gross negligence in failing to fulfill a condition prece-
dent of a lease bars the application of the doctrine of
equitable nonforfeiture. . . . In circumstances involv-
ing the nonpayment of rent, we have construed strictly
this threshold requirement in deciding whether to grant
equitable relief.’’ (Citations omitted; internal quotation
marks omitted.) Boccanfuso v. Daghoghi, 337 Conn.
228, 239–40, 253 A.3d 1 (2020).
In addressing the defendant’s claim of equitable non-
forfeiture, the court explained: ‘‘[The defendant] claims
that his intentional withholding of rent was based on his
housing conditions and his ignorance of the prohibition
against self-help. The defendant further asserts that,
once he received the notice to quit, he sought advice,
and paid use and occupancy for January through April.
He maintains that, as a disabled veteran with case man-
agement who will likely become homeless if evicted,
the pursuit of summary process is unethical, immoral,
unreasonable and unkind. The defendant has not estab-
lished by a preponderance of the evidence that the
court should exercise its equitable powers under these
circumstances. . . .
‘‘In the present case, the defendant has not produced
any evidence that his intentional nonpayment of rent
was accompanied by a good faith intent to comply with
the lease or a good faith dispute over the meaning of the
lease. The lease provides the procedure for reporting
housing condition issues to the plaintiff. Section 3.2 of
the lease agreement requires the defendant to ‘report
any damage or problem immediately upon discovery’
and indicates that the plaintiff’s compliance with or
response to ‘any oral request regarding security or non-
security matters doesn’t waive the strict requirement
for written notices under this Lease Contract. You must
promptly notify us in writing of: water leaks; electrical
problems; malfunctioning lights; broken or missing
locks or latches; [and] other conditions that pose a
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