The judge wrote that the defendants used White’s name and identifying “juris” number, along with the website, “to convince members of the public in the United States and Canada to sell their Mexican timeshare, and to provide the defendants with money based on the false representations that the funds will be refunded at a real estate closing which the defendants never intended to take place.”
The Connecticut Supreme Court has invited amicus curiae briefs in a case involving damages available to an attorney whose identity was stolen by fraudsters scamming customers purportedly selling timeshares in Mexico, as reported by the Middletown Press
Swienton’s decision recounts the story of a woman from Sun City, Ariz., who was involved with “FCW Law” in March 2020, more than a year after White started notifying agencies about the fraud.
The woman had a timeshare in Mexico worth only $26,000 but made payments to the bogus law firm of more than $728,000 based on representations that the payments were required to complete the sale of the timeshare, according to the judge.
The woman’s husband “was gravely ill, and they wanted to sell the timeshare,” the judge wrote. “With the promise of a profit of $10,000, they signed the contract with FCW Law to sell their timeshare.”
Announcement
THE SUPREME COURT IS SOLICITING AMICUS CURIAE BRIEFS IN:
SC 21076
Frank Charles White v. FCW Law Offices Et Al.
The Court invites amici curiae to file briefs in the above-captioned matter that address the following question:
Did the Appellate Court correctly conclude that a plaintiff may not recover both punitive damages under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practice Act, General Statutes § 42-110a et seq., and treble damages under General Statutes § 52-571h because such recovery would violate the principle that a plaintiff is entitled to recover only once for losses sustained in connection with the same transaction, occurrence or event?
As this is a Court-initiated request, an application for permission to file as amicus curiae is not required. If you accept the Court’s invitation, you must file the amicus brief limited to 4000 words on or before March 3, 2025, in compliance with Practice Book § 67-7, including the disclosure required in the first footnote on the first page of text. No argument will be permitted for amicus curiae, and responsive briefs by the parties will not be allowed.
The Appellate Court opinion is available here.
(Mike Frisch)