The court may order an accounting to be made at such times as it determines to be just, reasonable, and necessary.

      (b) Any receivership established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall be terminated by the court upon its finding that the arrearage which was the subject of the original petition has been satisfied, or that all occupants have agreed to assume liability in their own names for prospective service supplied by the petitioner, or that the building has been sold and the new owner has assumed liability for prospective service supplied by the petitioner.

      (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the petitioner from pursuing any other action or remedy at law or equity that it may have against the owner, agent, lessor or manager.

      (d) Any owner, agent, lessor or manager who collects or attempts to collect any rent or payment for use and occupancy from any occupant of a building subject to an order appointing a receiver shall be found, after due notice and hearing, to be in contempt of court.

      (e) If a proceeding is initiated pursuant to sections 47a-14a to 47a-14h, inclusive, or sections 47a-56 to 47a-56i, inclusive, or if a receiver of rents is appointed pursuant to chapter 735a or pursuant to any other action involving the making of repairs to residential rental property under court supervision, rent or use and occupancy payments shall be made pursuant to such proceeding or action without regard to whether such proceeding or action is initiated before or after a receivership is established under this section, and such proceeding or action shall take priority over a receivership established under this section in regard to expenditure of such rent or use and occupancy payments.

      (P.A. 75-625, S. 4, 8; P.A. 77-452, S. 51, 72; P.A. 84-394, S. 1; P.A. 89-254, S. 15; P.A. 91-310, S. 2; P.A. 98-28, S. 41, 117; 98-102, S. 1; P.A. 07-217, S. 62; 07-228, S. 2.)

      History: P.A. 77-452 replaced court of common pleas with superior court and deleted phrase which had limited judge's power to act to time when court not in session; P.A. 84-394 inserted references to payment for heating oil in Subsec. (a); P.A. 89-254 added Subsec. (e) re the payment and expenditure of rent or use and occupancy payments made pursuant to certain proceedings or actions in relation to receiverships established under this section; P.A. 91-310 added provision allowing companies or municipal utilities to obtain a lien against parties in default; P.A. 98-28 amended Subsec. (a) by adding electric suppliers and electric distribution companies, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 98-102 amended Subsec. (a) by inserting Subdiv. indicators, deleting water companies and inserting "common expenses"; P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 12, 2007; P.A. 07-228 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to include payments paid on behalf of occupants or residents of building or facility, and in place of the administrator, effective July 1, 2007.

      Cited. 183 C. 85. Provisions of this statute which do not provide exemption for public housing authorities had to prevail over those earlier enacted in Sec. 8-65. 191 C. 514. Cited. 196 C. 172. Cited. 231 C. 441. Cited. 239 C. 313.

      Cited. 7 CA 802. Cited. 12 CA 499. Cited. 25 CA 226.

      Remedy provided by statute is not an unconstitutional taking of private property for a public purpose; legislative intent was that receivership proceeding should be a summary proceeding, not a "civil action"; personal service by sheriff not required. 35 CS 609.