CHAPTER 861a
UNIFORM FOREIGN-MONEY CLAIMS ACT

      Sec. 50a-50. Short title: Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act. This chapter may be cited as the "Uniform Foreign-Money Claims Act".

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 16.)

      Sec. 50a-51. Definitions. As used in this chapter:

      (1) "Action" means a judicial or arbitration proceeding in which an order or award for a money payment may be tendered or enforced;

      (2) "Conversion date" means, except as provided in section 50a-58, the banking day next before the date on which money or an award is, in accordance with this chapter; (i) paid to a judgment creditor, (ii) paid to the designated official enforcing a judgment on behalf of the judgment creditor or (iii) used to effect a set-off of claims in different moneys in an action;

      (3) "Distribution proceeding" means a judicial or nonjudicial proceeding for an accounting, an assignment for the benefit of creditors, a foreclosure, or for the distribution, liquidation, or rehabilitation of a corporation, other entity, an estate, trust, or other fund in or against which the share of a foreign-money claim is asserted;

      (4) "Foreign money" means money other than money of the United States of America;

      (5) "Foreign-money claim" means a claim upon an obligation to pay, or a claim for recovery of a loss, expressed in or measured by a foreign money;

      (6) "Money" means a medium of exchange for the payment of debts or other obligations, or a store of value authorized or adopted by a domestic or foreign government or by intergovernmental agreement;

      (7) "Money of the claim" means the money determined as proper by section 50a-54;

      (8) "Party" means an individual, a corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, partnership or association of two or more persons having a joint or common interest or any other legal or commercial entity asserting or defending against a foreign-money claim;

      (9) "Rate of exchange" means the rate at which the money of one country may be converted into another money in a free financial market convenient to or usable by the party to pay or to state a conversion. If separate exchange rates apply to different transactions or events, the term means the rate applicable to the particular transaction or event giving rise to the foreign-money claim;

      (10) "Spot rate" means the rate of exchange at which foreign money is sold by a bank or foreign-currency trader, for settlement by immediate payment, by charge to an account, or by an agreed delayed settlement not exceeding two days. "Bank-offered spot rate" means the rate at which a bank will issue its draft in the foreign currency or will cause credit to become available on a next-day basis in the foreign money.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 1.)

      Sec. 50a-52. Applicability. (a) Except as provided in section 50a-63, this chapter applies only to a foreign-money claim in an action or distribution proceeding.

      (b) This chapter applies to foreign-money issues notwithstanding the law applicable under the conflict of laws rules of this state to other issues in an action or distribution proceeding.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 2.)

      Sec. 50a-53. Variation by agreement. (a) The effect of provisions of this chapter may be varied by agreement of the parties made at any time before or after commencement of an action, distribution proceeding, or the entry of judgment.

      (b) The parties may agree upon the money to be used in a transaction giving rise to a foreign-money claim and may use different moneys for different aspects of the transaction. Stating the price in a foreign money or for a particular transaction does not require, of itself, the use of that money for all or any other aspects of the transaction.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 3.)

      Sec. 50a-54. Determination of proper money of claim. (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, proper money of the claim is, as the case may be, the money: (1) Regularly used between the parties as a matter of usage or course of dealing; (2) used at the time of a transaction in international trade, by trade usage or common practice, for valuing or settling transactions in the particular commodity or service involved; or (3) in which the loss was ultimately felt or will be incurred by a party.

      (b) The money in which the parties have contracted that a payment be made is the proper money of the claim for that payment.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 4; P.A. 07-217, S. 183.)

      History: P.A. 07-217 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 50a-55. Determination of amount of payment of certain contract claims. (a) If an amount contracted to be paid in a foreign money is measured by a specified amount of a different money, unless otherwise agreed, the amount to be paid shall be determined on the appropriate conversion date.

      (b) If an amount contracted to be paid in a foreign money is to be measured by conversion from a different money at the exchange rate prevailing on a date prior to default, unless a longer time is agreed, that exchange rate applies only for payments made in a reasonable time after default, not to exceed thirty days. Conversion thereafter will be made at the bank-offered spot rate on the conversion date.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 5.)

      Sec. 50a-56. Foreign-money claim; assertion, defense. (a) A claimant may assert a claim in a specified foreign money. If a foreign money is not asserted, the claimant makes a claim for a judgment in United States dollars.

      (b) An opposing party may allege and prove that the claim is, in whole or in part, for a different money than that asserted by the claimant.

      (c) Any party may assert a defense set-off, recoupment, or counterclaim in any money without regard to the money of other claims.

      (d) The determination of the proper money of the claim is a question of law.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 6.)

      Sec. 50a-57. Judgments on foreign-money claims. Form. (a) Except as provided in subsection (c) of this section, in a successful foreign-money claim, a judgment or arbitration award shall be stated in an amount of the money of the claim.

      (b) The judgment is payable in that foreign money or, at the option of the judgment debtor, in the amount of United States dollars which will purchase that foreign money on the conversion date.

      (c) Assessed costs shall be entered in United States dollars.

      (d) Each payment in United States dollars shall be accepted and credited on the judgment in the amount of the foreign money that could be purchased by the dollars at a bank-offered spot rate of exchange at or near the close of business on the conversion date for that payment.

      (e) Awards made on both (1) a defense, set-off, recoupment or counterclaim, and (2) the adverse party's claim, shall be netted by converting the moneys of the smaller award into the money of the larger and by subtracting the smaller from the larger, as if a payment had occurred on the date of the most recent award, and shall provide in the judgment the rates of exchange used.

      (f) A judgment substantially in the following form complies with subsection (a) of this section:

      IT IS ADJUDGED AND ORDERED, THAT Defendant (insert name) pay to Plaintiff (insert name) the sum of (insert amount in the foreign money) plus interest on that sum at the rate of (insert rate as provided in section 50a-59) per cent a year or, at the option of the judgment debtor, such number of United States dollars as will purchase the (insert name of foreign money) with interest due, at a bank-offered spot rate at or near the close of business on the banking day next before the day of payment, together with assessed costs of (insert amount) United States dollars.

      (g) A judgment shall be recorded and indexed in the foreign money in the same manner and shall have the same effect as a lien as other judgments. It may be discharged by payment.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 7; P.A. 07-217, S. 184.)

      History: P.A. 07-217 made technical changes, effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 50a-58. Conversion of foreign money in distribution proceeding. A foreign-money claim in a distribution proceeding shall show its amount in the named foreign money and the amount of United States dollars resulting from a conversion as of the date the proceeding was initiated.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 8.)

      Sec. 50a-59. Prejudgment and judgment interest. (a) With respect to a foreign-money claim, recovery of prejudgment interest and the rate of interest to be applied in the case are matters of the substantive law governing the right to recovery under the conflict of laws rules of this state.

      (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, an increase or decrease in calculated prejudgment interest may be made in a foreign-money claim to the extent required by the law of this state applicable in an action or distribution proceeding for United States dollars, if there is a failure to make or accept an offer of settlement, an offer of judgment, or conduct by a party or its attorney causing undue delay or expense.

      (c) A judgment shall bear interest at the rate applicable for a judgment under the law of this state.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 9; P.A. 07-217, S. 185.)

      History: P.A. 07-217 made a technical change in Subsec. (b), effective July 12, 2007.

      Sec. 50a-60. Enforcement of foreign judgments. (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, if an action is brought to enforce a judgment of another jurisdiction expressed in a foreign money and the judgment is recognized in this state as enforceable, the enforcing judgment shall be entered as provided in section 50a-57, whether or not the foreign judgment confers an option to pay in an equivalent amount of United States dollars. A satisfaction or partial payment made upon the foreign judgment, on proof thereof, shall be credited against the amount of foreign money specified in the judgment, notwithstanding the entry of judgment in this state.

      (b) A judgment entered on a foreign-money claim only in United States dollars in another state of the United States shall be enforced in this state by a judgment in United States dollars only.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 10; P.A. 10-32, S. 145.)

      History: P.A. 10-32 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective May 10, 2010.

      Sec. 50a-61. Determination of United States dollar amount for limited purpose. (a) For a foreign-money judgment, the United States dollar amount needed for the limited purpose of (1) the value of assets to be seized or restrained pursuant to a writ of attachment, garnishment, execution or other legal process, (2) the amount at issue for assessing costs, or (3) the amount involved for a required surety bond shall be determined as follows: The party seeking the writ, costs or bond shall compute the dollar amount of the foreign money claimed from a bank-offered spot rate of exchange prevailing at or near the close of business on the banking day next preceding the filing of a request for the issuance of process or for the determination of costs, or an application requiring a bond.

      (b) The party seeking the process or the award of costs, or filing an application for a bond, shall file with the request or application, an affidavit or certificate executed in good faith by its counsel or a bank officer, stating the market quotation used, how obtained, and setting forth the calculation. Court officials shall incur no liability, after a filing of the affidavit or certificate, for acting during the following two months as if the judgment was in the amount of United States dollars stated in the affidavit or certificate.

      (c) A filed affidavit or certificate may be renewed for another two months with a current exchange rate at any time as long as the judgment remains unsatisfied.

      (d) Computations under this section are for the limited purposes of the section and do not affect the money of the judgment for payment purposes.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 11; May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1, S. 95, 130; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 73, 121.)

      History: May 25 Sp. Sess. P.A. 94-1 made technical change, effective July 1, 1994; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective June 24, 1998.

      Sec. 50a-62. Effect of currency revalorizations. (a) If, after an obligation is expressed or a loss is incurred in a foreign money, the country issuing or adopting that money substitutes a new money in place of that money and for the same purposes, the obligation or the loss shall be treated as if expressed or incurred in the new money at the rate of conversion the issuing country establishes for the payment of like obligations or losses denominated in the former money.

      (b) If due to delay in payment, the amount of a judgment does not yield the required amount of the creditor's money, the obligation to pay an additional sum will support another action for the amount remaining unpaid, and that obligation is not merged in the judgment.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 12.)

      Sec. 50a-63. Effect of certain agreements. (a) A monetary claim is neither usurious nor unconscionable because the agreement on which it is based provides that the amount of the debtor's obligation to be paid in the debtor's money shall, when received by the creditor, equal a specified amount of the foreign money of the country of the creditor.

      (b) If due to delay in payment, the amount of a judgment does not yield the required amount of the creditor's money, the obligation to pay an additional sum will support another action for the amount remaining unpaid, and that obligation is not merged in the judgment.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 13.)

      Sec. 50a-64. Supplementary principles of law. Unless displaced by particular provisions of this chapter, the principles of law and equity, including the law merchant, and the law relative to capacity to contract, principal and agent, estoppel, fraud, misrepresentation, duress, coercion, mistake, bankruptcy, or other validating or invalidating causes supplement its provisions.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 14.)

      Sec. 50a-65. Uniform interpretation. This chapter shall be applied and construed to effectuate its special purpose to eliminate overcompensation or undercompensation to foreign money claimants and its general purpose to make uniform the law with respect to the subject of this chapter among states enacting it.

      (P.A. 89-134, S. 15.)

      Secs. 50a-66 to 50a-99. Reserved for future use.