§ 12-4 — Proceedings against delinquent tax officers.

If the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management ascertains that the assessors or board of assessment appeals or any official charged with any of the duties imposed on assessors or boards of assessment appeals, or the tax collector, treasurer or any official authorized to fix a rate of tax in any town, city or borough or other taxing district, fails to discharge his or its administrative duty according to law, said secretary may in writing call such failure to the attention of each such board or member thereof or official failing to perform its or his duties. If such board or official fails to comply thereafter with the law with respect to which attention has been so called in writing, the secretary may apply to the superior court in the judicial district wherein such board or official has jurisdiction or, in case the Superior Court is not in session, to a judge thereof, setting forth such failure, and the judge or court, as the case may be, upon ascertaining the facts stated in such application to be true, shall issue an order in the nature of a mandamus requiring compliance with the provisions of the statute particularly mentioned in such application, and shall render judgment against any official, board or person who has so failed, with costs, as in mandamus proceedings. Any person who fails to comply with any order so issued shall be in contempt and said court or such judge may punish him therefor as in mandamus proceedings. Any person claiming to be aggrieved by any order issued by authority of the provisions of section 12-2 and of this section shall have the same right of appeal to the Appellate Court as in mandamus cases. See Sec. 12-1c re transfer of certain functions, powers and duties under this chapter to the Secretary of the Office of Policy and Management.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 1681; P.A. 78-280, S. 2, 127; P.A. 79-610, S. 2, 47; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-29, S. 23, 82; P.A. 95-283, S. 32, 68.) History: By virtue of P.A. 77-614 “commissioner” referred to commissioner of revenue services rather than tax commissioner as previously, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-280 substituted “judicial district” for “county”; P.A. 79-610 substituted secretary of the office of policy and management for commissioner of revenue services, effective July 1, 1980; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-29 deleted reference to supreme court and substituted appellate court in lieu thereof; P.A. 95-283 replaced board of tax review with board of assessment appeals, effective July 6, 1995. History discussed; section not meant to trench upon the functions of state's attorneys to invoke mandamus to compel public officers to perform their duties; when question is one of public right and object is to procure enforcement of public duty, the relator need not show he has any legal or special interest in the results. 150 C. 444.