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MortgagePoint » Your Trusted Source for Mortgage Banking and Servicing News 32 July 2025 F E A T U R E S T O R Y in Illinois after the borrower fails to appear in the action. The borrower later establishes a business presence in Connecticut. Because the judgment was entered by default in appearance, it does not qualify for domestication under Connecticut's UEFJA. The creditor commences a civil action in Connecticut Superior Court under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-607 seeking recognition of the Illinois judgment. The debtor appears and attempts to challenge the underlying debt, but the court limits the defenses to jurisdiction, due process, and other defenses permitted under Connecticut law, declining to revisit the merits of the original claim. The court grants recog- nition of the foreign judgment, which is then fully enforceable in Connecticut. The creditor proceeds with collection efforts, including the filing of judgment liens and property executions. Available Post-Domestication Collection Tools O nce a foreign judgment has been properly domesticated, whether through the UEFJA or a civil action under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-607, it is treated as a Connecticut judgment for all enforcement purposes. The judgment creditor may then utilize the full range of post-judgment collection remedies authorized under Connecticut law. These include: • Bank Executions: Creditors may garnish funds held in the debtor's Connecticut deposit accounts. Upon service of the execution by a state marshal, the financial institution must freeze nonexempt funds and, following expiration of the statutory holding period, release the funds for application to the judgment. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-367b) • Wage Executions: A portion of the debtor's wages may be garnished directly from the employer. The employer is required to withhold a portion of the debtor's disposable income and remit the funds through the state marshal for application to the judgment. Wage executions are effective where the debtor maintains consistent employment. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-361a) • Property Executions: Creditors may seize and sell nonexempt tangi- ble personal property, including vehicles, business equipment, or inventory. Property executions are particularly useful when the debtor holds valuable personal property located in Connecticut. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-356a) • Real Property Liens: A judgment lien may be recorded against real property owned by the debtor in Connecticut. The lien clouds marketable title and may be satisfied through sale, refinance, or foreclo- sure. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-380a) • Foreclosure of Judgment Liens: Where equity exists in the real property, the creditor may initiate foreclosure proceedings to force a sale and apply proceeds to satisfy the judgment. • Debtor Examinations and Discovery in Aid of Execution: Creditors may conduct post-judgment discovery through written interrogatories or oral examinations under oath to identify assets, liabilities, and income sources. Discovery may reveal assets subject to execution, including accounts, receivables, and business interests. (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-351b et seq.) • Charging Orders: A charging order allows the creditor to intercept financial distributions owed to a debtor who holds a membership interest in a Connecticut limited lia- bility company or partnership. The creditor does not obtain manage- ment rights but is entitled to receive distributions until the judgment is satisfied. (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 34- 259b, 34-349) The selection of enforcement reme- dies depends on the nature and location of the debtor's assets, income sources, and financial circumstances. In many cases, employing multiple remedies simultaneously enhances the creditor's ability to secure meaningful recovery. Conclusion: Domestication as a Prerequisite to Enforcement B efore an out-of-state or for- eign-country judgment can be enforced in Connecticut, the judgment must first be properly domesticated in accordance with Connecticut law. De- pending on how the judgment was ob- tained, domestication is accomplished either through statutory registration under the UEFJA or by filing a civil action under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-607. Once domesticated, the judgment becomes fully subject to Connecticut's post-judgment enforcement remedies. A full understanding of these proce- dures is critical for any creditor seeking to enforce a judgment against a debtor with assets or business operations in Connecticut.