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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 30 July 2025 F E A T U R E S T O R Y confirm that enforcement has not been stayed. • Serve notice of the filing. Within 30 days of filing, the creditor must serve notice of the filing of the foreign judgment on the judgment debtor by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, directed to the debtor's last known address, as required by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52- 605(c). Proof of service must be filed with the court. • Await expiration of the appeal period and address stays. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-605(b), once the foreign judgment is filed, it has the same effect as a Connecticut judgment and is subject to the same procedures for enforcement, reopen- ing, vacating, or staying. Connecticut law imposes a twenty-day appeal pe- riod, during which an automatic stay of enforcement applies under Prac- tice Book § 61-11, barring executions or garnishments. The debtor may also seek a stay under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-606 if an appeal is pending or contemplated in the rendering court, if a stay has been granted there, or for other grounds applica- ble to Connecticut judgments. As a practical matter, the clerk will not issue an execution until the appeal period has expired and proof of ser- vice of the judgment filing has been provided. Although Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-605(c) allows up to thirty days to serve notice, creditors should complete service promptly to avoid clerk's office delays. Once the notice has been served, the appeal period has expired, and any ob- jections have been resolved, the foreign judgment becomes fully enforceable in Connecticut. The creditor may then proceed with Connecticut's post-judg- ment enforcement remedies, including executions, garnishments, judgment liens, and discovery in aid of execution. Example: A commercial lender ob- tains a $450,000 judgment in New Jersey following trial. The judgment debtor, an individual guarantor, subsequently relocates to Connecticut and maintains bank accounts in the state. Because the judgment was not entered by default in appearance or by confession of judgment, it qualifies for domestication under Connecticut's UEFJA. The lender files the authenticated judgment and the required affidavit with the Connecticut Superior Court and serves notice on the debtor in accordance with Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-605. After the statutory notice period expires without objection, the judgment is recognized as a Connecticut judgment. The creditor then proceeds with post-judgment enforcement, including a bank execution under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-367b. Enforcement Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-607: Civil Action for Recognition W hen a foreign judgment was ob- tained by default in appearance or by confession of judgment, it is not eligible for the simplified registration process under Connecticut's UEFJA. In these situations, the judgment cred- itor must proceed under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-607 by filing a civil action in Connecticut Superior Court seeking recognition and enforcement of the judgment. This provision preserves Connecticut's traditional common law procedure for enforcing foreign judgments. Procedure: The creditor may pro- ceed in one of two ways: • Standard Civil Complaint: The creditor may file a complaint in the Connecticut Superior Court seeking recognition of the foreign judgment. The complaint must include an authenticated copy of the judgment, assert that the judgment is entitled to full faith and credit, and state that the judgment is final, unsatisfied, and enforceable in the rendering jurisdiction. • Motion for Summary Judgment in Lieu of Complaint: Alternatively, under Practice Book § 17-44 et seq., the creditor may file a motion for summary judgment in lieu of com- plaint when the action is based on a judgment. This procedure allows the creditor to commence the action by serving a summons together with the motion for summary judg- ment, supporting affidavits, and an authenticated copy of the judgment, rather than filing a convention- al complaint. The creditor must demonstrate that the judgment is entitled to full faith and credit and remains final, unsatisfied, and en- forceable. The debtor may respond by raising only the limited defenses permitted under Connecticut law, consistent with principles of full faith and credit. Permissible Defenses Are Limited: Connecticut courts do not permit relitiga- tion of the underlying claim. The debtor's defenses are narrowly limited to: • Lack of personal jurisdiction over the defendant or subject matter jurisdiction in the rendering court. • Proof that the judgment has been satisfied, vacated, or is no longer final or enforceable in the rendering jurisdiction. • Lack of due process, including inad- equate notice or opportunity to be heard, or fraud in the procurement of the judgment. • The judgment being contrary to Connecticut public policy, a defense narrowly construed and rarely sustained. Once recognized by the Connecti- cut court under § 52-607, the foreign judgment is treated as a Connecticut judgment for all enforcement purpos- es, including execution, garnishment, lien enforcement, and post-judgment discovery. Example: A finance company obtains a $300,000 default judgment