Section 1008. Appeal as Supersedeas

A. Receipt by the magisterial district judge of the copy of the notice of appeal from the judgment shall operate as supersedeas, except as provided in subdivisions B and C of this rule.

B. When an appeal is from a judgment for the possession of real property, receipt by the magisterial district judge of the copy of the notice of appeal shall operate as a supersedeas only if the appellant at the time of filing the notice of appeal, deposits with the prothonotary a sum of money (or a bond, with surety approved by the prothonotary) equal to the lesser of three (3) months’ rent or the rent actually in arrears on the date of the filing of the notice of appeal, based upon the magisterial district judge’s order of judgment, and, thereafter, deposits cash or bond with the prothonotary in a sum equal to the monthly rent which becomes due during the period of time the proceedings upon appeal are pending in the court of common pleas, such additional deposits to be made within thirty (30) days following the date of the appeal, and each successive thirty (30) day period thereafter.

Upon application by the landlord, the court shall release appropriate sums from the escrow account on a continuing basis while the appeal is pending to compensate the landlord for the tenant’s actual possession and use of the premises during the pendency of the appeal.

In the event the appellant fails to deposit the sums of money, or bond, required by this rule when such deposits are due, the prothonotary, upon praecipe filed by the appellee, shall terminate the supersedeas. Notice of the termination of the supersedeas shall be forwarded by first class mail to attorneys of record, or, if a party is unrepresented, to the party’s last known address of record.

When the deposit of money or bond is made pursuant to the rule at the time of filing the appeal, the prothonotary shall make upon the notice of appeal and its copies a notation that it will operate as a supersedeas when received by the magisterial district judge.

C. Indigent Tenants

(1) Residential tenants who seek to appeal from a magisterial district court judgment for possession and who do not have the ability to pay the lesser of three months’ rent or the full amount of the magisterial district court judgment for rent shall file with the office of the prothonotary a tenant’s affidavit, as set forth in subdivision (2).

(2) The tenant’s affidavit shall be substantially in one of the following two forms:

[Caption]

TENANT’S SUPERSEDEAS AFFIDAVIT (NON-SECTION 8)

I,

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(print name and address here), have filed a notice of appeal from a magisterial district court judgment awarding to my landlord possession of real property that I occupy, and I do not have the financial ability to pay the lesser of three (3) times my monthly rent or the judgment for rent awarded by the magisterial district court. My total household income does not exceed the income limits set forth in the supplemental instructions for obtaining a stay pending appeal and I have completed an in forma pauperis (IFP) affidavit to verify this. I have/have not (cross out the one that does not apply) paid the rent this month.

I verify that the statements made in this affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information and belief. I understand that false statements herein are made subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.

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Date SIGNATURE OF TENANT

OR

[Caption]

SECTION 8 TENANT’S SUPERSEDEAS AFFIDAVIT

I,

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(print name and address here), have filed a notice of appeal from a magisterial district court judgment awarding my landlord possession of real property that I occupy, and I do not have the financial ability to pay the lesser of three (3) times my monthly rent or the actual rent in arrears. My total household income does not exceed the income limits set forth in the supplemental instructions for obtaining a stay pending appeal and I have completed an in forma pauperis (IFP) affidavit to verify this. I have/have not (cross out the one that does not apply) paid the rent this month.

The total amount of monthly rent that I personally pay to the landlord is $

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. I hereby certify that I am a participant in the Section 8 program and I am not subject to a final (i.e., non-appealable) decision of a court or government agency which terminates my right to receive Section 8 assistance based on my failure to comply with program rules.

I verify that the statements made in this affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, information and belief. I understand that false statements herein are made subject to the penalties of 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904, relating to unsworn falsification to authorities.

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Date SIGNATURE OF TENANT

(3)(a) If the rent has already been paid to the landlord in the month in which the notice of appeal is filed, the tenant shall pay into an escrow account with the prothonotary the monthly rent in thirty (30) day intervals from the date the notice of appeal was filed; or

(b) If the rent has not been paid at the time of filing the notice of appeal, the tenant shall pay:

(i) at the time of filing the notice of appeal, a sum of money equal to one third (1/3) of the monthly rent;

(ii) an additional deposit of two thirds (2/3) of the monthly rent within twenty (20) days of filing the notice of appeal; and

(iii) additional deposits of one month’s rent in full each thirty (30) days after filing the notice of appeal. The amount of the monthly rent is the sum of money found by the magisterial district judge to constitute the monthly rental for the leasehold premises pursuant to Rule 514A. However, when the tenant is a participant in the Section 8 program, the tenant shall pay the tenant share of the rent as set forth in the ‘‘Section 8 Tenant’s Supersedeas Affidavit’’ filed by the tenant.

(4) The prothonotary’s office of the Court of Common Pleas in which the appeal is taken shall provide residential tenants who have suffered a judgment for possession with a ‘‘Supplemental Instructions for Obtaining a Stay of Eviction’’ as it appears on the website of the Minor Court Rules Committee.

Official Note

The website of the Minor Court Rules Committee is part of the home page of the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts at www.pacourts.us. The Supplemental Instructions include both instructions and income limits.

The income limits are stated in monthly amounts and are based upon the most recent poverty income guidelines issued by the Federal Department of Health and Human Services.

(5) When the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (3) have been met, the prothonotary shall issue a supersedeas.

(6) Upon application by the landlord, the court shall release appropriate sums from the escrow account on a continuing basis while the appeal is pending to compensate the landlord for the tenant’s actual possession and use of the premises during the pendency of the appeal.

(7) If the tenant fails to make monthly rent payments to the prothonotary as described in paragraph (3), the supersedeas may be terminated by the prothonotary upon praecipe by the landlord or other party to the action. Notice of the termination of the supersedeas shall be forwarded by first class mail to attorneys of record, or, if a party is unrepresented, to the party’s last known address of record.

(8) If the Court of Common Pleas determines, upon written motion or its own motion, that the averments within any of the tenant’s affidavits do not establish that the tenant meets the terms and conditions of paragraph (1), supra, the Court may terminate the supersedeas. Notice of the termination of the supersedeas shall be forwarded by first class mail to attorneys of record, or, if a party is unrepresented, to the party’s last known address of record.

D. If an appeal is stricken or voluntarily terminated, any supersedeas based on it shall terminate. The prothonotary shall pay the deposits of rental to the party who sought possession of the real property.

Official Note

Subdivision A provides for an automatic supersedeas in appeals from civil actions upon receipt by the magisterial district judge of a copy of the notice of appeal.

Subdivision B, however, does require the deposit of money or approved bond as a condition for supersedeas where the appeal is from a judgment for the possession of real property. A new subdivision (C) was created in 2008 to provide for appeals by indigent residential tenants who are unable to meet the bond requirements of subdivision (B).

The request for termination of the supersedeas, upon the praecipe filed with the prothonotary, may simply state: ‘‘Please terminate the supersedeas in the within action for failure of the appellant to pay monthly rental as required by Pa.R.C.P.M.D.J. No. 1008 when it became due’’ and will be signed by appellee. The prothonotary will then note upon the praecipe: ‘‘Upon confirmation of failure of the appellant to deposit the monthly rent when it became due, the supersedeas is terminated,’’ and the prothonotary will sign and clock the praecipe. A copy of the praecipe may thereupon be displayed to the magisterial district judge who rendered the judgment, and a request for issuance of an order for possession under Pa.R.A.P.M.D.J. No. 515 may be made.

The deposit of rent required hereunder is intended to apply in all cases, irrespective of the reasons which caused the filing of the complaint before the magisterial district judge in the first instance. Disposition of the monthly rental deposits will be made by the court of common pleas following its de novo hearing of the matter on appeal.

The money judgment portion of a landlord and tenant judgment (see Pa.R.C.P. M.D.J. Nos. 514 and 521) would be governed by subdivision A.

The provisions of this Rule 1008 adopted June 1, 1971; amended April 25, 1979, effective in 30 days; amended June 30, 1982, effective August 16, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 2266; amended March 28, 1996, effective March 29, 1996, 26 Pa.B. 1691; amended May 2, 2008, effective May 15, 2008, 38 Pa.B. 2040; amended July 16, 2012, effective immediately, 42 Pa.B. 4913; amended August 16, 2013, effective September 15, 2013, 43 Pa.B. 4969. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (363299) to (363302).