O.J. Mann Electric Services, Inc. v. Village at Kensington Place Ltd. Partnership
O.J. Mann Electric Services, Inc. v. Village at Kensington Place Ltd. Partnership
Opinion of the Court
Opinion
The plaintiff, O.J. Mann Electric Services, Inc., appeals from the trial court’s judgment rendered in favor of the defendant, The Village at Kensington Place Limited Partnership,
The following facts and procedural history are relevant to our disposition of the plaintiffs appeal. On October 4, 2002, the plaintiff brought this action to foreclose a mechanic’s lien against the defendant. The parties agreed to have the case decided on a stipulation of facts and trial briefs on the basis of the defendant’s special defense of good faith. The parties filed their briefs on June 7 and 10, 2004. By letter dated July 2, 2004, the court informed the parties that it had not received the briefs until June 30, 2004, and that it would consider June 30, 2004, to be the date from which “the 120 days for issued decision” would run. Although the defendant expressly consented to the modified start date for the 120 days by letter dated July 14, 2004, the plaintiff did
We first consider the defendant’s contention that the plaintiffs claim has been rendered moot as a result of (1) a decision by the court following its initial judgment and (2) the substitution of a letter of credit for the mechanic’s lien. The question of mootness implicates our subject matter jurisdiction. Connecticut Coalition Against Millstone v. Rocque, 267 Conn. 116, 125, 836 A.2d 414 (2003). Accordingly, we must address this threshold issue before reaching the merits of the plaintiffs appeal.
Mootness “imposes a duty on the court to dismiss a case if the court can no longer grant practical relief to the parties. . . . Mootness presents a circumstance
The defendant makes two arguments in support of its claim that the appeal is moot. First, it contends that because the court allowed the substitution of a letter of credit for the claimed lien, there is no practical relief that can be afforded to the plaintiff. Second, the defendant argues that the court made factual findings with respect to the 120 day extension subsequent to its initial decision, from which the plaintiff has not appealed, therefore rendering the present appeal moot. We disagree with both arguments.
The defendant’s claim that the substitution of the letter of credit for the lien renders the appeal moot warrants little discussion. The letter of credit was contingent on the plaintiffs receiving judgment in its favor. Substituting a letter of credit for the hen did not extinguish the practical relief that this could afford the plaintiff should we determine that the court lacked personal jurisdiction to render its judgment for the defendant. The defendant’s second mootness argument, that the court’s subsequent decision in which it made findings of fact rendered the present appeal moot, also lacks merit. The court granted the plaintiffs motion to rear-gue but denied the relief requested and, therefore, did
“Section 51-183b is . . . legislation that, in order to reduce delay and its attendant costs, imposes time limits on the power of a trial judge to render judgment in a civil case.” Waterman v. United Caribbean, Inc., 215 Conn. 688, 691, 577 A.2d 1047 (1990). Section 51-183b provides: “Any judge of the Superior Court and any judge trial referee who has the power to render judgment, who has commenced the trial of any civil cause, shall have power to continue such trial and shall render judgment not later than one hundred and twenty days from the completion date of the trial of such civil cause. The parties may waive the provisions of this section.” (Emphasis added.)
“These implied consent cases establish that an unwarranted delay in the issuance of a judgment does not automatically deprive a court of personal jurisdiction. Even after the expiration of the time period within which a judge has the power to render a valid, binding judgment, a court continues to have jurisdiction over the parties until and unless they object. . . . Such consent may be implied from the conduct of the parties or their attorneys, in proceeding without objection with the trial or argument of the case, in remaining silent until the judgment has been rendered or in failing to object seasonably after the filing of the decision.” (Citation omitted; internal quotation marks omitted.) Rowe v. Goulet, 89 Conn. App. 836, 844-45, 875 A.2d 564 (2005).
In order to resolve this appeal, we must determine whether the plaintiff waived the statutory time requirements set forth in § 51-183b. It is undisputed that the stipulation of facts and briefs were filed by June 10,
We note initially that the court has the authority to request an extension of the 120 day rule pursuant to the language of § 51-183b. Although the plaintiff characterizes the court’s letter to the parties on July 2, 2004, as an order rather than a request, we are satisfied that regardless of its form, the court was essentially providing notice to counsel of its view that the 120 day period did not commence until June 30, 2004. Whether that notice could fairly be characterized as a request or merely a reflection of the court’s understanding of the time period, the plaintiff did nothing in response. Clearly, the plaintiff did not expressly consent to the extension. As we stated in Rowe v. Goulet, supra, 89 Conn. App. 845, however, such “consent may be implied from the conduct of the parties or their attorneys, in proceeding without objection with the trial or argument of the case, in remaining silent until the judgment has been rendered or in failing to object seasonably after the filing of the decision.” In Rowe, we concluded that the party challenging the timeliness of the court’s decision had “by implication, consented to the timing of the scheduling and rescheduling of the court’s hearings and its ultimate judgment in the matter” on the basis of his conduct prior to and following the court’s judgment, including his continued participation in scheduled proceedings and the absence of any objection prior to judgment. Id., 845-46.
The judgment is affirmed.
In this opinion the other judges concurred.
Several subsequent encumbrancers also were named as defendants in this action, but they are not parties to this appeal. We therefore refer in this opinion to The Village at Kensington Place Limited Partnership as the defendant.
During the pendency of this appeal, the plaintiff filed a motion to reargue its prejudgment motion for a mistrial and a motion to open the judgment on the basis of the court’s having rendered its decision past the 120 day limitation in General Statutes § 51-183b. By memorandum of decision dated January 9, 2006, the court determined that it had not exceeded the 120 days. The plaintiff has not appealed from that decision.
We note that the procedural history of this case prior to and during the appeal presents a quagmire with respect to our reviewability of the plaintiffs claim. Because the plaintiff has not amended his appeal, the court’s decision on the motion to reargue is not part of the record and, therefore, we cannot review it in conjunction with its decision of December 17, 2004. See generally O’Bymachow v. O’Bymachow, 10 Conn. App. 76, 79, 521 A.2d 599 (1987). As stated, however, because the court denied the relief requested, that decision does not render the present appeal moot.
If the completion of trial was June 10, 2004, the 120 day limit would expire on October 8, 2004. By extending that date by twenty days to June 30, 2004, the 120 days would expire on October 28, 2004.
The plaintiff argues that the court’s order on October 20,2004, for supplemental briefs was not relevant to the disposition of the case and that therefore its response to that order should not be interpreted as consent to the extension of the completion date of the trial. As we have previously stated, “[t]he completion date of trial, for purposes of the 120 day time limit of [General Statutes] § 51-183b, begins to run from the date that the parties file posttrial briefs or other material that the court finds necessary for a well reasoned decision.” (Internal quotation marks omitted.) Bramwell v. Dept. of Correction, 82 Conn. App. 483, 488, 844 A.2d 957 (2004). The court’s order reflected its concern with its subject matter jurisdiction over the claim. It is well established that subject matter jurisdiction “may be raised by a party, or by the court sua sponte, at any stage of the proceedings, including on appeal.” Peters v. Dept. of Social Services, 273 Conn. 434, 441, 870 A.2d 448 (2005). Accordingly, the plaintiffs argument fails.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- O.J. MANN ELECTRIC SERVICES, INC. v. THE VILLAGE AT KENSINGTON PLACE LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
- Cited By
- 4 cases
- Status
- Published