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4.2-4  Contract Construed against the One Who Drew It

Revised to January 1, 2008

If you are unable to determine the intent of the parties from the language and the surrounding circumstances, you may construe that language against <insert name of drafter>, the party who drafted the contract.

However, you should not construe the contract against <insert name of drafter>, the party who drafted the contract, if it leads you to a result that was not intended by the parties or if it leads you to a result that is not a reasonable meaning of the contract.

Authority

Levine v. Advest, Inc., 244 Conn. 732, 755-56 (1998); Sturman v. Socha, 191 Conn. 1, 9 (1983); Southern New England Contracting Co. v. State, 165 Conn. 644, 656 (1974); Ravitch v. Stollman Poultry Farms, Inc., 165 Conn. 135, 145-46 (1973).

Notes

In "contract of adhesion" cases, such as insurance cases, the contract language will be construed against the party responsible for drafting it.  Schilberg Integrated Metals Corp. v. Continental Casualty Co., 263 Conn. 245, 267-68 (2003); Cody v. Remington Electric Shavers, 179 Conn. 494, 497 (1980).