AC47145 - U.S. Bank National Assn. v. Nehring ("In this protracted foreclosure matter, the self-represented defendant Alexander T. Nehring appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying his motion to open and to vacate the court's judgment of strict foreclosure rendered in favor of the plaintiff, U.S. Bank National Association. The dispositive issue in this appeal is whether the defendant filed 'at least two prior motions to open or other similar motion' pursuant to Practice Book § 61-11(g), such that an automatic appellate stay did not apply to toll the running of the law days. We conclude that no automatic stay applied, and, thus, the law days have passed, divesting the defendant of his interest in the property, and title to the property has vested in the plaintiff. Accordingly, this court cannot provide the defendant any practical relief, and we, therefore, dismiss this appeal as moot.")

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AC47311 - Aspen Properties Group, LLC v. Roberts-Joachim ("The defendant Cathleen Roberts-Joachim, now known as Cathleen Roberts, appeals from the judgment of foreclosure by sale rendered following a court trial in favor of the substitute plaintiff, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, not in its individual capacity but solely as Owner Trustee of the Aspen G Trust, a Delaware Statutory Trust. In this appeal, the defendant's principal claim is that the trial court improperly failed to find that one of the substitute plaintiff's predecessors, PNC Bank, N.A. (PNC), abandoned the mortgage that the substitute plaintiff sought to foreclose. We affirm the judgment of the trial court and remand the case for the purpose of setting a new sale date.")

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AC47407 - Bank of America, N.A. v. Klein ("In this residential foreclosure action, the defendant Samuel Klein appeals from the trial court's approval of the committee sale and the committee deed in favor of the plaintiff, Bank of America, N.A. On appeal, the defendant claims that the trial court erred in granting the committee's motion for approval of the committee sale because (1) the motion itself did not attach the committee report and/or (2) the court granted the motion without providing the defendant with an evidentiary hearing. The judgment is affirmed.")

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SC20913 - Cazenovia Creek Funding I, LLC v. White Eagle Society of Brotherly Help, Inc., Group 315, Polish National Alliance ("The named defendant, The White Eagle Society of Brotherly Help, Inc., Group 315, Polish National Alliance, appeals from the judgment of the Appellate Court affirming the trial court's judgment of foreclosure by sale rendered in favor of the substitute plaintiff, Benchmark Municipal Tax Services, Ltd. See Cazenovia Creek Funding I, LLC v. White Eagle Society of Brotherly Help, Inc., Group 315, Polish National Alliance, 220 Conn. App. 770, 772–73, 783, 300 A.3d 1167 (2023). The sole issue in this certified appeal is whether the Appellate Court properly upheld the trial court's determination that there was no genuine issue of material fact regarding whether the tax liens at issue had been validly assigned to the plaintiff. We affirm the judgment of the Appellate Court.")

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AC47204 - Eastern Connecticut Savings Bank v. Venus Developments, LLC ("In this mortgage foreclosure action, the defendant Venus Developments, LLC, appeals from the judgment of the trial court rendered in favor of the plaintiff, Eastern Connecticut Savings Bank, denying its motion to open the court's judgment of foreclosure by sale. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court abused its discretion in denying the motion to open because (1) the plaintiff lacked standing to commence the foreclosure action, (2) the foreclosure judgment improperly included the debt from a second promissory note, which was not part of the complaint and not properly proven, and (3) the plaintiff failed to comply with the notice requirements in Practice Book § 17-22. We agree with the defendant's third claim and, accordingly, reverse the judgment of the trial court.")

AC47141 - Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc. v. Widow(er), Heir(s) and/or Creditors of the Estate of Beryl E. Rowland ("In this action to foreclose a reverse mortgage on real property owned by Beryl E. Rowland (decedent), Trinity Tatiana Pylypczuk and Andrew Bryce Pylypczuk (heirs), who are the decedent's grandchildren, appeal from the judgment of the trial court denying their motion to open the judgment of foreclosure by sale rendered by the court in favor of the plaintiff, Mortgage Assets Management, LLC, formerly known as Reverse Mortgage Solutions, Inc. On appeal, the heirs claim that the court abused its discretion by denying their motion to open without a hearing. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")

AC47391 - U.S. Bank Trust, N.A. v. O'Brien ("In this mortgage foreclosure action, the defendant Mark E. O'Brien appeals from the judgment of the trial court ordering an execution of ejectment with regard to the foreclosed property. The court concluded that the execution of ejectment could issue because all law days had passed during the pendency of the defendant's prior appeal in this matter and no appellate stay was in effect at that time due to a prior trial court order that purportedly had prospectively terminated any existing and future automatic appellate stays in this matter. Therefore, the court determined that title to the foreclosed property and the right of possession had vested in the substitute plaintiff, U.S. Bank, National Association, as Legal Title Trustee for Truman 2016 SC6 Title Trust. The defendant claims that the court misconstrued the prior trial court's order terminating the appellate stay; an appellate stay was in effect when the latest law days passed; and, accordingly, title never vested in the substitute plaintiff, and the execution of ejectment was premature and violated his right to due process. For the reasons that follow, we agree with the defendant, reverse the judgment of the court, and remand the case with direction to vacate the execution of ejectment and to set new law days.")

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AC47320 - GMAT Legal Title Trust 2014-1, U.S. Bank, National Assn. v. Catale ("This case returns to us following the remand ordered in GMAT Legal Title Trust 2014-1, U.S. Bank, National Assn. v. Catale, 221 Conn. App. 90, 300 A.3d 1218, cert. denied, 348 Conn. 928, 305 A.3d 265 (2023), in which this court, inter alia, affirmed the trial court's judgment of strict foreclosure and remanded the case to that court for the purpose of setting new law days. See id., 113. Upon remand, on December 21, 2023, the substitute plaintiff, RMS Series Trust 2020-1, filed a motion to reset the law days. On January 8, 2024, the defendants Vito Catale and Maria Catale objected to the motion to reset the law days, arguing that the plaintiff had not filed a new appraisal report within 120 days of the new judgment or an updated foreclosure worksheet. On January 8, 2024, the trial court granted the plaintiff's motion—after 'reviewing the plaintiff's motion, the court file and [there being] no objection thereto'—and set the law days to commence on February 6, 2024. On January 12, 2024, the defendants filed a motion to reargue, requesting that the court reconsider its decision because the language in the order indicating that there was 'no objection thereto' was incorrect. The plaintiff filed an objection; the defendants' reply and the plaintiff's surreply followed. On January 26, 2024, the court denied the motion to reargue, quoting this court's remand order; see GMAT Legal Title Trust 2014-1, U.S. Bank, National Assn. v. Catale, supra, 113; and stating that '[t]he only issue before the court was to reset the law day, which it did.' This appeal followed.

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The January 8, 2024 judgment resetting the law day is summarily reversed and the case is remanded for the purpose of making updated findings as to the amount of the debt and the fair market value of the property, to set new law days or a sale date, and for other proceedings according to law pursuant to Wahba v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., supra, 349 Conn. 483.")

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AC47075 - Woodbridge Crossing Condominium Assn., Inc. v. Ferguson ("In this foreclosure action concerning the alleged nonpayment of common fees, the plaintiff, Woodbridge Crossing Condominium Association, Inc., appeals from the judgment of the trial court rendered in favor of the defendant Gwendolyn Ferguson. On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court erred in determining that it had not met its burden of proof. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")

AC46858 - Norwich v. Brenton Family Trust ("In this municipal tax lien foreclosure action, the defendant Sheri Speer appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying (1) her July 20, 2023 motion to open the judgment of foreclosure by sale rendered in favor of the plaintiff, the city of Norwich, and (2) her motion to reargue that denial. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court (1) abused its discretion in denying the motion to open without a hearing, (2) misinterpreted this court's decision in Norwich v. Brenton Family Trust, 218 Conn. App. 905, 291 A.3d 650, cert. denied, 347 Conn. 906, 297 A.3d 567 (2023), and (3) committed plain error in denying the motion to open. We do not reach the merits of the defendant's claims because, during the pendency of this appeal, the defendant conveyed the property by way of a quitclaim deed to a third party, and, accordingly, we dismiss this appeal as moot.")

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AC 47040 - Retained Realty, Inc. v. Selke ("On September 17, 2024, this court ordered that the parties, the plaintiff, Retained Realty, Inc., and the defendant Christopher A. Selke, file supplemental memoranda addressing whether the defendant’s appeal from the trial court’s judgment of foreclosure by sale of the defendant’s property should be dismissed as moot where, after the trial court terminated the appellate stay, it approved the committee’s sale of the property on April 5, 2024, which extinguished the defendant’s right of redemption, and, thereafter, title to the property vested in the successful bidder. See U.S. Bank, National Assn. v. Fitzpatrick, 206 Conn. App. 509, 514–15, 260 A.3d 1240 (2021); Connecticut Savings Bank v. Howes, 9 Conn. App. 446, 447–48, 519 A.2d 1216 (1987). Neither party filed a response to this order. After a careful review of the record, briefs, and appendices on file, we have determined that this appeal is moot. See, e.g., BNY Western Trust v. Roman, 102 Conn. App. 265, 266–67, 926 A.2d 36 (after sale is approved and relevant appeal periods have expired, any action by mortgagor to redeem should be dismissed as moot), cert. denied, 284 Conn. 935, 937 A.2d 693 (2007). The appeal is dismissed ")

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AC46334 - Crossing Condominium Assn., Inc. v. Miller ("These related appeals brought by the self-represented defendant, Josephine S. Miller, concern two distinct foreclosure proceedings involving the same real property. In Docket No. AC 46334, the defendant appeals from the judgment of foreclosure by sale rendered by the trial court in favor of The Crossing Condominium Association, Inc. (association), claiming that the court abused its discretion in denying her motion to open and vacate that judgment. In Docket No. AC 46586, the defendant appeals from the judgment of foreclosure by sale rendered by the trial court in favor of the plaintiff, U.S. Bank Trust, N.A., as trustee for LSF9 Master Participation Trust (bank), claiming that the court abused its discretion in so doing. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.")

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AC46292 - LendingHome Funding Corp. v. REI Holdings, LLC ("The defendant Homeowners Finance Co. appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying its motion to open the judgment of strict foreclosure rendered in favor of the plaintiff, LendingHome Funding Corporation, and denying its motion to reconsider. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court (1) improperly concluded, on the basis that title to the property at issue had become absolute in the plaintiff, that the defendant was not entitled to relief pursuant to General Statutes § 49-15 because, according to the defendant, an appellate stay was in effect when the law days passed, thereby rendering them ineffective, and (2) failed to consider that, even if absolute title had vested in the plaintiff, it had inherent, continuing jurisdiction to open the judgment of strict foreclosure under the circumstances of the present action. We conclude that (1) no appellate stay was in effect when the law days passed, such that the law days were legally effective and, without redemption, absolute title to the property vested in the plaintiff, thereby precluding the defendant from obtaining relief pursuant to § 49-15, and (2) the circumstances of the present action did not justify the exercise of the court's inherent, continuing jurisdiction to afford the defendant equitable relief. Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.")

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AC46547 -Benchmark Municipal Tax Services, Ltd. v. 899 ETG Associates, LLC (“In this foreclosure action, the defendants—the owner of certain mortgaged real property and four alleged guarantors—jointly appeal the judgment of strict foreclosure rendered in favor of the plaintiff, Benchmark Municipal Tax Services, Ltd. On appeal, the defendants argue that the trial court, in granting the plaintiff’s motion for summary judgment as to liability, improperly determined that there was no genuine issue of material fact as to the defendants’ special defense of unclean hands. For the reasons that follow, we dismiss the appeal as to the four guarantor defendants and affirm the judgment of the trial court.”)

AC46032, AC46034 - Chelsea Groton Bank v. Gates Realty Holdings, LLC (“These writs of error were commenced by the plaintiff in error, Ross Weingarten, who was, with respect to property located at 15 Elm Street in Groton, the initial successful bidder in the underlying foreclosure action in which the trial court rendered a judgment of foreclosure by sale. In Docket No. AC 46032, the plaintiff in error challenges the court’s order granting the motion, filed by the defendant in error, Chelsea Groton Bank, to forfeit his deposit; in Docket No. AC 46034, the plaintiff in error challenges the court’s order denying his motion to intervene as of right. In Docket No. AC 46032, we grant the writ of error; in Docket No. AC 46034, we dismiss the writ of error on the ground of mootness.”)

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AC46128 - Ryder v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Assn. ("The plaintiff, Gary Ryder, appeals from the judgment of the trial court, rendered after a jury trial, in favor of the defendant, JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association. On appeal, the plaintiff claims that the court improperly (1) denied his motions to set aside the jury's verdict and for judgment notwithstanding the verdict 'to the extent that the verdict awarded no damages to the plaintiff,' (2) precluded the plaintiff from presenting evidence relevant to the damages incurred after November, 2014, when he transferred title to the property to a trust, (3) denied his motions to set aside the verdict as inadequate and for additur, and (4) denied his postjudgment motion to consolidate the underlying action with the defendant's related foreclosure action against the plaintiff. We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")

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• Foreclosure Law,
• Property Law

AC46167 - Bank of New York Mellon v. Horsey ("In this protracted foreclosure matter, the defendants Wade H. Horsey II and Jacquelyn Costa Horsey appeal from the judgment of the trial court denying their motion to set aside the court's judgment of strict foreclosure rendered in favor of the substitute plaintiff, The Bank of New York Mellon, as Successor Trustee for JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Trustee for Novastar Mortgage Funding Trust, Series 2005-2 Novastar Home Equity Loan Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 2005-2. The dispositive issue in this appeal is whether the defendants filed 'at least two prior motions to open or other similar motion' pursuant to Practice Book § 61-11 (g), such that an automatic appellate stay did not apply to toll the running of the law days. We conclude that no automatic stay was triggered by operation of § 61-11 (g), and, thus, the law days have passed, divesting the defendants of their interest in the property, and title to the property has vested in the substitute plaintiff. Accordingly, this court can provide the defendants no practical relief, and we dismiss this appeal as moot.")

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AC46212 - Nationstar Mortgage, LLC v. Giacomi ("The defendant Alan M. Giacomi appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying his motion to open and vacate the judgment of foreclosure by sale rendered after he was defaulted for failure to plead. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court improperly (1) 'den[ied] [his] requests to participate in foreclosure mediation,' (2) 'sustain[ed] the plaintiff's objection to [his] request to revise on or about February 5, 2020,' and (3) denied his motion to open the default judgment pursuant to General Statutes § 52-212 (a). We disagree and, accordingly, affirm the judgment of the trial court.")

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SC20807 - Wahba v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. ("The primary issue before us in this appeal is whether, after an appellate court has affirmed a trial court's judgment of strict foreclosure and remanded the case to the trial court to set new law days, the trial court has authority to open that judgment and render instead a judgment of foreclosure by sale based on changed market conditions. The Appellate Court, in the second appeal taken in this case, answered this question in the negative and further concluded that, even if the trial court had such authority, the plaintiff, Susanne P. Wahba, did not provide an adequate evidentiary foundation for her request that the court consider ordering a foreclosure by sale. See Wahba v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 216 Conn. App. 236, 239–40, 283 A.3d 1095 (2022) (Wahba II). We granted the plaintiff's petition for certification to appeal to this court from these rulings. See Wahba v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., 346 Conn. 912, 289 A.3d 597 (2023). We conclude that, contrary to the contention of the defendant, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., the doctrine of res judicata did not bar the trial court from entertaining the plaintiff's request that the trial court consider ordering a foreclosure by sale instead of simply resetting the law days. We further conclude that the Appellate Court incorrectly determined that (1) its remand order directing the trial court to set new law days deprived the trial court of authority to entertain the plaintiff's request, and (2) even if the trial court had such authority, the plaintiff's request was not supported by an adequate evidentiary foundation. We therefore reverse the judgment of the Appellate Court.")

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AC46406 - No. 2 Fraser Place Condominium Assn., Inc. v. Mathis ("More than ten years ago, the plaintiff, No. 2 Fraser Place Condominium Association, Inc., a unit owners' association of a common interest community, brought the underlying action to foreclose a statutory lien for unpaid monthly common expense assessments and late charges in accordance with General Statutes § 47-258 regarding a condominium unit (unit) owned by the defendant Sharon Mathis and occupied by her daughter, the defendant Shalonda Mathis. The court rendered a judgment of strict foreclosure on September 23, 2013, and set law days to commence on November 18, 2013. The law days passed without redemption but, to date, the plaintiff has not taken possession of the unit.

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AC46046 - Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. v. Speer ("Following the unconditional withdrawal of this foreclosure action by the plaintiff, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee for HSI Asset Securitization Corporation Trust 2006-OPT4, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-OPT4, the defendant Sheri A. Speer appeals from the trial court's decisions sustaining the plaintiff's objections to the defendant's two prior requests for leave to amend her answer to assert a counterclaim. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court abused its discretion in sustaining the plaintiff's objections because her proposed amendments were timely and would not have prejudiced the plaintiff. We disagree with the defendant's claims of error and, accordingly, affirm the trial court's decisions sustaining the plaintiff's objections to the requests for leave to amend.")

AC46506 - Deutsche Bank National Trust Co. v. Bretoux ("In this foreclosure action, the defendant Lindsey S. Bretoux appeals from the trial court's judgment of foreclosure by sale in favor of the plaintiff, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as indenture trustee for New Century Home Equity Loan Trust 2005-2. On appeal, the defendant claims that the court improperly (1) rendered summary judgment as to liability in favor of the plaintiff because the defendant failed to establish a genuine issue of material fact as to his special defense of unclean hands and (2) failed to consider the defendant's estoppel defense when determining the amount of debt. We are not persuaded by the defendant's first claim, but we agree with his second claim. Accordingly, we reverse in part the judgment of the trial court.")

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SC20817 - M&T Bank v. Lewis ("This foreclosure appeal presents two questions, namely, (1) whether the administrative law filed rate doctrine implicates the trial court’s subject matter jurisdiction, and (2) whether allegations of impropriety in a mortgagee’s force placement of property insurance arise from the making, validity or enforcement of the mortgage for purposes of a special defense to a foreclosure action. The defendant, Robert R. Lewis, appeals from the judgment of foreclosure by sale in favor of the plaintiff, M&T Bank. The defendant claims that the trial court improperly granted the plaintiff’s motion to strike two of the defendant’s special defenses arising from the plaintiff’s conduct in its force placement of flood insurance on the property at issue, alleging that the plaintiff has unclean hands and breached the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing on the ground that those defenses do not arise from the making, validity or enforcement of the mortgage. The plaintiff contends to the contrary, and also argues that the regulatory approval of the premium rate for the property insurance at issue renders the defendant’s special defenses moot under the filed rate doctrine. Having concluded that the filed rate doctrine does not implicate the court’s subject matter jurisdiction, we agree with the defendant’s claims with respect to his special defenses. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the trial court.")

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AC45904 - Stonybrook Gardens Cooperative, Inc. v. Newrez, LLC ("In this omitted party action commenced pursuant to General Statutes § 49-30, the defendant, NewRez, LLC (NewRez), formerly known as New Penn Financial, LLC, doing business as Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing, appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying its motion to open and vacate the judgment of strict foreclosure rendered in favor of the plaintiff, Stonybrook Gardens Cooperative, Inc., a unit owners' association, in connection with NewRez' mortgage on a unit in Stonybrook Gardens Cooperative in Stratford. On appeal, NewRez claims that the court incorrectly determined the amount that NewRez was required to pay to exercise its right of redemption on the basis of a flawed application of § 49-30 and General Statutes § 47-258 and, therefore, improperly denied its motion to open and vacate the foreclosure judgment. We conclude that the court's calculation of NewRez' redemption amount is inconsistent with § 47-258 (b) because it includes amounts other than those expressly permitted thereunder in calculating the plaintiff's priority debt. Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the trial court as it pertains to the redemption amount.")

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AC44582 - Green Tree Servicing, LLC v. Clark ("The self-represented defendant Charles I. Merlis appeals from the judgment of the trial court denying his motion to dismiss the foreclosure action following the judgment of strict foreclosure rendered in favor of the substitute plaintiff, Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, doing business as Christiana Trust, not individually but as trustee for Pretium Mortgage Acquisition Trust (Wilmington). On appeal, the defendant claims that the court improperly denied his postjudgment motion to dismiss the action because the original plaintiff, Green Tree Servicing, LLC (Green Tree), failed to give him proper notice of the state's Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program (EMAP), as required by General Statutes § 8-265ee (a). We disagree because we conclude that the defendant waived his claim. We therefore affirm the judgment of the court.")

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