The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Judge blocks evictions
10-day stay shields tenants from being forced out — for now
With some renters in Connecticut facing the double whammy of lost wages due to the coronavirus crisis coupled with rent checks coming due in a few weeks, a state judge issued a stay on any eviction actions for the coming 10 days.
On Monday, the governor of California gave municipalities explicit power to prohibit apartment owners and other landlords from evicting tenants, as San Francisco became the first major city to issue a “shelter in place” order limiting people from leaving their properties save for essential needs during the novel coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order extends through the end of May, and also limits banks from initiating foreclosure proceedings on homeowners. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a similar order on Tuesday, without setting an expiration date.
Under Connecticut law, tenants can file a response in court to any eviction notice, creating a mandated mediation process as an initial step in advance of any trial on the eviction attempt. On Monday, the State of Connecticut’s Judicial
Branch limited any legal motions and hearings before judges to “priority 1 business functions” through March 27, in the words of Judge Patrick L. Carroll III, chief court administrator. That list is comprised of criminal, juvenile detention and major family probate matters.
On Tuesday, Judge James W. Abrams, in his role as Connecticut’s chief administrative judge for civil matters, issued an immediate stay of any pending evictions through the same date.
The office of Gov. Ned Lamont did not say immediately on Tuesday whether the governor would issue any executive order along the lines of Newsom’s to dissuade landlords from attempting any unilateral actions.
The state Department of Housing is instructing any residents who find themselves in a housing emergency to call the state’s 211 information line for assistance.
In advance of the 2008 collapse of the mortgage market during the tenure of Gov. M. Jodi Rell, the General Assembly introduced a circuit breaker on foreclosures, requiring banks to negotiate with borrowers on repayment plans under the oversight of court-appointed mediators. Bankers and housing advocates credited the law with helping to keep more people in their homes during the subsequent recession.
On Tuesday, the parent company of Waterbury-based Webster Bank issued a 90-day moratorium on any foreclosure actions among several measures intended to reduce pressure on borrowers, including options for payment deferrals on other kinds of personal and small business loans.
On Tuesday, President Trump said that an emergency spending bill eyed at potentially $1 trillion would likely include checks to help people meet immediate living expenses, with the possibility of additional measures through the deferment of taxes coming due.