Glossary

Housing court terms, in plain English.

Definitions of the terms you will see in Connecticut court forms and in ProSay. These are general definitions, not legal advice.

Affidavit: A written statement of facts that you swear is true, signed in front of a notary, a Commissioner of the Superior Court (a lawyer), or a court clerk. Courts rely on affidavits, so false statements in them carry serious consequences.
Answer: The defendant's formal written response to a complaint, stating which of its numbered allegations they admit and which they deny. Filing an answer on time keeps the case moving toward a hearing instead of a default.
Appearance: The court form that tells the clerk you are participating in your case. Filing it puts your name and address on record so the court and the other party send you copies of everything. It does not mean you admit anything.
Certification of service: The statement at the end of a court document confirming you delivered a copy to the other party, including how and when you delivered it. Most documents filed after the case begins require one.
Claim of exemption: A form someone who lives in the home, but was not named in the eviction case, can file to ask the court not to remove them under that judgment.
Complaint: The paper that says what the case is about and what the person filing it wants.
Continuance: A court-approved postponement of a hearing or deadline. Only the court can grant one; asking for a continuance does not mean you have it.
Court clerk: The court staff who accept filings, maintain case records, and schedule court events. Clerks can answer questions about procedure but are not allowed to give legal advice.
Default: A ruling against a party for failing to respond or show up on time. A defaulted party can ask the court to set the default aside, but the court decides whether to do so.
Defendant: The party a court case is filed against. In an eviction, the defendant is the tenant. In a divorce, the defendant is the spouse who did not file the case.
Docket number: The number the court clerk assigns to your case. It identifies your case in the court's system, and it goes on every document you file.
E-services: The Connecticut Judicial Branch's online system for filing documents and looking up cases. Some case types allow or require electronic filing; others still use paper.
Entry and detainer: The law that forbids a landlord from taking possession by force or self-help instead of going to court. A tenant who has been locked out can bring an entry and detainer case to get back in.
Eviction: The court process a landlord must use to remove a tenant. In Connecticut a landlord cannot legally remove a tenant, change locks, or shut off utilities without a court judgment and a marshal carrying out an execution.
Execution for possession: The final court document that authorizes a state marshal to remove a tenant after an eviction judgment. The marshal, not the landlord, carries it out and must give notice before doing so.
Fair rent commission: A town board that can review complaints that a rent or rent increase is excessive. Not every town has one, and its process is separate from an eviction case.
Fee waiver: Permission from the court to skip filing fees and certain service costs because you cannot afford them. You request it by filing an application, and the court decides based on your finances.
Foreclosure: A lender's court case to take a property when the mortgage is not paid.
Hearing: A court proceeding where a judge listens to the parties and decides an issue. Some hearings resolve one motion; others resolve the whole case.
Housing code: State and local standards for safe and livable housing, covering things like heat, water, structural safety, and pests. Serious violations can be the basis for a housing code enforcement case.
Housing session: The part of Connecticut Superior Court that handles landlord and tenant cases in certain judicial districts. If your district has one, housing cases are heard there.
Judgment: The court's decision resolving the case. After judgment, deadlines may run for appeals, stays, or enforcement.
Judgment of possession: A court decision giving the landlord the legal right to possession of the home. It starts the clock on the time a tenant has before an execution can issue.
Jurisdiction: The court's power to decide a case.
Lapse of time: A reason for eviction meaning the lease or rental period has ended. It does not accuse the tenant of doing anything wrong; it says the agreed rental time is over.
Lockout: A landlord removing a tenant, changing locks, or shutting off services without a court order. Lockouts are illegal in Connecticut, and a tenant can ask the court for an order restoring possession.
Mediation (housing): A meeting with a court housing mediator where landlord and tenant try to reach an agreement instead of going to trial. Mediators do not decide the case and do not represent either side.
Motion: A written request asking the court to order something in your case. Motions are filed with the clerk, and the other party has a chance to respond.
Nonpayment of rent: The most common reason for eviction, meaning rent was not paid within the time the law allows after it came due. Payment history and the exact dates involved matter in these cases.
Nonsuit: An order ending a case because a party did not do what the court required.
Notarization: Having a notary public or court clerk witness your signature on a sworn document. It confirms that you are the person who signed and that you signed under oath.
Notice to Quit: The written notice a landlord must deliver before starting an eviction case. It tells the tenant to move out by a stated date. Receiving one does not mean you have been evicted; only a court can order that.
Oath: A formal promise that what you are saying or signing is true. Statements made under oath carry legal penalties if they are knowingly false.
Objection: A written response telling the court you oppose something the other party has asked for. Objections usually respond to motions and explain why the request should be denied.
Plaintiff: The party who starts a court case. In an eviction, the plaintiff is the landlord. In a divorce, the plaintiff is the spouse who files first.
Pleading: A formal court document that states a party's claims or responses, such as a complaint or an answer. Pleadings define what the case is about.
Practice Book: The rulebook for how Connecticut court cases proceed, including deadlines, formats, and required steps. Court forms and procedures follow it.
Pro se: Latin for "for oneself." A person who handles their own court case without a lawyer. Connecticut courts also use the term self-represented party. Pronounced "pro say."
Quiet enjoyment: A tenant's legal right to use the rented home without unreasonable interference from the landlord. It does not mean silence; it means possession without disturbance of the tenancy.
Reply to special defenses: The landlord's written response to a tenant's special defenses, admitting or denying each one. It is the last pleading before an eviction case is ready for trial.
Return date: The date on the summons that starts the court's clock. It is not a hearing date and you do not go to court that day. Other deadlines in your case are counted from it.
Section 8: Federal rental assistance paid through a housing authority.
Security deposit: Money a tenant pays at the start of a tenancy that the landlord holds as protection against damage or unpaid rent. Connecticut law limits how much can be charged and sets rules for returning it, with interest, after the tenancy ends.
Self-represented party: The Connecticut courts' term for a person handling their own case without a lawyer. It means the same thing as pro se.
Serious nuisance: Conduct the eviction law treats as serious, such as violence or damage to the property. The landlord can end the tenancy without first giving a warning notice.
Served: Court papers were officially delivered to a person, usually by a state marshal, so that person knows about the case.
Service of process: The official delivery of court papers to a party. Connecticut generally requires service by a state marshal at the start of a case, so the court knows the other party actually received the papers.
Special defenses: Legal reasons a tenant states in writing for why the landlord should not win even if the complaint's allegations are true. They are filed together with the answer.
State marshal: An official authorized to deliver court papers and carry out certain court orders. Marshals charge a fee for service, which can be included in a fee waiver request.
Stay of execution: A court-ordered pause after an eviction judgment that gives the tenant more time before a marshal can remove them. The tenant must apply for it, and the law limits how long a stay can last.
Stipulation: A written agreement between the parties that is filed with the court. If the court approves it, the stipulation has the force of a court order.
Summary process: Connecticut's legal name for an eviction case. It is called summary because it moves faster than most other lawsuits, with shorter deadlines at every step.
Summons: The court paper that tells the other side a case has started and when to respond.
Use and occupancy: Payments a court may order a tenant to make for continuing to live in the home while an eviction case is pending. Paying use and occupancy is not an admission that back rent is owed.

Looking for divorce and custody terms? Family court glossary.