Connecticut Business Litigation Blog : Connecticut Business Lawyer & Attorney : N. Kane Bennett : Raymond & Bennett Law Firm : Hartford, Middletown, Glastonbury

Each state generally has some type of consumer protection or trade protection law that seeks to prohibit and punish unfair conduct and deceptive acts in trade or commerce.   Most states, including Connecticut, model their laws after section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act.  Section 5 of the FTC Act prohibits unfair or deceptive acts and unfair competition in the marketplace. 

Connecticut's Unfair Trade Practices Act (commonly referred to as CUTPA by attorneys and judges), is codified at Connecticut General Statutes section 42-110b.  CUTPA states, in relevant part, that:

(a) No person shall engage in unfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.

(b) It is the intent of the legislature that . . . the courts of this state shall be guided by interpretations given by the Federal Trade Commission and the federal courts to Section 5 . . . .

(c) The commissioner may . . .establish by regulation acts, practices or methods which shall be deemed to be unfair or deceptive. . . Such regulations shall not be inconsistent with the rules, regulations and decisions of the federal trade commission and the federal courts . . .

(d) It is the intention of the legislature that this chapter be remedial and be so construed.

CUTPA's provisions can be far reaching for businesses and consumers.  For example, under section 42-110g, attorneys who successfully prove a CUTPA violation in Connecticut business litigation may be able to recover attorneys fees, punitive damages, and costs for their clients.  CUTPA's provisions also provide for the ability of attorneys to bring class action lawsuits in Connecticut for unfair or deceptive acts. Additionally, courts can order injunctive relief or other equitable remedies for CUTPA violations.

CUTPA's provisions may be enforced by the various State's Attorneys and the Attorney General, such as the AG's recent lawsuit against Net Health over its loss or exposure of personal identifiers (date of birth, social security number) of Connecticut residents.  Private citizens and businesses may also bring actions for unfair competition or deceptive acts under CUTPA, including class action lawsuits such as the recent case against AT&T over Internet access.

To establish a violation of CUTPA, attorneys in Connecticut have to prove that their clients suffered "any ascertainable loss of money or property, real or personal, as a result of the use or employment of a method, act or practice prohibited by section 42-110g. . ." Generally speaking, this requirement means Connecticut attorneys have to show that their clients sustained damages as a result of an unfair or deceptive act in trade or commerce. 

To determine what constitutes an unfair or deceptive act, Connecticut courts specifically refer back to the Federal Trade Commission and what is commonly referred to as the "cigarette rule."  The cigarette rule defines what type of conduct may qualify as unfair and deceptive justifying an award of compensatory or punitive damages.   This rule dates back to 1964 and comes from legislative policy making by the Federal Trade Commission concerning requirements for warning labels on cigarette packages. 

 The three prongs of the cigarette rule are as follows:

1. whether the practice, without necessarily having been previously considered unlawful, offends public policy as it has been established by statutes, the common law, or otherwise-in other words, it is within at least the penumbra of some common law, statutory, or other established concept of unfairness;
2. whether it is immoral, unethical, oppressive, or unscrupulous;
3. whether it causes substantial injury to consumers, [competitors or other business persons]. . . .

All three criteria do not need to be satisfied to support a finding of unfairness. A practice may be unfair because of the degree to which it meets one of the criteria or because to a lesser extent it meets all three.

It is important to note that not every act or conduct that might seem to fit the criteria will be a violation of CUTPA. For example, generally speaking, mere negligent acts or simple breaches of a contract do not constitute unfair or deceptive acts under CUTPA. It is also important to note that some conduct automatically violates CUTPA or is considered a per se violation, such as failure to follow the Home Improvement Act or to register a trade name.

There are many nuances to CUTPA and the above is only a brief summary. Any business or consumer trying to determine whether they were damaged by conduct constituting a violation of CUTPA should contact a business litigation attorney or the Attorney General's office.

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Recently,the Attorney General's office announced another criminal conviction against a home improvement contractor responsible for many failed home improvement contracts. The report also indicated that the homeowner consumers were going to get some financial relief from the Home Improvement Guaranty Fund (HIGF).  The HIGF offers up to $15,000 in relief to consumers who meet certain conditions including:

• failed contract with a register contractor
• contract was for residential dwelling
• you must first obtain a court judgment against the contractor
• you must take reasonable steps to enforce the judgment without success

Any consumer who meets this criteria can file an application that is posted online.  This applies to home improvements, not new construction.  Consumers of new home construction in Connecticut can apply to the New Home Guaranty Fund (NHGF) for  up to $30,000 in relief.  The same basic criteria apply here, but the fund involves new home construction contracts.

 Many times, when a contractor goes bankrupt or has no assets, the HIGF and NHGF are the only source of recovery for consumers that were victim of defective or negligent construction for new construction and home improvements.  When a consumer decides to bring a lawsuit against a contractor, the first questions asked should be whether the contractor has assets to pay any judgment.  If not, the funds may be the only realistic option for recovery

Of course, the goal is for homeowners to find their way to the many reputable contractors in Connecticut to avoid this type of problem.  Reputable contractors will urge consumers to look up a contractor's history of complaints with the Department of Consumer Protection before signing a contract.  Consumers should also ask for references and follow up on them before signing any contract.  A reputable contractor will have no problem providing several references and examples of work product. 

It is also critical that a consumer check to see if a contractor is properly registered before signing the contract.  Although failing to properly register may be criminal, the lack of registration could prevent a consumer from recovering even the limited amounts under the guaranty funds.

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Connecticut's Home Improvement Act requires contractors performing home improvement services to register and to comply with it provisions concerning contracts with homeowners. The Act has a series of requirements for contracts as follows:

• Contract must be in writing;
• Contract must include the contractors registration number;
• Contract must include four dates: date of signing, date work will begin, date of completion, and date by which the homeowner may cancel the contract; and
• Contract must contain specific notice provision of the homeowner's right to cancel the contract within three business days after signing.

If a contractor fails to comply with these contractual requirements, the contractor risks non-payment by the homeowner.  If a homeowner refuses to pay, the contractor likely will not be able to recover payment with a lawsuit in court absent some showing that the homeowner acted in bad faith.  This can bring about a harsh and inequitable result in some cases.   

In Drain Doctor, Inc. v . Jason Lyman, the Appellate Court recently had to consider the potential harsh consequences of failing to comply with the Home Improvement Act.  The contractor at issue in the case had to perform plumbing work below the surface of the home and driveway in order to make the home habitable.  The contract was oral.

The contractor repaired a sewer a line under the home and a storm drain under the driveway.  The contractor finished the job and then restored the driveway and grass.  The homeowner refused to pay.  The contractor brought a lawsuit, but had it stricken by the trial court because the homeowner alleged that the oral contract did not comply with the Home Improvement Act.

The contractor was a licensed plumber and tried to rely on the exemption in the Home Improvement Act at Connecticut General Statutes 20-248.  The exemption provides that the Act does not apply to:

any person holding a current professional or occupational license issued pursuant to the general statutes, and any person registered pursuant to sections 25-126 to 25-137, inclusive, provided such person engages only in that work for which such person is licensed or registered.
 

The trial court found that the work on the driveway and lawn was outside the scope of the work for licensed plumbers and the exemption did not apply.  This ruling produced a potentially unfair result.  The contractor did the work requested.  The only apparent reason for non-payment was the homeowner's technical reliance on the Home Improvement Act requirements for contracts.  

The Appellate Court overruled the trial court and found that the driveway and grass work was "ancillary" to the work for licensed plumbers.  The Appellate Court looked at the licensing statute to determine the different types of work that plumbers engage in, and then determined that the driveway and lawn restoration was incidental to work directly listed for licensed plumbers.  Therefore, the licensed plumber did not have to comply with the Home Improvement Act.

Although the Drain Doctor decision provides some clarity for contractors on when they need to comply with the Home Improvement Act,  questions will continue as to the scope of the exemption and "ancillary" work.  What should contractors do when faced with a similar situation?  Here are a few tips:

1.  Determine the scope of each project you are estimating.

2.  Consult the licensing provisions for your trade, whether it be electrical, plumbing, heating and cooling, or other trade.  The licensing statute defines the scope of work for the particular trade.  For example, plumbing and piping work is listed and defined here.  If  the work is listed in the definition, and you hold that license, then you likely will not have to comply with the contractual provisions of the Home Improvement Act.

3.  If the scope of the project is outside of the definitions of work for the particular license, you must then consider whether the work is "ancillary" to work that is listed in the definition.  If it is clearly outside the scope of work defined for the license, a contractor should seek to comply with the Home Improvement Act. 

A good starting point for a "how to" on complying with the Home Improvement Act is the Department of Consumer Protection's handbook and guide for contractors. When in doubt, a contractor should consider complying with the Act.  If not, the contractor risks not getting paid even if the work was done properly.

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