Court Opinion

ID: 9749501
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-27 16:47:53.392043+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:50.340421
License: Public Domain

Shea, J.
(dissenting). This case marks the first time this court has held that failure to comply with a statutory venue provision constitutes a defect in jurisdiction over the subject matter. “Venue is not a jurisdictional question but a procedural one.” 77 Am. Jur. 2d, Venue $ 1. A statutory requirement fixing the place where an action must be brought is regarded as existing for the convenience of the litigants and simply confers a privilege not to be required to attend court at a particular location. Id., § 45. Accordingly, it may be waived by the parties, unlike subject matter jurisdiction, which cannot be conferred by consent. Ibid. Heretofore we have followed these well-established principles in distinguishing venue from jurisdiction. Guerriero v. Galasso, 144 Conn. 600, 604, 136 A.2d 497 (1957); Fine v. Wencke, 117 Conn. 683, 684, 169 A. 58 (1933); Mower v. State Department of Health, 108 Conn. 74, 77, 142 A. 473 (1928). In Savings Bank of Danbury v. Downs, 74 Conn. 87, 89-90, 49 A. 913 (1901), a case cited by the majority, where the statute specified that a scire facias action against a garnishee should be brought to the court where the judgment had been rendered, noncomplianee was treated as jurisdictional. The court viewed this requirement, however, as created not for the bene*208fit of a party but as resting upon the “deeper foundation” of the public interest in keeping all of the records pertaining to a case at one location.
The majority opinion concludes that strict compliance with the place requirement for filing an appeal is necessary because of its nature as a creature of statute. All of the cases of this court which are cited in support of that proposition involve noncomplianee with a time specification rather than a designation of court location. Royce v. Freedom of Information Commission, 177 Conn. 584, 418 A.2d 939 (1979); Vecchio v. Sewer Authority, 176 Conn. 497, 408 A.2d 254 (1979); In re Nunez, 165 Conn. 435, 334 A.2d 898 (1973); LaReau v. Reincke, 158 Conn. 486, 264 A.2d 576 (1969); Chanosky v. City Building Supply Co., 152 Conn. 449, 208 A.2d 337 (1965); Daley v. Board of Police Commissioners, 133 Conn. 716, 54 A.2d 501 (1947). Time limitations for taking appeals do not exist merely for the convenience of the parties but involve a strong public interest in the finality of legal proceedings. For this reason they have been generally regarded as jurisdictional. 2 Am. Jur. 2d, Administrative Law § 719. Defects of venue in appeals from administrative agencies have not been given the same effect. Industrial Addition Assn. v. Commissioner, 323 U.S. 310, 65 S. Ct. 289, 89 L. Ed. 260 (1945); Peoria S PUR Co. v. United States, 263 U.S. 528, 535-36, 44 S. Ct. 194, 68 L. Ed. 427 (1924). In two cases decided by this court, both administrative agency appeals, the contention that a failure to bring an appeal to the proper court location destroyed subject matter jurisdiction was expressly rejected. Guerriero v. Galasso, supra, 604; Mower v. State Department of Health, supra, 77. Such a deviation from the statute creating the right of *209appeal “is merely one in venne, for the Superior Court is one court for the whole State.” Mower v. State Department of Health, supra. The use of the mandatory “shall” in the statutory designation of venue was not regarded as precluding the application of this familiar venue principle. Guerriero v. Galasso, supra; see General Statutes (1955 Sup.) § 379d. It is not clear from the silent treatment given to these precedents in the majority opinion whether they are being overruled or disregarded.
An additional reason for my disagreement is the enactment of General Statutes § 51-351 which became effective on July 1, 1978, while this action was pending in the trial court but before the trial court decided the motion to dimiss.1 This statute provides that “[n]o cause shall fail on the ground that it has been made returnable to an improper location.” The rationale of the majority is that, despite this statute, a venue defect in an administrative appeal goes to subject matter jurisdiction the absence of which deprives the court of any power to transfer a case. This view is wholly inconsistent with the action this court has taken on numerous occasions in transferring appeals properly within the jurisdiction of the appellate session of the Superior Court to that court pursuant to Practice Book § 3076 and in accepting appeals transferred to us from that court for a lack of jurisdiction pursuant to Practice Book § 1068. It is also contrary to our conclusion upholding the exercise of the power to transfer cases brought to the wrong court as formerly authorized by General Statutes § 52-32 (repealed effective July 1, 1978, Public Acts 1976, No. 76-436, §148). Chieppo v. Robert E. McMichael, Inc., 169 Conn. 646, 651, 363 A.2d 1085 *210(1975); Felletter v. Thompson, 133 Conn. 277, 280, 50 A.2d 81 (1946); Wooley v. Williams, 105 Conn. 671, 673, 136 A. 583 (1927). Jurisdiction is simply the power of the court to act in the particular situation. If a rule of practice can confer authority to transfer, a fortiori the legislature, which is constitutionally authorized to define the “power and jurisdiction” of the court subject to the limitation that its essential characteristics not be changed; Styles v. Tyler, 64 Conn. 432, 456, 30 A. 165 (1894); may do so. Conn. Const., art. V $ 1.
There can hardly be any question but that the legislature intended to authorize the transfer of cases such as the appeal of this plaintiff in enacting § 51-351, because there is no other established mechanism for implementing this declaration of policy. Already in existence was § 51-347b which authorized transfer of “[a]ny cause” by order of the court on its own motion or the motion of any party. The use of the broader word “cause” in this statute, as well as in § 51-351, instead of “action” makes it clear that the authority to transfer extends to administrative appeals as well as ordinary civil actions. Connecticut Light and Power Co. v. Costle, 179 Conn. 415, 423, 426 A.2d 1324 (1980).
Because the position of the majority that a venue defect defeats jurisdiction over the subject matter renders § 51-351 wholly nugatory even in respect to appeals commenced after its effective date, consideration of whether this statute should be applied retroactively in the pending case has been relegated to a footnote in the majority opinion. “[A]s regards statutes which are general in their terms and affect matters of procedure, the presumption is that they are intended to apply in all actions, whether pend*211ing or not.” E. M. Loew’s Enterprises, Inc. v. International Alliance, 127 Conn. 415, 418, 17 A.2d 525 (1941); Zalewski v. Waterbury Mfg. Co., 89 Conn. 46, 48, 92 A. 682 (1914); see 73 Am. Jur. 2d, Statutes § 354. The enactment of § 51-351 was intended as a procedural reform and it does not affect any substantive rights. See Sherry H. v. Probate Court, 177 Conn. 93, 101, 411 A.2d 931 (1979). The location of the courtroom where a case is to be heard can hardly be classified as substantive. I think we should honor the legislative mandate that “no cause shall fail” for a venue defect and follow the rule recognized by the majority that a procedural statute not changing substantive rights should ordinarily be given retroactive effect unless “considerations of good sense and justice dictate that it not be so applied.” Carvette v. Marion Power Shovel Co., 157 Conn. 92, 96, 249 A.2d 58 (1968). What the considerations are which have induced the majority not to adhere to this principle I am unable to ascertain.
I would find error in the granting of the motion to dismiss because the venue defect relied upon does not involve jurisdiction and because the legislature’s intention in enacting § 51-351 was to provide the remedy of transfer rather than dismissal in such a situation. Therefore, I dissent.
In this opinion Parskey, J., concurred.

 The motion to dismiss was not filed until April 25, 1979.