2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 47a - Landlord and Tenant
Chapter 832 - Summary Process
Section 47a-39 - (Formerly Sec. 52-546). Court may grant stay of execution.

Upon the hearing on such application in the Superior Court the judgment of the trial court shall stand, but upon such hearing if it appears that the premises, judgment for possession or occupancy of which has been rendered, are used for dwelling purposes and are not excluded by the provisions of section 47a-36; that the applicant cannot secure suitable premises for himself and his family elsewhere within the city or town or in a city or town adjacent thereto in a neighborhood reasonably comparable to that in which the premises occupied by him are situated; that he has used due diligence and reasonable effort to secure other premises; that his application is made in good faith, and that he will abide by and comply with such terms and provisions as the court may prescribe, the court may grant a stay of execution for a period or for periods in the aggregate not exceeding six months from the date of the judgment in the summary process action upon such conditions and terms as appear fair and equitable, except that such stay of execution shall not exceed three months in the aggregate if the reason for the judgment against the defendant was nonpayment of rent; provided in the case of an applicant who is a resident in a mobile manufactured home park and owns his own unit and has received notice pursuant to subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 21-80 or an applicant who is a conversion tenant, as defined in section 47-283, or who at the time of conversion was residing in a dwelling unit in a building or on property which has been declared a conversion condominium, at the end of such six-month period the court may extend such stay of execution under the same or different conditions and terms for an additional period not exceeding nine months taking into consideration the age of the applicant, the size of the applicant’s family, the length of time of such applicant’s tenancy and the availability of suitable alternative housing. Such extended stay may be reviewed every two months. The court shall consider all the circumstances of the case, the equities involved and whether any undue hardship would result to either party. Such conditions and terms may include the requirement that the applicant shall pay to the plaintiff in the summary process action such amount in such installments from time to time and in such manner as the court may direct, for the use and occupancy of the premises for such period of the stay, at the rate to which he was liable as rent for the month immediately prior to the expiration of his term or tenancy, if any, and any assessment for current common expenses not already included in the rent as provided in subsection (b) of section 47-76, if any, or such sum as may be determined by the court to be reasonable for such use and occupancy. Such payment shall also include all rent unpaid prior to the period of such stay.

(1949 Rev., S. 8288; 1949, 1955, S. 3226d; 1957, P.A. 291, S. 5; 1961, P.A. 509, S. 7; P.A. 74-183, S. 119, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 509, 681; P.A. 80-370, S. 2, 9; P.A. 87-358, S. 4; P.A. 90-242, S. 2, 5 P.A. 91-383, S. 20; P.A. 96-74, S. 6.)

History: 1961 act substituted circuit for common pleas court, specified hearing be on application, deleted stipulation judgment shall not stand where writ of error has been issued and provision for issuance of stay by judge and added stay may be for periods in the aggregate not exceeding six months; P.A. 74-183 replaced circuit court with court of common pleas, effective December 31, 1974; P.A. 76-436 replaced court of common pleas with superior court, effective July 1, 1978; Sec. 52-546 transferred to Sec. 47a-39 in 1977 and reference to Sec. 52-543 revised to reflect its transfer; P.A. 80-370 added proviso re applicants residing in dwelling units declared conversion condominiums, specified that extended stays may be reviewed every two months and authorized that payments for use and occupancy of premises may include assessment for current common expenses; P.A. 87-358 increased from six to nine months the extended stay of execution which the court may grant to an applicant in a conversion condominium; P.A. 90-242 authorized an extended stay of execution for a resident in a mobile manufactured home park who owns his own unit and has received notice pursuant to Sec. 21-80(b)(1)(E); P.A. 91-383 replaced “an applicant residing in a dwelling unit which has been declared a conversion condominium” with “an applicant who is a conversion tenant, as defined in section 47-283, or who at the time of conversion was residing in a dwelling unit in a building or on property which has been declared a conversion condominium”; P.A. 96-74 replaced condition that the premises “come within the classification of premises as set forth in section 47a-36” with condition that the premises “are not excluded by the provisions of section 47a-36” and added exception, formerly part of Sec. 47a-35, that the stay of execution shall not exceed three months if the reason for the judgment against the defendant was nonpayment of rent.

Cited. 36 CS 623. Cited. 38 CS 70.