Non-Recourse and Limited Recourse Debt (Narratives) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012 year
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Non Recourse Debt	$ 142,500,000
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	4.30%
Debt Instrument Term	6.6
Nonrecourse Debt Carrying Value	1,900,000,000
Debt Instrument, Increase (Decrease), Other, Net	11,700,000
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, Start	2012
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date Range, End	2031
Domestic Investment [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Non Recourse Debt	45,200,000
International Investment [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Non Recourse Debt	4,900,000
Blue Cross Blue Shield [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Non Recourse Debt	$ 92,400,000
Fixed Interest Rate [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Minimum Interest Rate in Range	3.60%
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Maximum Interest Rate in Range	8.00%
Variable Interest Rate [Member]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate [Line Items]
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Minimum Interest Rate in Range	3.00%
Mortgage Loans on Real Estate, Maximum Interest Rate in Range	6.60%

Debt Instrument Term in years

No definition available.

Name:	cpa17_DebtInstrumentTerm
Namespace Prefix:	cpa17_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of debt for which creditor does not have general recourse to the debtor but rather has recourse only to the property used for collateral in the transaction or other specific

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cpa17_NonRecourseDebt
Namespace Prefix:	cpa17_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

No authoritative reference available.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	cpa17_NonrecourseDebtCarryingValue
Namespace Prefix:	cpa17_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Net increase or decrease in the carrying amount of the debt instrument for the period for reasons other than accrued but unpaid interest, additional borrowings, forgiveness and repayments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 4

-Section 08

-Paragraph f

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 235

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(f))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentIncreaseDecreaseOtherNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

When presenting a range of maturity dates, the latest date when the outstanding debt instruments are required to be repaid. May be presented in a variety of ways (for example: year only, month and year, day, month and year, and number of years).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(2))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 129

-Paragraph 4

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 129

-Paragraph 2

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDateRangeEnd
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

When presenting a range of maturity dates, the earliest date when the outstanding debt instruments are required to be repaid. May be presented in a variety of ways (for example: year only, month and year, day, month and year, and number of years).

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentMaturityDateRangeStart
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	us-types:dateStringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Reflects the calculation as of the balance sheet date of the average interest rate weighted by the amount of debt outstanding by type or by instrument at that time.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtWeightedAverageInterestRate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The highest stated interest rate within the mortgage loans included in the loan grouping.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 948

-SubTopic 310

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.12-29.3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6589523&loc=d3e617274-123014

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 04

-Paragraph c

-Subparagraph Schedule IV

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 29

-Article 12

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 205

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 6

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-04.(c) Schedule IV)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6882300&loc=d3e5864-122674

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateMaximumInterestRateInRange
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The lowest stated interest rate within the mortgage loans included in the loan grouping.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MortgageLoansOnRealEstateMinimumInterestRateInRange
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration