DocketNumber: No. CV94 0536547
Citation Numbers: 1995 Conn. Super. Ct. 2617
Judges: ALLEN, STATE JUDGE REFEREE.
Filed Date: 3/21/1995
Status: Non-Precedential
Modified Date: 4/17/2021
Defendant moves to strike several counts of the complaint which allege violations of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act (Conn. Gen. Stat. §
The court holds that CUTPA does apply to the defendant in this action. The State alleges that the defendant, a commercial for-profit professional fund-raiser, violated the Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act and that defendant is a paid solicitor. Defendant argues that CUTPA does not apply to the defendant because it is not engaged in "trade" or "commerce." The court disagrees. "Trade" and "commerce" by definition includes "the distribution of any services . . . in this state." General Statutes § 42-110(a)(4). The defendant is a business which performs fund-raising services in this state as a registered paid solicitor. Paid solicitor is defined by General Statutes §
The defendant further argues that it is not engaged in "trade" or "commerce" because its clients are charitable organizations. The court disagrees. According to defendant's argument, if a non-profit organization is exempt from CUTPA so too is its fund-raiser even if the fund-raiser violates laws for which it alone is legally responsible. In any event, even if the defendant were a non-profit organization (which it clearly is not), the terms of CUTPA would apply. State, et al v. Cancer Fund of America. Inc.,et al,
The defendant argues that CUTPA is unconstitutional as applied to this case. It claims that the speech of charitable organizations when engaged in the solicitation of funds is fully protected by the
Defendant claims that CUTPA as applied to it is unconstitutionally vague or overbroad. The court does not believe that the terms of CUTPA are unconstitutionally vague or overbroad as interpreted by the courts. Our Supreme Court has provided specific definitions of "unfair" and "deceptive."
For "deceptive" the Connecticut Supreme Court has said: "`First, there must be a representation, omission, or other practice likely to mislead consumers. Second, the consumers must interpret the message reasonably under the circumstances. Third, the misleading representation, omission, or practice must be material — that is, likely to affect consumer decisions or conduct,'" quoting from Figgie International, Inc., 107 F.T.C. 313, 374 (1986). Caldor, Inc. v. Heslin,
In Conaway v. Prestia,
"(1) whether the practice, without necessarily having been previously considered unlawful, offends public policy as it has been established by statutes, the common law, or otherwise — whether, in other words, it is within at least the penumbra of some common law, statutory, or other established concept of unfairness; (2) whether it is immoral, unethical, oppressive, or unscrupulous; (3) whether it causes substantial injury to consumers . . ." [citation committed].
The United States Supreme court has held that in assessing the vagueness of a statute, the defendant's conduct must be examined. "In determining the sufficiency of notice, a statute must of necessity be examined in the light of the conduct with which a defendant is charged." United States v. National Dairy ProductsCorp.,
The defendant's claim that CUTPA is vague should also be considered in light of the fact that a defendant may not challenge a statute for vagueness if his conduct is clearly proscribed by that statute. As the United States Supreme Court stated in Parker v. Levy,
"Moreover, even if the outermost boundaries of § 818 [the challenged statute] may be imprecise, any such uncertainty has little relevance here, where appellants' conduct falls squarely within the `hard-core'; of the statute's proscriptions . . ."
In U.S. v. Boffa,
In summary, the court holds that CUTPA does apply to the defendant's alleged conduct. The defendant is not a charity but a for-profit business clearly engaged in "trade" or "commerce." Furthermore, charitable organizations are not exempt from CUTPA.
Frances Allen State Judge Referee CT Page 2621