Unless otherwise provided by rule, the forms of legal process for commencement of civil actions may be as follows:

(1) Summons for appearance before the Superior Court.

To any proper officer:

By authority of the state of Connecticut, you are hereby commanded to summon A.B. of .... (list address or last known address) to appear before the superior court for the judicial district of .... on the .... Tuesday of ...., 20.., the appearance not to be in person but to be made by A.B. or his attorney by filing a written statement of appearance with the clerk of the court whose address is ...., (include street number and town) on or before the second day following the return date then and there to answer to C.D. of .... in a civil action, in which the plaintiff complains and says: ....

I, J.W., the subscribing authority, hereby certify that I have personal knowledge as to the financial responsibility of the plaintiff, and deem it sufficient; or, E.F. of .... is recognized in $.... to prosecute, etc.

Of this writ with your actions thereon make due return.

Dated at .... the .... day of ...., 20..

J.W., Commissioner of the Superior Court.

(2) Writ of attachment before the Superior Court.

To any proper officer:

By authority of the state of Connecticut, you are hereby commanded to attach to the value of .... dollars the real or personal property of A.B. of .... (list address or last known address) and him summon to appear before the superior court for the judicial district of .... on the .... Tuesday of ...., 20.., the appearance not to be in person but to be made by A.B. or his attorney by filing a written statement of appearance with the clerk of the court whose address is ...., (including street number and town) on or before the second day following the return date then and there to answer to C.D. of .... in a civil action, in which the plaintiff complains and says: ....

I, J.W., the subscribing authority, hereby certify that I have personal knowledge as to the financial responsibility of the plaintiff, and deem it sufficient; or, E.F. of .... is recognized in $.... to prosecute, etc.

Of this writ with your actions thereon make due return.

Dated at .... this .... day of ...., 20..

J.W., Commissioner of the Superior Court.

(1949 Rev., S. 7812; 1959, P.A. 28, S. 173; 1969, P.A. 520, S. 1; P.A. 74-183, S. 82, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 127, 681; P.A. 77-497, S. 1, 7; 77-576, S. 43, 65; 77-604, S. 61, 84; P.A. 78-280, S. 103, 127; P.A. 82-160, S. 8.)

History: 1959 act substituted circuit court for justice of the peace; 1969 act divided section into Subsecs. and amended form to specify Tuesday as day of appearance and to specify that appearance is to be made by person summoned or his attorney by filing statement of appearance with court clerk on or before second day following return date; P.A. 74-183 substituted “superior court” for “circuit court” and “county” for “circuit” where appearing, reflecting transfer of jurisdiction and amended Subsec. (c) to apply to court of common pleas specifically rather than to unspecified “other courts”, effective December 31, 1974; P.A. 76-436 removed court of common pleas from purview of section, deleting reference to it in Subsec. (a) and entire Subsec. (c) which had stated that similar forms were to be used in common pleas court, reflecting transfer of all trial jurisdiction to superior court, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 77-497 removed from forms statement of dollar damages claimed by plaintiff; P.A. 77-576 clarified forms by providing for addresses of person summoned or person whose property is attached and court clerk and by specifying that appearance “is not to be in person”; P.A. 77-604 changed effective date of P.A. 77-497 but not with respect to this section; P.A. 78-280 referred to judicial districts rather than counties and specified that forms are to be used “unless otherwise provided by rule”; P.A. 82-160 replaced “mesne process in civil actions” with “legal process for commencement of civil actions”, replaced references to sheriff, deputy and constable with “any proper officer”, replaced “goods or estate” with “real or personal property” and made other minor technical changes; Sec. 52-90 transferred to Sec. 52-45b in 1983; (Revisor's note: In 2001 the references in this section to the date “19..” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “20..” to reflect the new millennium).

See Sec. 52-185 re bond for prosecution.

See Sec. 52-279 re conditions required for granting an attachment.

Annotations to former section 52-90:

A writ in an action at law for damages is fatally defective if it contains no ad damnum clause; 47 C. 19; but see as to appeal from commissioners on an insolvent estate; 83 C. 34; and as to appeal from board of relief. 109 C. 360. Cited. 113 C. 79; 132 C. 515; 162 C. 255. Attachment by writ must comply with chapter 903a. 167 C. 623.

Cited. 6 CS 156; 35 CS 237; 36 CS 47; 38 CS 389.

Annotations to present section:

Cited. 207 C. 547; 225 C. 13.

Language in citation in zoning appeal that required defendant to appear and answer but did not state that appearance need not be in person and could be made by filing a written statement was defective, but the defect was circumstantial and dismissal was not warranted. 50 CS 513.