Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-118 (2026)

Action by assignee of chose in action

✓ current as of May 2026

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The assignee and equitable and bona fide owner of any chose in action, not negotiable, may sue thereon in his own name. Such a plaintiff shall allege in his complaint that he is the actual bona fide owner of the chose in action, and set forth when and how he acquired title.

(1949 Rev., S. 7840; P.A. 82-160, S. 36.)

History: P.A. 82-160 rephrased section.

Who may sue under section. 36 C. 88; Id., 296; 39 C. 375; 99 C. 451; 102 C. 434; 106 C. 69. It does not preclude suit in name of assignor. 39 C. 349; 99 C. 451; 102 C. 434. Plaintiff held, on averments of answer, not to be a bona fide owner of the claim. 49 C. 487. Assignee has only equitable title. 52 C. 173. Mere loan of a chose in action insufficient to constitute holder a bona fide owner. 55 C. 127. Ordinarily, assignee stands in shoes of assignor. 64 C. 544; 70 C. 277; 79 C. 575; 82 C. 152; 85 C. 429. Cited. 65 C. 115. Omission of statutory averment is a formal defect of pleading. 71 C. 616. “Bona fide owner” defined. 72 C. 703. Assignee may sue under section or at common law, in assignor's name. Id., 261; 79 C. 693. Assignment of proceeds of note, not assignment of note; assignment of note before receiver is appointed as bar to action by him. 74 C. 317. Effect of denial of bona fide ownership. 75 C. 675; burden of proof and evidence. 88 C. 368. Attorney may purchase claim and sue in his own name. 85 C. 260. Rights of assignee of judgment. 82 C. 208. Changing parties where assignment made after action begun. 73 C. 378. Assignment merely to confer jurisdiction not bona fide; 72 C. 701; 78 C. 495; 121 C. 343; nor one to effect illegal purpose. 77 C. 457. Assignee of claims as collateral may be bona fide owner. 78 C. 211; Id., 679; 79 C. 208. That assignor retains interest in proceeds may not prevent bona fide ownership of assignee. 76 C. 229; 87 C. 50. Waiving lack of allegation. 71 C. 613; 75 C. 256. Right of assignor to sue. 71 C. 616; 74 C. 320. Raising question by plea in abatement. 85 C. 260; 121 C. 343. Assignment pending action will not defeat it. 92 C. 428. Common law rule as to champerty and maintenance does not obtain in Connecticut; question is whether transaction is opposed to public policy. 106 C. 69. While under the acts of Congress, an assignment made simply for the purpose of creating a diversity of citizenship will not afford a basis of removal from the state to the federal courts, an assignment made to avoid such a diversity will be effective to prevent a removal; assignment for purpose of preventing removal to federal court does not give assignee equitable and bona fide ownership on which he could sue in Connecticut. 122 C. 588. Cited. 123 C. 376. Buyer of entire business may enforce by action in own name restrictive covenant of former employee. 126 C. 515. Omission of allegation of “bona fide” ownership is merely defect of pleading challengeable by demurrer but not by a postjudgment motion. 167 C. 334. Cited. 219 C. 465.

Cited. 5 CA 427.

Omission in complaint of the averment that plaintiff was the actual and bona fide owner of the chose in action held a formal defect in pleading. 10 CS 367. Cited. 11 CS 164.

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Notes of Decisions

Cited in 7 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1974–2021 · leading case: Bouchard v. People's Bank, 594 A.2d 1 (Conn. 1991).

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Bouchard v. People's Bank, 594 A.2d 1 (Conn. 1991). · cites it 14× “Bouchard, pleaded sufficient facts in his complaint to state a cause of action against the defendant, People’s Bank, as the assignee of certain choses in action under General Statutes § 52-118. 1 See Practice Book § 190.”

Bankers Trust of California, N.A. v. Neal, 779 A.2d 813 (Conn. App. Ct. 2001). · cites it 4× “On January 3, 2000, the court found the value of the property to be $127,000 and found the debt to United to be $128,347.”

Citibank, N.A. v. Stein, 199 A.3d 57 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 2× “The statute authorizing standing in this [foreclosure] case is General Statutes § 52-118, which provides in relevant part that an assignee .”

U.S. Bank Nat'l Assn. v. Christophersen, 180 A.3d 611 (Conn. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 2× “" General Statutes § 52-118... provides in relevant part that [an] assignee .”

Dime Sav. Bank v. Arpaia, 738 A.2d 715 (Conn. App. Ct. 1999). · cites it 2× “The statute authorizing standing in this case is General Statutes § 52-118, which provides in relevant part that “[an] assignee .”

Textron, Inc. v. Wood, 355 A.2d 307 (Conn. 1974). “ess Textron has a right of its own in the subject of the controversy which a decree can affect; the defendant claims the complaint in this action did not allege, nor is there a specific finding, that Textron is the “bona fide owner” and assignee of a chose in action which it…”

HSBC Bank USA, NA v. Harris (D. Conn. 2021). · cites it 2× “See Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-118 (“The assignee and equitable and bona fide owner of any chose in action, not negotiable, may sue thereon in his own name.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.