The plaintiff shall file no pleading to such notice, but may meet the facts set up therein by any proper evidence.
Section 17-39.—No Reply Allowed
Current through August 12, 2025 (2026 Practice Book edition) · Last verified July 9, 2026
In one sentenceThe plaintiff files no responsive pleading to a defendant’s notice of defense but can rebut it at the hearing with any proper evidence.
Full Text of Section 17-39
Amendment History
(P.B. 1978-1997, Sec. 373.)
Plain-English Summary
Once a defendant files a notice of defense, the plaintiff does not respond to it with a pleading of any kind. Instead, the plaintiff meets the facts the defendant raised in the notice through proper evidence presented at the hearing in damages. This keeps the hearing-in-damages process moving without an added round of pleadings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the plaintiff have to answer a notice of defense?
No. Section 17-39 says the plaintiff files no pleading in response to the notice.
How does the plaintiff address the facts raised in a notice of defense?
The plaintiff can meet those facts with any proper evidence offered at the hearing in damages.
Why is there no pleading step after a notice of defense?
The rule is built to move the hearing forward without an extra layer of pleadings, letting the parties contest the facts directly at the hearing instead.
Source & verification. The section text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Connecticut Practice Book (Conn. Practice Book § 17-39). Prescribed by the Judges of the Superior Court of Connecticut (Conn. Gen. Stat. Section 51-14). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 9, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: no reply to notice of defenseplaintiff response to defense notice CTevidence at hearing in damagesmeeting facts with evidence hearing in damages