Connecticut General Statutes 22a-452a – State lien against real estate as security for amounts paid to clean up or to remove hazardous waste. Notice and hearing
(a) On and after June 3, 1985, any amount paid by the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection pursuant to subsection (b) of section 22a-451 to contain and remove or mitigate the effects of a spill or to remove any hazardous waste shall be a lien against the real estate on which the spill occurred or from which it emanated or against real estate where no spill occurred but from which hazardous waste was removed provided such hazardous waste did not enter such real estate through surface or subsurface migration. Any such lien shall be filed in accordance with the provisions of this section, except that such lien against real estate which has been transferred in accordance with the provisions of sections 22a-134 to 22a-134d, inclusive, shall not have priority over any previous transfer or encumbrance. The amount of the lien shall include administrative costs, as set forth in subsection (a) of section 22a-451, as of the date of the filing of the lien. Any costs incurred subsequent to the filing of the lien may be the subject of another lien.
Terms Used In Connecticut General Statutes 22a-452a
- another: may extend and be applied to communities, companies, corporations, public or private, limited liability companies, societies and associations. See Connecticut General Statutes 1-1
- Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Energy and Environmental Protection or his designated agent. See Connecticut General Statutes 22a-423
- discharge: means the emission of any water, substance or material into the waters of the state, whether or not such substance causes pollution. See Connecticut General Statutes 22a-423
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
- Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
(b) A lien pursuant to this section shall not be effective unless (1) a certificate of lien is filed in the land records of each town in which the real estate is located, describing the real estate, the amount of the lien, the name of the owner as grantor, and (2) the commissioner mails a copy of the certificate to the owner of record and to all other persons of record holding an interest in such real estate over which the commissioner’s lien is entitled to priority. Upon presentation of a certificate of lien, the town clerk shall endorse thereon his identification and the date and time of receipt and forthwith record it in accordance with section 42a-9-519.
(c) (1) Before filing a lien under this section, the commissioner shall give the owner of the property on which the lien is to be filed and mortgagees and lienholders of record a notice of his intent to file a certificate of lien, as provided in this subsection.
(2) The notice required under this subsection shall be sent by certified mail or served in the manner for serving civil process and shall provide the following: (A) A statement of the purpose of the lien; (B) a brief description of the property to be affected by the lien; (C) a statement of the sum of the expenses incurred by the commissioner in containing, removing or mitigating the effects of a spill or removing hazardous waste; (D) a brief statement of the facts demonstrating probable cause that the property is the subject of the expenses incurred by the commissioner; and (E) the time period following service during which any recipient of such notice whose legal rights may be affected by the lien may request a hearing before the commissioner. A request for a hearing under this subsection must be received by the commissioner on or before thirty days following the service of the notice of intent to file a certificate of lien. A hearing held pursuant to a request filed under this subsection shall be limited to determining, in a summary manner, probable cause for filing the certificate of lien.
(d) In the absence of a timely request for a hearing, the certificate of lien may be filed on the land records immediately. If a hearing is held, the commissioner may issue a decision authorizing the filing of a certificate of lien on the land records, denying the filing of a certificate of lien or authorizing the filing and modifying the amount of the certificate of lien.
(e) Within thirty days after the filing of the certificate of lien pursuant to this section, any property owner, mortgagee or other lienholder of record who has been served with a copy of the certificate of lien and whose legal rights may be affected by the lien may file with the commissioner a request for a hearing limited to the issues of a reduction in the amount of the lien or a discharge of the lien in its entirety. If requested, the commissioner shall hold a hearing as soon thereafter as practicable. There shall be no stay of a decision by the commissioner authorizing the filing of a certificate of lien unless the party seeking a stay has posted a surety acceptable to the commissioner in an amount sufficient to cover the full amount of the lien plus interest and costs.
(f) Except as provided in subsection (a) of this section, such lien shall take precedence over all transfers and encumbrances recorded on or after June 3, 1985, in any manner affecting such interest in such real estate or any part of it on which the spill occurred or from which the spill emanated, or real estate which has been included, within the preceding three years, in the property description of such real estate and is contiguous to such real estate. This subsection shall not apply to real estate which consists exclusively of residential real estate, including, but not limited to, residential units in any common interest community, as defined in section 47-202.
(g) In the case of all other real estate, including real estate which consists exclusively of residential real estate, including but not limited to, residential units in any common interest community, as defined in section 47-202, the lien shall take precedence over any transfer or encumbrance recorded after the commissioner files with the town clerk notice of intent to file a lien on the land records in the town in which the real estate is located.
(h) When any amount with respect to which a lien has been recorded under the provisions of this section has been paid or reduced, the commissioner, upon request of any interested party, shall issue a certificate discharging or partially discharging such lien, which certificate shall be recorded in the same office in which the lien was recorded. The town clerk shall note the recording of the certificate of discharge upon the original notice of lien. Any action for the foreclosure of such lien shall be brought by the Attorney General in the name of the state in the superior court for the judicial district in which the property subject to such lien is situated, or, if such property is located in two or more judicial districts, in the superior court for any one such judicial district, and the court may limit the time for redemption or order the sale of such property or make such other or further decree as it judges equitable.