An Act Concerning The Recovery Of Attorney's Fees And Costs In Actions For Wrongful Property Tax Assessment.
Summary
HB 6545 would amend section 12-119 of the Connecticut General Statutes to allow a taxpayer who wins a lawsuit challenging a wrongful property tax assessment to recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Under current law, the bill indicates that prevailing applicants in these actions do not have an explicit statutory right to recover those litigation expenses, and the proposal would create that remedy for successful challengers.
The bill is narrowly focused on property tax assessment appeals and would affect both taxpayers and municipalities. By shifting the potential cost of litigation, it could make it easier for property owners to pursue claims that their property was assessed unlawfully or excessively, while also increasing the financial exposure of local taxing authorities when they lose such cases.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend Connecticut General Statutes section 12-119 to authorize fee-and-cost recovery in successful wrongful property tax assessment actions. This would change the remedies available in property tax litigation by adding attorney's fees and costs to the relief a prevailing applicant may obtain, potentially influencing how municipalities defend assessment disputes and how taxpayers evaluate whether to bring suit.
Sentiment
No committee transcript or recorded vote is provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate or partisan sentiment in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears to be a targeted taxpayer-relief measure intended to support successful challengers of improper assessments.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the cost-shifting effect of the bill. Supporters would likely view the measure as a fairness provision that helps taxpayers who must spend money to correct an unlawful assessment, while opponents may argue it could encourage more litigation and increase costs for municipalities and local tax bases. The bill does not include any compromise language or limits beyond requiring that fees and costs be reasonable.