DocketNumber: No. 324066
Citation Numbers: 1992 Conn. Super. Ct. 5632, 7 Conn. Super. Ct. 989
Judges: <footnote_body>[EDITOR'S NOTE: This case is unpublished as indicated by the issuing court.]</footnote_body> CELOTTO, JUDGE
Filed Date: 7/20/1992
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/17/2021
Upon the motion of the plaintiff Dime Savings Bank of New York to strike this case from the jury list, the court rules as follows:
(1) As to the foreclosure proceeding the court exercises its discretion and orders that the motion to strike is granted. A foreclosure action is an equitable action and is not triable as of right to a jury. Hartford Federal Savings Loan Assoc. v. Lenczyk,
(2) "A counterclaim is an independent action . . . [and] the question presented is whether the defendants' counterclaim is essentially legal or essentially equitable." United States Trust Co. v. Bohart, supra, [sic] 45. The counterclaim must be read as a whole to determine whether the action is essentially legal or essentially equitable. Id.; Texaco, Inc. v. Golart, supra. [sic] "The form of the relief demanded is not dispositive." United States Trust Co. v. Bohart, supra. A claim of damages does not necessarily CT Page 5633 make the action essentially one at law. Id., 460, quoting Dick v. Dick,
In this case, the first count alleges a violation of 12 U.S.C. § 170x (c)(5)(A) and 12 U.S.C. § 170x(c)(5)(B)(ii), the second count alleges a violation of
(3) The only count that remains to be considered is the fourth count which alleges a violation of CUTPA. There is currently a split of authority at the Superior Court level as to whether CUTPA claims are triable to a jury. A number of Superior Court cases have held that CUTPA claims are legal in nature. See Czarsty v. University of Bridgeport School of Law, [
Other cases have held that while CUTPA claims are legal in nature, they are collateral to foreclosure actions. See CBS Financial Corp. v. Levy,
One case has held that a CUTPA claim is not a cause of action which was triable to a jury prior to 1818, and actions established by statute are generally not tried before a jury. Associate Investment Co. Ltd. Partnership v. Williams Associates IV,
While the right the plaintiff seeks to enforce is statutory and legislatively created, the legislature cannot deprive a party to a legal common law cause of action of his right to a jury trial by simply codifying the cause of action. Skinner v. Angliker, supra, [sic] 375. "The test . . . is the nature of the issue, not whether the action is statutory." Windham Community Memorial Hospital v. Windham,
Following the majority of Superior Court cases, count four is essentially legal in nature and is entitled to be tried to a jury. Therefore, the motion to strike from the jury docket is denied.