by Structured Settlement Watchdog
State of CT and its Courts duped by forum shopping structured settlement factoring companies circumventing NY Courts
The “New York to Connecticut caper” appears to have been an alternative route to the New York to Sumter County Florida express 
“plane, train or automobile” that has been on mothballs since 2016 reforms to Florida’s structured settlement protection act that require factoring petitions to be submitted in the county where the seller resides.
Several years ago I questioned a case where a young Bronx New York man, 18, who at the time of his CT transfer petition, worked for an hourly wage in New York City, with a proclivity for posing for and posting selfies of himself on Facebook in his pizza uniform with a backdrop of an assortment of paper towels and toilet paper rolls in the bathroom/supply room at the Famous Famiglia pizza restaurant at 630 Eighth Ave in New York City, in addition to him in a suit in front of the subject Connecticut courthouse for a transfer hearing.
And with all due respect to Famous Famiglia pizza, CT (and in particular New Haven CT) has some of the best pizza places in the USA. See Welcome to the Pizza Capital of the U.S. | CTvisit. An hourly stint with a costly 3 hour round commute, the cost of which would wipe out most of the earnings at Famous Famiglia, or a local place near the purported residence?
Further references about New Haven CT pizza history
Frank Pepe Pizza The Birth of New Haven’s Famous White Clam Apizza – New England Historical Society
Coaching the Use of a “Flop House: to Quickly “Establish Residency” in CT for a Court Filing?
What is a CT Resident?
A Connecticut Resident is an individual that is domiciled in Connecticut for the entire tax year. If you maintained a permanent place of abode in Connecticut and spent more than 183 days in the state, you are also considered to be a resident
See What is my residency status for Connecticut? – Support
What the requirements to get a standard Connecticut driver’s license or ID before 2018?
Before the introduction of the REAL ID in Connecticut in 2018, the requirements for obtaining a standard driver’s license or ID card were as follows:
- Proof of Identity: You needed to provide a primary document such as a U.S. passport, birth certificate, or permanent resident card.
- Proof of Social Security Number: A Social Security card or a W-2 form was required.
- Proof of Connecticut Residency: You had to provide two documents proving your residency in Connecticut, such as utility bills, bank statements, or lease agreements.
- Proof of Age: A birth certificate or other document verifying your age was necessary.
- Proof of Name: Documents like a passport or birth certificate were used to verify your name.
The REAL ID Act was passed by the U.S. Congress in 2005, but it took several years for states to implement the requirements. Connecticut began issuing REAL IDs to residents in 2018.
FORMS OF PROOF OF CONNECTICUT RESIDENCY since Real ID:
You must provide two (2) different forms of documentation from
the list below to prove Connecticut residency.
These documents must be from two (2) different sources and
MUST:
• Show your name and your Connecticut residence address
• Be dated within ninety (90) days (unless stated otherwise
below)
• Be computer generated (typed)
• Be a hard copy
NOTE: The parent(s) or legal guardian(s) residing at the same
address of a minor may provide any two (2) of the acceptable
documents, addressed to the parent(s) or legal guardian(s), to
prove the minor’s residency.
Acceptable Documents
- Bill from a bank or mortgage company, utility company, credit
card company, doctor or hospital - Postmarked mail (address may be handwritten)
- Bank statement showing the bank’s name and mailing address
- Pre-printed pay stub showing your employer’s name and address
- Property or excise tax bill dated within the previous twelve
(12) months - Valid unexpired CT driver’s license, learner’s permit or ID card
with the same address - Current valid homeowner’s, renter’s policy or motor vehicle
insurance card or policy dated within the previous 12 months - Current valid Connecticut motor vehicle registration
- Current motor vehicle loan statement for a motor vehicle registered in your name
- Residential mortgage, lease or rental contract showing signatures from all parties needed to execute the agreement and dated within the previous twelve (12) months
- Change-of-address confirmation from the United States Postal Service showing your prior and current address (Form CNL107)
- Official school records showing address
The Flop House Residency Scheme
- I’ve recently learned of another structured settlement transfer, where the transfer petition was filed in CT using a New Haven mailing address.
- The New York resident was instructed by the factoring representative to obtain a CT driver’s license using the New Haven address where the individual did not reside. But the caper is eye-opening.
- The owner of what was essentially being used as a “flop house”, was purportedly paid a fee by the factoring company for the single night the seller was instructed to stay there! Should there be an investigation into how many times that has happened at that New Haven address?
- Some structured settlement factoring companies exploit the desperation of their victims by luring them into schemes that could be deemed fraudulent, aware that the victims could face legal challenges if they contest later.
- Subsequently, the structured settlement factoring companies that use the scheme exploit their victims for pennies on the dollar with the help of their Connecticut legal teams and the courts, the latter of which are financed by the taxpayers of Connecticut.
If you have a structured settlement and you are being coached (or have been coached in the past) by the buyer of structured settlement payment rights to lie about a residence in CT to get an idea let us know.
The obvious question
Which Members of the CT Bar Participated in this scheme?
- What did any members of the bar in the State of Connecticut know about the ruse?
- How many cross-border forum shopping deals involving the same lawyers have been conducted in the State of Connecticut since 2016?
- And a strange coincidence perhaps, a review of the CT Court transfer records on one of the cases together with the Florida Secretary of State at sunbiz.org, revealed there was a Boca Raton factoring company and its Assignee was SuttonPark.
Related Reading about Forum Shopping