241 Conn. 423 | Conn. | 1997
Opinion
The dispositive issue in this appeal is whether the trial court properly granted the plaintiff mortgagee’s motion for summary judgment in an action to foreclose two mortgages, when the defendant mortgagors’ objection to summary judgment was accompanied by an affidavit alleging that certain sums paid into a lockbox had not been accounted for by the plaintiff in determining whether the mortgagors were in default. We conclude that the affidavit was insufficient to show that a genuine issue of material fact existed to defeat the motion for summary judgment and, therefore, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.
The following facts are undisputed. In November, 1987, the defendants Nicholas A. Pastore and Geraldine Pastore,
On June 9, 1995, the plaintiff brought this action seeking strict foreclosure on both mortgages, claiming that the defendants had defaulted on their obligation to pay taxes to the town of Madison. Pursuant to a blanket order issued by Hon. Joseph A. Licari, Jr., administrative judge for the judicial district of New Haven, covering all foreclosure actions in the judicial district, the action was referred to Hon. Donald W. Celotto, judge
On March 29, 1996, the trial court granted the plaintiffs motion for summary judgment because the defendants’ opposition to that motion had not been accompanied by specific, admissible evidence demonstrating the existence of a dispute as to any material fact. Thereafter, on May 10, 1996, the trial court granted the plaintiffs motion for judgment of strict foreclosure and rendered judgment thereon for the plaintiff. The defendants appealed from the judgment of the trial court to the Appellate Court, and we transferred the appeal to this court pursuant to Practice Book § 4023 and General Statutes § 51-199 (c).
On appeal, the defendants claim that the trial court: (1) lacked jurisdiction to decide the plaintiffs motion to strike and motion for summary judgment; (2) improperly granted the plaintiffs motion to strike based upon an assessment of the merits of the defenses, rather than their legal sufficiency; (3) improperly granted the
I
The defendants first claim that the trial court lacked the authority to decide the issues raised in this appeal.
At this time it is useful to recall the history and role of the judge trial referee in our judicial system. This history demonstrates the referees’ importance to the functioning of the judicial branch and provides the proper perspective by which to view their authority.
“It appears that the position of . . . referee was first created by the General Assembly in 1889, when retiring Chief Justice John D. Park was appointed a . . . referee to hear and report the facts of any case referred to him. Public Acts 1889, c. 249, § 1. Various other indi
Judge trial referees “do not sit by specified terms or sessions but hear' cases by special assignments. Many of these cases are long and complicated and the hearings continue over an extended period. The less formal and more elastic method of their hearings is in contrast with the more rigid requirements which must obtain in a regular, continuous, daily trial in court. They serve the very practical purpose of relieving the court’s crowded dockets of matters which can be more readily and conveniently tried in that manner. Housing Authority v. Pezenik, 137 Conn. 442, 445, 78 A.2d 546 [1951].” Florida
“This court has, on several occasions since 1965, reviewed, with approbation, the role of [judge trial] referees. Florida Hill Road Corporation v. Commissioner of Agriculture, [supra, 164 Conn. 365-66], describes the history of the position of . . . referee and concludes . . . that such a referee ‘is not a “judge of the [S]uperior [C]ourt or the [C]ourt of [C]ommon [P]leas” but is sui generis, [and] sits as a special tribunal.’ See also Prince v. Sheffield, 158 Conn. 286, 291, 259 A.2d 621 (1969), and Harbor Construction Corporation v. D. V. Frione & Co., 158 Conn. 14, 16, 255 A.2d 823 (1969). The [judge trial] referee system, as a special tribunal, does not encroach upon, and does not unconstitutionally compete with, other constitutional courts. On the contrary, as we noted in Florida Hill Road Corporation [v. Commissioner of Agriculture, supra, 367], [judge trial] referees ‘serve the very practical purpose of relieving the court’s crowded dockets . . . Monroe v. Monroe, 177 Conn. 173, 180, 413 A.2d 819, appeal dismissed, 444 U.S. 801, 100 S. Ct. 20, 62 L. Ed. 2d 14 (1979). With this history in mind, we turn now to the defendants’ claims.
Relying on the language of § 52-434 (a), the defendants argue that in order for the action to have been properly before a judge trial referee: (1) there must have been a specific referral of the case by the Superior Court to the referee; (2) the issues in the case must have been closed; and (3) the referral must have been only for the purposes of trial, judgment or appeal. The defendants further argue that Practice Book § 430 conflicts with § 52-434, insofar as § 430 appears to grant authority to a judge trial referee to determine matters not pertaining to trial, judgment and appeal, and therefore, to the extent that it conflicts, is invalid. We dis
Initially, we note that nothing in the plain language of either § 52-434 or § 430 forbids the type of blanket referral used by the Superior Court in this case to refer all foreclosure actions to a judge trial referee. The language covering the judicial authority’s right to refer is permissive, and includes no specific instructions as to how such referrals are to be made. Practice Book § 430 does provide, however, that “[t]he clerk shall give notice to each referee of a reference and note in the court file the date of issuance of the notice. . . .” The defendants claim that because the file disclosed no such referral, the trial court could not have had a proper referral and, therefore, had no authority to hear the case. We are not persuaded. Although the instruction to the clerk in § 430, by the use of the word “shall,” gives the appearance that a notation in the file was mandatory to perfect a referral, a more reasonable interpretation of the section is that it is a directory instruction regarding a ministerial function. See Crest Pontiac Cadillac, Inc. v. Hadley, 239 Conn. 437, 446, 685 A.2d 670 (1996) (if provision is designed to promote order, system and dispatch in proceedings, provision is directory).
The defendants argue, however, that even if the blanket order had been appropriate, it was inapplicable to
The defendants next argue that the referral order as it applied to this case was improper because the action was still in its pleading stages. They point to § 52-434 (a) (1), which provides in part that “[t]he Superior Court may refer any civil, nonjury case or with the written consent of the parties or their attorneys, any civil jury case pending before the court in which the issues have
The defendants’ final argument as to the trial court’s authority to hear the case is equally without merit. They contend that the trial court had no authority to rule on the motion to strike or the motion for summary judgment because those motions were pretrial motions, and § 52-434 gives a judge trial referee authority over only trial, judgment and appeal. They further contend that, to the extent that Practice Book § 430 has been interpreted to allow a judge trial referee to decide summary judgment and other pretrial issues, it is in conflict with the statute and the statute must prevail. We see no such conflict. Indeed, it is clear that the language of § 430 merely puts into words the logical assumption that in order for a judge trial referee to decide issues of trial, judgment or appeal, she or he often must first decide
II
The defendants’ second claim on appeal is that, when granting the plaintiffs motion to strike the defendants’ special defenses; see footnote 3 of this opinion; the trial court improperly considered the merits of those defenses. The plaintiff argues in response that the defendants waived their right to appeal this issue when they filed an amended answer and special defenses. We agree with the plaintiff.
“[I]f [an answer] to which a [motion to strike] is sustained is voluntarily replaced by another, the substituted answer takes the place of the original one, which thereafter (unless the substitution was required by the order of the trial court) drops out of the case as fully as does a complaint for which another is substituted. Goodrich v. Stanton, 71 Conn. 418, 424 [42 A. 74 (1899)]; Boland v. O’Neil, [72 Conn. 217, 220, 44 A. 15 (1899)].” Mitchell v. Smith, 74 Conn. 125, 128, 49 A. 909 (1901). Although this court has concluded that in the case of a special defense such waiver is not automatic; Nowak v. Nowak, 175 Conn. 112, 122, 394 A.2d 716 (1978); if the amended special defenses are merely an attempt to correct defects in the original answer and special defenses, the amended answer serves to displace the answer that was stricken, and any right to appeal the stricken answer is waived. Id., 122-23. A close reading of the defendants’ amended special defenses reveals that three of the six new special defenses were substantively the same as the original three special defenses, but had been rewritten so as to correct deficiencies revealed by the plaintiffs motion to strike. Accordingly, we conclude that the defendants waived any right they may have had to appeal the granting of the motion to strike.
The defendants’ third, and central, argument is that the trial court improperly granted the plaintiffs motion for summary judgment as to the defendants’ liability. Specifically, the defendants contend that: (1) their belief that payments sufficient to cover their tax liabilities had been paid into the lockbox so that, consequently, they were not in default under the terms of the Madison and New Haven notes, created a genuine issue of material fact; (2) the trial court improperly shifted the burden of proof to the defendants, as the nonmoving party, to show that a genuine issue of material fact existed; and (3) the trial court improperly refused to allow a continuance for the defendants to conduct further discovery in order to determine if there was a genuine issue of material fact. The plaintiff argues in response that the trial court properly granted the motion for summary judgment because the defendants had made only general averments as to the existence of genuine issues of material fact, but had not offered any admissible evidence to establish such issues. In addition, the plaintiff contends that the trial court acted within its discretion in refusing to allow the defendants a continuance. We agree with the plaintiff.
“The standard of review of a trial court’s decision to grant a motion for summary judgment is well established. Summary judgment shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, affidavits and any other proof submitted show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. Practice Book § 384. In deciding a motion for summary judgment, the trial court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party. . . . Although the party seeking summary judgment has the burden of showing the nonexistence of any material fact ... a party opposing summary judgment must substantiate its adverse claim
The defendants’ objection to the motion for summary judgment was accompanied by an affidavit from Nicholas Pastore, asserting that certain rental payments and fees had been deposited into the lockbox to which only the plaintiff had access, and that to Pastore’s knowledge the plaintiff had not accounted properly for those payments. The affidavit further alleged that, to Pastore’s knowledge, some $163,200 had been deposited into the lockbox by the tenants of the Madison property. The defendants did not offer any affidavits by the tenants, nor did they call any of the tenants to testify at the summary judgment hearing with regard to their payment of rents and other fees. At the hearing, Nicholas Pastore testified that his knowledge of the payments
The defendants contend, however, that they were unable to provide more sufficient evidence because the trial court improperly refused to allow them a continuance to conduct further discovery pursuant to Practice Book § 382.
In the absence of an abuse of discretion, a trial court’s decision to deny a motion for continuance pursuant to Practice Book § 382 will not be interfered with by an appellate court. Plouffe v. New York, New Haven &
IV
In their final claim, the defendants argue that the trial court improperly rendered a judgment of strict foreclosure without determining whether certain sums included in the judgment had accrued before or after the plaintiff had accelerated the notes secured by the two mortgages. Specifically, the defendants contend that $5863.38 in late charges accrued after the notes had been accelerated and after the plaintiff had made a demand for payment, and that such accrual was improper as a matter of law.
Despite having cross-examined the plaintiffs primary witness at great length at the hearing regarding the plaintiffs motion for strict foreclosure, the defendants did not raise the issue of the late charges before the trial court. Had they wished to challenge those fees, they could have done so at that time. Absent special
The judgment is affirmed.
In this opinion the other justices concurred.
Thirteen other parties were also named as defendants in the plaintiffs complaint by virtue of various attachments, liens and lease agreements involving the Pastores’ real property that is subject to the mortgages at issue in this case. Hereinafter, all references to the defendants are to Nicholas and Geraldine Pastore.
Great Country Bank was the original plaintiff in this action. Centerbank, as successor in interest to Great Country Bank, was substituted as plaintiff on April 2, 1996. On March 7, 1997, First Union Bank of Connecticut (First
In their special defenses, the defendants claimed that the plaintiff: (1) had failed to credit payments properly and to account properly for those payments; (2) had breached its duty of good faith and fair dealing by contacting and negotiating with prospective buyers of the defendants’ property; and (3) based on the facts and circumstances of the case, should be denied the equitable remedy of foreclosure.
The validity of the judge trial referee system depends upon strict compliance with General Statutes § 52-434, the statute creating that system, so that the judge trial referee “does not encroach upon, [or] unconstitutionally compete with, other constitutional courts.” Monroe v. Monroe, 177 Conn. 173, 180, 413 A.2d 819, appeal dismissed, 444 U.S. 801, 100 S. Ct. 20, 62 L. Ed. 2d 14 (1979). The defendants contend that, because § 52-434 was not followed, the judge trial referee unconstitutionally encroached upon the jurisdiction of the Superior Court. We conclude that, because there was substantial compliance with the statute, the constitutionality of the system is not at issue.
General Statutes § 52-434 provides in pertinent part: “State referees, (a) Appointment of retired judges and members of the bar. Cases referred. (1) Each judge of the Supreme Court, each judge of the Appellate Court, each judge of the Superior Court and each judge of the Court of Common Pleas who ceases or has ceased to hold office because of retirement other than under the provisions of section 51-49 and who is an elector and a resident of this state shall be a state referee for the remainder of his term of office as a judge and shall be eligible for appointment as a state referee during the remainder of his life in the manner prescribed by law for the appointment of a judge of the court of which he is a member. The Superior Court may refer any civil, nonjury case or with the written consent of the parties or their attorneys, any civil jury case pending before the court in which the issues have been closed to such a state referee who shall have and exercise the powers of the Superior Court in respect to trial, judgment and appeal in the case. The Superior Court may, with the consent of the parties or their
“(b) Judge trial referees. The Chief Justice may designate, from among the state referees, judge trial referees to whom criminal and civil cases and juvenile matters may be referred. Criminal cases and civil cases of an adversary nature shall be referred only to state referees who are designated as trial referees. Juvenile matters shall be referred only to trial referees who are specifically designated to hear juvenile cases. No such designation may be for a term of more than one year. . . .”
Although there were changes made to § 52-434 three times since 1995, when this action was instituted; see Public Acts 1995, No. 95-80 (deleted requirement of written consent for referral of criminal cases in subsection [a] ); Public Acts 1995, No. 95-225 (authorized referral of juvenile matters to trial referees specifically designated to hear juvenile cases in subsection [b] ); and Public Acts 1996, No. 96-37 (changed “state trial referee” to “judge trial referee”); the changes were technical, not substantive. For purposes of this opinion, references to § 52-434 are to the 1997 revision.
Practice Book § 430 provides in relevant part: “In addition to matters required to be referred to a trial referee, the judicial authority may refer any civil nor\jury case or, with the written consent of the parties or their attorneys, any civil jury case, pending before such court, in which the issues have been closed, to a trial referee, who shall have and exercise the powers of the superior court in respect to trial, judgment and appeal in such case. Any case referred to a trial referee shall be deemed to have been referred for all further proceedings and judgment, including matters pertaining to any appeal therefrom, unless otherwise orderedbefore or after the reference. The court may also refer to a trial referee any motion for summary judgment and any other pretrial matter in any civil nonjury or civil jury case.”
In addition, we note that, just as “[t]he evident puipose of the statutes and rules relating to the divisions of the Superior Court was not to impose any jurisdictional limitation on judges but to achieve greater efficiency in the administration of the judicial department”; Savage v. Aronson, 214 Conn. 256, 262, 571 A.2d 696 (1990); the evident purpose of Practice Book § 430 was to extend the jurisdiction of the judge trial referee, and not to create or to limit his or her jurisdiction.
By the defendants’ own admission, their tax shortfall was somewhere between $175,000 and $226,540. Therefore, even if the defendants’ claim that some $163,200 had been paid into the lockbox had been supported by admissible evidence, when viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the nonmoving party, there was still no genuine dispute as to the defendants’ default.
Practice Book § 382 provides: “Should it appear from the affidavits of a party opposing the motion that he cannot, for reasons stated, present facts essential to justify his opposition, the court may deny the motion for judgment or may order a continuance to permit affidavits to be obtained or discovery to be had or may make such other order as is just.”