Serving Legal Papers Allow Marshals In Connecticut To Earn Millions

Posted in Foreclosures, June 24th, 2008 |

With the increase in foreclosure numbers marshals in Connecticut are earning millions by serving legal papers. Briston resident John T. Fiorillo, a self-employed marshal of the state, earned over $2 million by serving legal papers to foreclosure victims. It is his relationship with two law firms that is reaping in benefits. Hunt Leibert Jacobson and Reiner Reiner and Bendett hold an effective monopoly on the flourishing foreclosure market.

In the previous year a small group of state marshals tucked in millions of dollars from these firms for the work done in Hartford and other adjoining counties. The work of the marshals is to serve papers to various banking bodies, house owners and offices of town clerks. For this they accept state regulated fees that vary from $350 to $400 per each piece of service rendered. In 2007 six state marshals made $500,000.

The 217 state marshals of Connecticut have to file annual statements of income with the Office of State Ethics. From these records it is learned that 61 of them earned more than $100,000 in the previous year. 53 others made something between $50,000 to $100,000. The marshal who earned the least was Richard Fredo of Somers. He submitted a report of having earned $633.

These state marshals are not akin to state employees and do not get paid weekly. Their services are contractual and are paid by the respective clients to serve legal papers generally related to civil cases like divorce. As such they are not judicial marshals – the latter being state employees engaged to provide security in courts.

Till eight years ago elected sheriffs of the county who gave out the lucrative assignments to political friends and allies served the court papers. But following reports of corruption and scandals the state constitution was amended in 2000. The sheriff system was abolished and the work was handed over to state marshals who worded under the newly set up State Marshal Commission. In reality the paper servers retained their posts and the majority of them had been active when the old system was running. For instance Fiorillo and Ferrato have been doing this job of serving papers 20 years previously under the aegis of Hartford County Sheriff, Alred J Rioux. The latter was convicted of extortion of money from his underlings. Fiorillo and Ferrato also were fined by the Election Enforcement Commission for illegalities.