Rule 515. Request for Order for Possession

A. If the magisterial district judge has rendered a judgment arising out of a nonresidential lease that the real property be delivered up to the landlord, the landlord may, 

after the 15th day following the date of the entry of the judgment, file with the magisterial 

district judge a request for an order for possession. The request shall include a statement 

of the judgment amount, return, and all other matters required by these rules.

B. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision B(2), if the magisterial district 

judge has rendered a judgment arising out of a residential lease that the real property be 

delivered up to the landlord, the landlord may after the 10th day but within [120] 180 days 

following the date of the entry of the judgment, file with the magisterial district judge a 

request for an order for possession. The request shall include a statement of the judgment 

amount, return, and all other matters required by these rules.

(2) In a case arising out of a residential lease, if before the landlord requests 

an order for possession,

(a) an appeal or writ of certiorari operates as a supersedeas; or

(b) proceedings in the matter are stayed pursuant to a bankruptcy 

proceeding or other federal or state law; and

(c) the supersedeas or the bankruptcy or other stay is subsequently 

stricken, dismissed, lifted, or otherwise terminated so as to allow the landlord to proceed 

to request an order for possession,

the landlord may request an order for possession only within [120] 180 days of the date 

the supersedeas or the bankruptcy or other stay is stricken, dismissed, lifted, or otherwise 

terminated.

Official Note: The 15 days in subdivision A of this rule, when added to the 16-day 

period provided for in Rule 519A, will give the tenant time to obtain a supersedeas within 

the appeal period. See Rules 1002, 1008, 1009, and 1013.

The 1995 amendment to section 513 of The Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 

P.S. § 250.513, established a 10-day appeal period from a judgment for possession of 

real estate arising out of a residential lease. See also Rule 1002B(1). Rule 1002B(2)(a) 

provides for a 30-day appeal period for tenants who are victims of domestic violence. In 

most cases, the filing of the request for an order for possession in subdivision B(1) is not 

permitted until after the appeal period has expired. In cases arising out of a residential 

lease, the request for an order for possession generally must be filed within [120] 180

days of the date of the entry of the judgment.
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If the tenant is a victim of domestic violence, he or she may file a domestic violence 

affidavit to stay the execution of the order for possession until the tenant files an appeal 

with the prothonotary pursuant to Rule 1002, 30 days after the date of entry of the 

judgment, or by order of the court of common pleas, whichever is earlier. See Rule 

514.1C. No posting of money or bond is required to obtain a stay with the filing of a 

domestic violence affidavit; however, upon the filing of an appeal pursuant to Rule 1002, 

the stay is lifted, and the supersedeas requirements of Rule 1008 shall apply.

The magisterial district court shall enter stays in compliance with federal or state 

law, such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. §§ 3901 et seq.

Subdivision B(2) provides that in a case arising out of a residential lease, if a

supersedeas (resulting from an appeal or writ of certiorari) or bankruptcy or other stay is 

stricken, dismissed, lifted, or otherwise terminated, thus allowing the landlord to proceed 

with requesting an order for possession, the request may be filed only within [120] 180

days of the date the supersedeas or the bankruptcy or other stay is stricken, dismissed, 

lifted, or otherwise terminated.

In many judicial districts, appeals of magisterial district court judgments are 

submitted to compulsory arbitration pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. Nos. 1301–1314. If, after the 

arbitration, the prothonotary enters an award for possession on the docket in favor of the 

landlord and the tenant fails to maintain the supersedeas required by Rule 1008 prior to 

the prothonotary entering judgment on the award, then the landlord may terminate the 

supersedeas pursuant to Rule 1008B and request an order of possession from the 

magisterial district judge pursuant to Rule 515. If the prothonotary enters an award on 

the docket in favor of the tenant and the tenant fails to maintain the supersedeas prior to 

the prothonotary entering judgment on the award, the landlord may not obtain an order of 

possession between the time that the prothonotary enters the arbitration award on the 

docket and the time that the landlord files a notice of appeal.

The time limits in which the landlord must request an order for possession imposed 

in subdivision B apply only in cases arising out of residential leases and in no way affect 

the landlord's ability to execute on the money judgment. See Rule 516, Note, and Rule 

521A.

At the time the landlord files the request for an order for possession, the magisterial 

district court should collect server fees for all actions through delivery of possession.

Thereafter, if the order for possession is satisfied 48 hours or more prior to a scheduled 

delivery of possession, a portion of the server costs may be refundable. See Rules 516 

through 520 and 44 Pa.C.S. § 7161(d).
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Rule 516. Issuance and Reissuance of Order for Possession

A. Upon the timely filing of the request form, the magisterial district judge shall issue 

the order for possession and shall deliver it for service and execution to the sheriff of, or 

any certified constable in, the county in which the office of the magisterial district judge is 

situated. If this service is not available to the magisterial district judge, service may be 

made by any certified constable of the Commonwealth. The order shall direct the officer 

executing it to deliver actual possession of the real property to the landlord. The 

magisterial district judge shall attach a copy of the request form to the order for 

possession.

B. (1) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision C, upon written request of the 

landlord the magisterial district judge shall reissue an order for possession for one

additional 60-day period.

(2) If an order for possession is issued and subsequently superseded by an 

appeal, writ of certiorari, supersedeas, or a stay pursuant to a bankruptcy proceeding or 

other federal or state law or Rule 514.1C, and

(a) the appeal, writ of certiorari, or supersedeas is stricken, 

dismissed, or otherwise terminated; or

(b) the bankruptcy or other stay is lifted; and

(c) the landlord wishes to proceed with the order for possession,

the landlord must file with the magisterial district judge a written request for reissuance of 

the order for possession in accordance with subdivision B(1).

C. In a case arising out of a residential lease[, a] and upon written request 

of the landlord, the magisterial district judge shall reissue an order for possession 

for no more than two additional 60-day periods. A request for reissuance of an order 

for possession may be filed only within [120] 180 days of the date of the entry of the 

judgment or, in a case in which the order for possession is issued and subsequently 

superseded by an appeal, writ of certiorari, supersedeas, or a stay pursuant to a 

bankruptcy proceeding or other federal or state law or Rule 514.1C, only within [120] 180

days of the date the appeal, writ of certiorari, or supersedeas is stricken, dismissed, or 

otherwise terminated or the bankruptcy or other stay is lifted. 

D. A written request for reissuance of the order for possession, filed after an 

appeal, writ of certiorari, or supersedeas is stricken, dismissed, or otherwise terminated, 

or a bankruptcy or other stay is lifted, must be accompanied by a copy of the court order 
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or other documentation striking, dismissing, or terminating the appeal, writ of certiorari, or 

supersedeas, or lifting the bankruptcy or other stay.

Official Note: The order for possession deals only with delivery of possession of 

real property and not with a levy for money damages. A landlord who seeks execution of 

the money judgment part of the judgment must proceed under Rule 521A, using the forms 

and procedure there prescribed. The reason for making this distinction is that the printed 

notice requirements on the two forms, and the procedures involved in the two matters, 

differ widely.

Subdivision B provides for reissuance of the order for possession for one additional 

60-day period. However, pursuant to subdivision C, in cases arising out of a residential 

lease, the request for reissuance of the order for possession must be filed within [120] 

180 days of the date of the entry of the judgment or, in a case in which the order for 

possession is issued and subsequently superseded by an appeal, writ of certiorari, 

supersedeas or a stay pursuant to a bankruptcy proceeding or other federal or state law

or Rule 514.1C, only within [120] 180 days of the date the appeal, writ of certiorari, or 

supersedeas is stricken, dismissed, or otherwise terminated, or the bankruptcy or other

stay is lifted. In a case arising out of a residential lease, the magisterial district judge 

may reissue the order for possession for no more than two additional 60-day 

periods. The additional 60-day period need not necessarily immediately follow the 

original 60-day period of issuance. The written request for reissuance may be in any form 

and may consist of a notation on the permanent copy of the request for order for 

possession form, “Reissuance of order for possession requested,” subscribed by the 

landlord. The magisterial district judge shall mark all copies of the reissued order for 

possession, “Reissued. Request for reissuance filed .......... (time and date).” A new form 

may be used upon reissuance, those portions retained from the original being exact 

copies although signatures may be typed or printed with the mark “/s/.” There are no filing 

costs for reissuing an order for possession, for the reissuance is merely a continuation of 

the original proceeding. However, there may be additional server costs for service of the 

reissued order for possession.

The magisterial district court shall enter stays in compliance with federal or state 

law, such as the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. §§ 3901 et seq.

In many judicial districts, appeals of magisterial district court judgments are 

submitted to compulsory arbitration pursuant to Pa.R.C.P. Nos. 1301–1314. If, after the 

arbitration, the prothonotary enters an award for possession on the docket in favor of the 

landlord and the tenant fails to maintain the supersedeas required by Rule 1008 prior to 

the prothonotary entering judgment on the award, then the landlord may terminate the 

supersedeas pursuant to Rule 1008B and request an order of possession from the 

magisterial district judge pursuant to Rule 515. If the prothonotary enters an award on 

the docket in favor of the tenant and the tenant fails to maintain the supersedeas prior to 
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the prothonotary entering judgment on the award, the landlord may not obtain an order of 

possession between the time that the prothonotary enters the arbitration award on the 

docket and the time that the landlord files a notice of appeal.

The time limits in which the landlord must request reissuance of an order for 

possession imposed in subdivision C apply only in cases arising out of residential leases 

and in no way affect the landlord's ability to execute on the money judgment. See Rule 

521A.