- Who sends it
- The lender's lawyer, served on you by a state marshal
- What it starts
- Deadlines counted from the return date: Appearance by day 2, mediation forms by day 15, unemployment protection by day 25
- Do this first
- Find the return date and file an Appearance (JD-CL-12) and Foreclosure Mediation Certificate (JD-CV-108)
What these papers are in Connecticut
Every Connecticut home foreclosure goes through Superior Court. The writ and summons start the case and name the court and the return date. The complaint is the lender's claim. The court's Uniform Foreclosure Standing Orders (JD-CV-104) require the notice "You Are Being Sued and You Are in Danger of Losing Your Property" (JD-CV-103) to be attached on top in every residential foreclosure.
That notice tells you to file an Appearance, to work with your lender, and to contact a HUD-certified housing counselor. It gives CHFA's call center number, 1-877-571-2432, and 2-1-1. If you live in the home, the papers must also include the mediation notice, a Foreclosure Mediation Certificate and a blank Appearance form (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-31l(a)).
What it does and does not mean
- It means a lawsuit has started. It is not a judgment, a law day or a sale date.
- You do not go to court on the return date. It is the date the case is officially in court, and your deadlines count from it.
- You do not have to move out.
- If you do not file an Appearance, you will not get notice of what happens and the court can enter a default against you (JD-CV-103).
- The case can end in a strict foreclosure with a law day or a foreclosure by sale. See how foreclosure works in Connecticut.
The deadlines and how to count them
- Find the return date on the summons. Do not count the return date itself; day 1 is the next calendar day.
- Appearance: court rules say it should be filed on or before the second day after the return date (Practice Book § 3-2). A later Appearance is still accepted unless a default judgment has already entered.
- Mediation: file the Appearance (JD-CL-12) and Foreclosure Mediation Certificate (JD-CV-108) no later than 15 days after the return date (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-31l(c), (d)).
- Protection for unemployed or underemployed homeowners: apply no later than 25 days after the return date (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-31e).
- Pleadings in foreclosure cases move in 15-day steps, not the usual 30 (Practice Book § 10-8). In a mediation case, you may still file an answer, but most other motions are paused for up to 8 months from the return date (§ 49-31l(f)).
What to do this week
- Write the return date and the 2nd, 15th and 25th days after it on your calendar.
- File the Appearance and, if you live in the home, the Foreclosure Mediation Certificate with the court named on the summons, and send a copy of the certificate to the lender's lawyer.
- Call the Department of Banking Foreclosure Assistance Hotline at 1-877-472-8313 for time-sensitive questions.
- Call Statewide Legal Services at 1-800-453-3320 or the Connecticut Fair Housing Center at 860-247-4400.
- If you lost your job or your income dropped sharply, ask legal aid about the § 49-31e application before day 25.
- Read how to stop foreclosure in Connecticut.
Proceed with caution
The court's own notice warns that people may contact you offering to help you avoid foreclosure. It says to get legal advice before making any deal involving your house or paying anyone, and not to sign papers you do not understand. Fee-charging foreclosure help needs a Department of Banking debt negotiation license (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 36a-671).
The rest of the Connecticut process
See how foreclosure works in Connecticut, the timeline, ways to stop it and free help in Connecticut, or read the national guide to this letter.
Common questions
Do I have to go to court on the return date on my Connecticut foreclosure summons?
No. The Judicial Branch says you do not need to come to court on the return date. It is the date your deadlines count from. File your Appearance and mediation certificate instead.
What is the Connecticut "You Are Being Sued" notice?
It is court form JD-CV-103, titled "Notice About the Residential Foreclosure Process." The court's standing orders require it on top of the summons and complaint in every residential foreclosure. It is a court notice, not legal advice about your case.
What if I miss the 15-day mediation deadline in Connecticut?
The court will not assign the case to mediation on its own after 15 days (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 49-31l(d)). You can file a motion (JD-CV-96) with your Appearance and certificate asking a judge to let you in late, and the court can refer a case to mediation for good cause at any time (§ 49-31l(e)).
Other Connecticut letters
- Notice of intent to foreclose (EMAP notice)Before a Connecticut lender can start a foreclosure on a covered home loan, it must mail you this notice by registered or certified mail. It gives you 60 days from the date of the notice to meet or talk with the lender or a counseling agency and to contact the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) about emergency mortgage assistance. It is not a lawsuit yet.
- Notice to Homeowner or Religious Organization: Availability of Foreclosure Mediation (JD-CV-127)If you own and live in a 1 to 4 family home, this court notice explains the free Ezequiel Santiago Foreclosure Mediation Program. You must file the Foreclosure Mediation Certificate and an Appearance within 15 days after the return date. While mediation is open, no foreclosure judgment can enter.
- Judgment of strict foreclosure and law day letterA judgment of strict foreclosure sets law days. If you do not pay the full debt, with costs, by your law day, title passes to the lender with no auction and no surplus. If you did not file an Appearance, the lender must mail you a letter about the judgment within 10 days.
- Judgment of foreclosure by sale and sale date letterWhen a judge orders a foreclosure by sale, the court appoints a committee to auction the home at noon on the property on a set date. If you did not file an Appearance, the lender must mail you a letter within 10 days. The sale is not final until the court approves it, and leftover money can go to you.
- Application and Execution for Ejectment, Mortgage Foreclosure (JD-CV-30)After title passes in a Connecticut foreclosure, the new owner can get an execution for ejectment from the court. A state marshal serves it, and removal cannot happen until at least 5 business days after service. Belongings left behind go to town storage and can be sold if not claimed within 15 days.
Sources
- Conn. Gen. Stat. chapter 846 (§§ 49-31e, 49-31l)
- Connecticut Judicial Branch: Notice About the Residential Foreclosure Process, JD-CV-103 (PDF)
- Connecticut Judicial Branch: Uniform Foreclosure Standing Orders, JD-CV-104 (PDF)
- Connecticut Practice Book, 2026 edition (§§ 3-2, 10-8)
- Connecticut Judicial Branch: Foreclosure Mediation Homeowner FAQ
- Connecticut Department of Banking: Avoiding Foreclosure