Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a § 47a-42
(Formerly Sec. 52-549). Eviction of tenant and occupants from residential property. Removal and sale of unclaimed possessions and personal effects.
Operative Text
(a) Whenever a judgment is entered against a defendant pursuant to section 47a-26, 47a-26a, 47a-26b or 47a-26d for the recovery of possession or occupancy of residential property, such defendant and any other occupant bound by the judgment by subsection (a) of section 47a-26h shall forthwith remove himself or herself, such defendant's or occupant's possessions and all personal effects unless execution has been stayed pursuant to sections 47a-35 to 47a-41, inclusive. If execution has been stayed, such defendant or occupant shall forthwith remove himself or herself, such defendant's or occupant's possessions and all personal effects upon the expiration of any stay of execution. If the defendant or occupant has not so removed himself or herself upon entry of a judgment pursuant to section 47a-26, 47a-26a, 47a-26b or 47a-26d, and upon expiration of any stay of execution, the plaintiff may obtain an execution upon such summary process judgment, and the defendant or other occupant bound by the judgment by subsection (a) of section 47a-26h and the possessions and personal effects of such defendant or other occupant may be removed by a state marshal, pursuant to such execution, and delivered to the place of storage designated by the chief executive officer for such purposes. (b) Before any such removal, the state marshal charged with executing upon any such judgment of eviction shall give the chief executive officer of the town notice of the eviction, stating the date, time and location of such eviction as well as a general description, if known, of the types and amount of property to be removed from the premises and delivered to the designated place of storage. After giving such notice to the chief executive officer of the town, the state marshal shall use reasonable efforts to locate and notify the defendant not less than twenty-four hours before the date and time such eviction is to take place and of the possibility of a sale pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. Such notice shall include service upon each defendant and upon any other person in occupancy, either personally or at the premises, of a true copy of the summary process execution. Such execution shall be on a form prescribed by the Judicial Department, shall be in clear and simple language and in readable format, and shall contain, in addition to other notices given to the defendant in the execution, a conspicuous notice, in large boldface type, that (1) a person who claims to have a right to continue to occupy the premises should immediately contact an attorney, (2) provides clear instructions as to how and where the defendant may reclaim any possessions and personal effects removed and stored pursuant to this section, including a telephone number that may be called to arrange release of such possessions and personal effects, and (3) any person who remains at the property after the time of the eviction as listed on the execution when a state marshal returns to conduct the eviction removal and fails to vacate when directed to do so may be subject to arrest for criminal trespass in the first degree, in violation of section 53a-107. (c) Whenever the possessions and personal effects of a defendant are removed by a state marshal under this section, such possessions and effects shall be delivered by such marshal to the designated place of storage. The plaintiff shall pay the state marshal for such removal in accordance with the provisions of subsection (b) of section 52-261. Such removal and delivery shall be at the expense of the defendant and may be recovered by the plaintiff. If such possessions and effects are not reclaimed by the defendant and the expense of such storage is not paid to the chief executive officer within fifteen days after such eviction, the chief executive officer shall sell the same at public auction, after using reasonable efforts to locate and notify the defendant of such sale and after posting notice of such sale for one week on the public signpost nearest to the place where the eviction was made, if any, or at some exterior place near the office of the town clerk. The chief executive officer shall deliver to the defendant the net proceeds of such sale, if any, after deducting a reasonable charge for storage of such possessions and effects. If the defendant does not demand the net proceeds within thirty days after such sale, the chief executive officer shall turn over the net proceeds of the sale to the town treasury.
Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-42, once a court enters a judgment for possession of residential property and any stay of execution has expired, the defendant and other bound occupants are required to vacate and remove their belongings. If they do not leave voluntarily, a state marshal may carry out the eviction and transport remaining possessions to a designated storage location. The town's chief executive officer oversees storage, and if the defendant does not reclaim belongings and pay storage costs within fifteen days, those items may be sold at public auction, with net proceeds held for the defendant for thirty days before being turned over to the town treasury.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-42 establishes the process that follows a summary process judgment, and compliant operators generally coordinate with the state marshal and the town's chief executive officer rather than taking self-help measures to remove a tenant or their belongings. Landlords (as plaintiffs) are responsible for paying the state marshal's removal fees upfront, though those costs may be recoverable from the defendant. Keeping clear records of the judgment, any stay of execution, and all communications with the marshal helps document compliance with the statutory process.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 47a-42 gives occupants the right to receive at least twenty-four hours' advance notice before a marshal-executed eviction, along with a copy of the execution that must explain in plain language how to reclaim stored belongings and include a contact number for arranging their release. If possessions are removed to storage, tenants generally have fifteen days to reclaim them and cover storage costs before the town may proceed with a public auction, and any net sale proceeds are held for thirty days. Tenants who believe their rights under this provision have not been followed may consider contacting a tenant-rights organization, a legal aid office, or consulting an attorney to understand available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 17, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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