Frequently Asked Questions - Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania

The Arbitration office and hearing rooms are located on the 7th floor, City-County
Building, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. The Arbitration Office is open 8:30 am
to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

Effective October 25, 2022 the Remote Arbitration Program is discontinued. Only litigants experiencing exigent circumstances may petition the Court for a Partial Remote Hearing by filing a motion with the Calendar Control Judge. Examples of exigent circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following: being infirmed or disabled, severe illness, childcare, or workplace accommodations issues. A Partial Remote Hearing will only be permitted by the issuance of an Order of Court at the discretion of the Calendar Control Judge. Please see the Honorable Patrick M. Connelly’s Operating Procedures for more information on remote hearing requests.

Any Remote Hearing requests made prior to October 25, 2022, will still occur remotely as scheduled.

As per Allegheny County local rule 1301(1)(a), the current jurisdictional limit in Arbitration is $50,000, exclusive of interest and costs.

Pleadings are filed with the Department of Court Records Civil/Family Division which is located on the first floor of the City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Yes. The website to e-file is https://dcr.alleghenycounty.us. Go to Civil/Family Division, then go to Register. Under logon choose “Click here to Register”. Tutorials on how to electronically file can be found at
https://dcr.alleghenycounty.us/DCR_efiling_Video_Tutorials.html.

Follow the steps for tracking case records:
• Visit Department of Court Records
• Input case number: AR___-________
• Complete Security Check

When you file your complaint with the Department of Court Records, you will receive your hearing date. Arbitration claims are initiated by the filing of a verified complaint for claims in excess of $3,000 or a short-form complaint for claims less than $3,000. At the time of filing, a hearing date will be assigned, which is entered on the Allegheny County cover sheet and notice of hearing date.

If all parties consent to the continuance, you must file an Adjournment of Hearing in
person at the Housing Court Help Desk located on the first floor of the City-County
Building, inside the Department of Court Records. If all parties do not consent to the
continuance, you must present the request as a motion before the Calendar Control Judge.

Follow the appropriate procedures to schedule a contested motion before the Calendar Control Judge.

All questions should be directed to the Housing Court Help Desk staff at HCHelpdesk@alleghenyCourts.us or by
calling the Help Desk at 412-350-4462.

When a case settles prior to the arbitration date, counsel must notify the Arbitration
Center by calling 412-350-1926 and report that the matter has settled. You must follow
up by filing a Praecipe to Settle and Discontinue the docket with the Department of Court Records.

Arbitration motions are heard by the General Motions judge. You must follow the
procedures for the specific type of motion you wish to schedule.

All motions must be scheduled in person at the Housing
Court Help Desk located on the first floor of the City County Building, inside of the
Department of Court Records offices. Please direct them to
the Housing Court Help Desk staff in person or via email at
HCHelpdesk@alleghenycourts.us.

All parties and counsel are required to indicate that they are ready for trial by advising
the arbitration courtroom clerk. When all parties are ready, the case is given a number.
The case is then sent to trial in numerical order to any arbitration board that is ready to
hear the case. All parties and counsel should advise the clerk of their readiness for trial
at 9:00 a.m. and be prepared for trial at any time.

You may view your Arbitration Award or Verdict by going to the Department of Court Records website. Awards are docketed the same day
as the hearing, with the scanned image appearing a day later. Further, the Department of Court Records will send a copy of the Award/Verdict to you in the envelope you filled out at your hearing. This may take several days.

A second call of the list will take place at 10:00 a.m., and if neither party answers
“ready,” a non- suit will be entered. If only one-party answers “ready,” the case may be
sent to the first available arbitration board for an ex parte hearing, at which time the
party that is present will present his or her case-in-chief, and the board makes its award.
Alternatively, if a Duty to Appear at Arbitration Hearing notice was given and all present
parties agree, the case may be heard by a judge immediately. A nonjury verdict will be
rendered, from which there is no right to appeal de novo. Within 10 days of the verdict
being sent, post-trial motions must be filed in the Office of the Department of Court
Records and a copy must be delivered to the trial judge. Argument will be scheduled by
the trial judge without praecipe. Post-trial motions should explain why the party was not
present and will be decided by the judge who rendered the verdict.

The arbitration supervisor maintains a master list of members of the bar of
Pennsylvania, practicing in Allegheny County, from which the arbitrators are chosen.
The list is subject to approval by the Administrative Judge of the Civil Division. The
arbitrators serve until completion of the hearings scheduled that day and therefore are
required to set aside the day for service. The supervisor of arbitration empanels an
appropriate number of boards to efficiently adjudicate the day’s caseload. Cases are
assigned for hearing to each board by the Arbitration Assembly Room clerk when
advised that the case is ready for hearing. Each arbitration board is made up of three
attorneys, who are actively engaged in the practice of law in Allegheny County. Each
board has one chairperson, who has been admitted to the bar for at least three years.
The board hears all evidence relating to the trial and decides all factual disputes and
legal issues involved in the case. An attorney who satisfies the above requirements and
wishes to serve as an arbitrator must complete a Court supplied Arbitrator Application Form and a
W-9 form and submit them to the Arbitration Center.

Any party, at his or her own expense, may provide for a court reporter to record, or
make a recording of, the testimony of the trial. If opposing counsel or parties wish to
receive a copy of this transcript or recording, they must agree to pay their proportionate
share of the cost.

There is no right to speak to Arbitrators. A litigant who wishes to speak with an Arbitrator regarding a final decision after a hearing may do so only if the Arbitrator indicates a willingness to discuss the claim. If the Arbitrator indicates an unwillingness to discuss a judicial decision, they should not be approached further. Should a party have a particularly difficult problem with an Arbitrator, they should address that concern with the Supervisor of the Arbitration Program.

An appeal must be taken not later than 30 days after the day the Department of Court Records makes the notation on the docket that notice of entry of the award has been provided to all parties. The appeal is taken by filing, with the DCR, a notice of appeal from the award of the board of arbitrators, a data collection record (page 2 of the appeal form), and a copy of the notice of appeal for mailing, with properly addressed envelopes, to all counsel
and unrepresented parties. Arbitration appeals are heard before a judge either with or without a jury.

The Case Management Order for Asbestos Cases Placed at Issue by the Plaintiff is filed under the Administrative Docket at No. 332 of 2005

Asbestos cases listed for jury trial on a specific trial term are determined by Lead Plaintiffs’ Counsel and Lead Defense Counsel.
Judge Klein’s office divides the assigned trial cases to himself and Judge Regan to preside over
Each Judge schedules their own Motions for Summary Judgment Arguments (Product and Non-Product), during a time period outside of the trial term.

Each Judge schedules their own Motions for Summary Judgment Arguments (Product and Non-Product), during a time period outside of the trial term.
Each Judge provides their own submission form for attorneys and/or staff to complete and submit a form if a Motion for Summary Judgment is intended to be heard. Please contact each judge’s chambers for that information. No Motions, Response or Replies are to be mailed or hand delivered to chambers. The submission form must be submitted for each Motion that is anticipated to be argued.
- Judge’s staff member sends a scheduling email to all approved asbestos attorneys with the MSJ date and time for argument
- Each Judge has their own specific email set in place to receive only the MSJ documents, responses and replies that are going to be argued.

General Asbestos Motion dates are scheduled before each asbestos judge once monthly, with the dates and times listed in the PLJ. These motions include all discovery motions, preliminary objections and any motion related to an asbestos case assigned to either individual Judge. These Motions can be presented to either Judge Klein or Judge Regan regardless of the judge assignment.
- General Asbestos Motions signed up with Judge Klein are to be emailed to the Judges staff at motionsklein@alleghenycourts.us or to Judge Regan’s staff at motionsregan@alleghenycourts.us prior to the motion date and advising whether or not the Motion is Contested or Uncontested.

Uncontested Motions can be forwarded to either Judge Klein’s staff or Judge Regan’s staff for Judge’s signature and filing with the DCR. No need for presentation.
Contested motions will be argued and the orders will be signed and filed with the DCR

Asbestos trial cases are listed on the general trial list and may be assigned to any Civil Division Judge for trial.

The Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment will mail out a notice of the hearing to you.

Unlike your appeal before the Allegheny County Board of Property Assessment, your case is now in the Common Pleas Court system and the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure apply. Local Rule 502A provides specific information.

You should consult with an attorney if you desire legal advice. Attorneys can be located through the following sources:

Allegheny County Bar Association 412.261.5555;
Neighborhood Legal Services 412.255.6700;
Legal Aid Society 412.431.4930.

The case will proceed. The appeal may be dismissed or a hearing may be held, resulting in an adjudication.

The year in which the appeal was first filed with the County and all subsequent years up to the day of the hearing are included, and a value for each year will be adjudicated. Anyone who owned the property during any of these years may have a right to participate. The Court will not assume the burden of locating subsequent or previous owners; normally a seller of realty has a duty to advise the buyer of the pending appeal.

The adjudication received from the Court will encompass the year in which the appeal was filed up through the year in which the Board of Viewers hearing is held. The adjudication from the Court supercedes actions of the County’s Board of Property Assessment.

Appeals from the Board of Property Assessment to the Court of Common Pleas (Board of Viewers) are considered to be “de novo,” which literally means “trying the matter anew, the same as if it had not been heard before and as if no decision had been previously rendered.” The Board will initially take notice of the certified blotter (official tax assessment record) presented by the Board of Property Assessment at the beginning of your hearing.

Parties in interest have the responsibility to notify the Court in writing of any change of address. The Court will not assume the burden of locating parties who fail to provide a forwarding address.

If you retain a lawyer, they may represent your interests. Non-lawyers may not represent you, nor speak on your behalf. If you have a disability that requires someone to assist you in communicating, please contact the Board prior to the hearing and arrangements will be made to provide a reasonable accommodation.

Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws, the Court provides reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. If you have a disability that requires an accommodation of any kind, please contact the Board of Viewers (412.350.5470) prior to the hearing, and arrangements will be made to provide a reasonable accommodation.

Scheduled cases will not be postponed absent good cause. If you have an emergency or other reason for being unavailable that you believe merits the Court undertaking the time and expense to reschedule your case, you must contact the Board of Viewers as soon as possible, via fax and/or mail at the address listed above. You should provide a copy of the written request to all other parties at the same time. The Board of Viewers will advise you as to the disposition of your request.

Proceed to Room 811, on the eighth floor of the City-County Building, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA. Room 811 is the Board’s administrative offices and hearings do not occur there. Normally, outside of Room 811, there will be a posterboard on an easel listing all of the cases scheduled to be heard on a given day and providing the room number for each hearing on the right side of the posterboard. You should proceed to the room assigned for your case and have a seat in the hallway near the room. Court employees will call each case in the hallway. Depending upon the length of time needed to conduct the cases scheduled immediately prior to your case, you may have to wait a short time. Reading materials are permitted in the hallway.

If the case is scheduled for a hearing, the Court may conduct a conciliation immediately prior to the hearing to provide the parties with an opportunity to attempt to resolve the case amicably. If the case is scheduled for a hearing, you must be prepared to proceed accordingly. See Local Rule 502A

No.

Contact the Board of Viewer’s Office at 412.350.5470. When you call, please have your case number (starting with the letters “BV”) ready.

You may find all the filings in your case by entering the case number and solving the security question at this link: (https://dcr.alleghenycounty.us/Civil/LoginSearch.aspx)

Hearing dates may be listed in the “Event Schedle” box towards the bottom of the docket and may be listed on the relevant pleadings on the docket.

The Calendar Control Judge is the Honorable Patrick M. Connelly. Please see his standard operating procedures for instructions on Calendar Control Motions.

There are 5 trial terms a year. If you are represented by an attorney, the attorney will be
notified through publication in the Pittsburgh Legal Journal. If your attorney is located out of Allegheny County, they will be notified by mail from the Calendar Control Office with necessary dates, deadlines, and notices. If you represent yourself, you will be notified by mail with necessary dates, deadlines, and notices. Trial dates also appear on the docket which you may look up using your case number on the Department of Court Records website.

Motions in Limine are due 5 days prior to trial to the opposing party and to the Court
the morning of trial. All pleadings must be e-filed with the Department of Court Records to
appear on the docket. Court personnel will not file pleadings on your behalf.

The website to e-file is https://dcr.alleghenycounty.us

Yes, filings are accepted in the Department of Court Records daily from 8:30 am until
4:30 pm. The Court does not accept in-person filings. You must use one of the designated
email boxes in for pleadings to be accepted for scheduling by the Court. The exception is
contested motions, which need filed with the DCR and presented to the motions judge.

If you are filing a motion electronically in a housing court case, you must obtain a date and time for argument in advance of filing. See steps below or the local rule 208.3(a)(5) which may be found in the local rules section of the website for more details.

You must email hchelpdesk@alleghenycourts.us a copy of the motion and an editable copy of the proposed order (Microsoft word) with a request for a hearing date and time.
Help desk will provide the hearing date and time.
Please note the provided date and time along with the call-in information on the “Notice of Presentation” in the motion: Teleconference phone: (412) 677-0647 and enter Conference ID: 363 415 845#
E-file with the Department of Court Records: https://dcr.alleghenycounty.us/Civil/LoginSearch.aspx
Serve completed motion to the other side

You may look at the “Notice of Rental Payment” filed in your case or any orders of court referencing rental payments by visiting the Department of Court Records E-Filing website and entering in your case number.

For detailed payment information or questions, you may call Department of Court Records at: 412-350-1459.

Yes. You can file a timely appeal with the Housing Court Help Desk within 10 days
from the original hearing date to stay in the property during the appeal. You
must come in person to the Department of Court Records for the Civil/Family
Division. The street address is 414 Grant St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 on the First
Floor.

You can make a payment by cash, money order, business check, or debit/credit
card.
*Debit / Credit have a 4% fee on top payment amount.
*If you are mailing A BUSINESS CHECK OR MONEY ORDER, you must mail
payment at least four (4) days in advance. We encourage Defendants to send it
“certified mail” if possible. This business check or money order should be made
payable to either “DCR” or “Department of Court Records, (Please note that the
DCR does not accept personal checks)” and the BUSINESS CHECK OR MONEY
ORDER “must” include the landlord tenant “LT” docket number so that
Department of Court Records knows where to apply the monies you are sending
in for payment.
If you fail to include the LT docket number, the BUSINESS CHECK or MONEY
ORDER may be returned to you, and/or applied to the incorrect account.

***Please note the Help Desk and the Department of Court Records are not
responsible for ensuring your payments arrive properly and are made on time.

Yes, the rent due every month does not change, and it should be paid into the
Court to preserve your appeal. If you don’t keep up with your rental payments,
your landlord will be able to take action to evict you. If you make timely rental
payments and stay current on those payments, your landlord will not be able to
serve you an Important 10 Day Notice for failing to pay rent and take steps to
evict you before your next hearing.

If you try to file the appeal after 10 days and want to stay in the property, you will
have to ask the court for permission to file an appeal late. You may file a motion to file late appeal which can be found at the housing court help desk or on the Housing Court page.

You would file a new complaint at the Department of Court Records at 414 Grant
Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219. You are to file your compliant with the Department
of Court Records within 20 days of tenant filing appeal. The Department of Court
Records will assign you a new court date where you will appear in front of three
Arbitrators or have the option to choose Mediation.

Once you have you terminated the tenant’s supersedeas at the Department of Court Records Floor counter, you may take the “praecipe to terminate
supersedeas” to the MDJ office to request or re-issue an Order of Possession.

The arbitration hearing is scheduled when the complaint is filed. The arbitration hearing date is written on the front of the complaint mailed out to the Defendant.

Orders of court and other filings may affect the hearing date. You may confirm your arbitration hearing date by entering your case number in the “case search” feature of the website https://dcr.alleghenycounty.us/civil. Please check the complaint, any scheduled events at the bottom of the page, and orders of court on your case to confirm your arbitration hearing date.

Yes, you can file an Arbitration appeal within 30 days at the Floor counter in the Department of Court Records. You have a right to appeal the award within 30 days, but no right to appeal afterwards.

The Party who failed to appear can file a Post-Trial Relief Motion within 10 days
from the date of the Non-Jury verdict and explain the reason for missing the
Arbitration hearing. However, the Court may or may not grant your motion for
Post-Trial Relief. Accordingly, do not miss your Arbitration hearing.

No. The motion seeking extra time to pay the initial amount into Department of
Court Records to establish the supersedeas(possession) will be decided upon by the Housing
Court Judge at a motion hearing. The Judge will decide whether the motion for
extra time to pay will be granted or denied.

Under the circumstances above, the landlord can obtain a Certificate of No Rent
with the Floor counter in the Department of Court Records and then proceed to
the MDJ to request an Order of Possession.

Yes. A tenant must still pay rent when it is due into escrow. The landlord can
proceed to serve the Important 10-Day Notice for failing to pay rent when due
and owing by using postal form 3817. Landlord must retain a copy of the notice
and the proof of postage in order to terminate tenant’s possession of the
property.

The landlord can Terminate Supersedeas on the 11th day after the 10 – day Notice
was sent as long as tenant has not made the required rental payments that were
due and cured the default.

Yes. You can and should put your agreement in writing and file a Praecipe to
Settle and Discontinue the case. If the parties need assistance writing up the
agreement, they can appear for the Arbitration hearing and ask that a Mediator
assist with preparing the settlement agreement.

Monday through Thursday: 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Friday 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Please be advised that if you are filing a pleading, you must be in HCHD line by 3:00 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 2:00 p.m. – Friday
Additionally, all appropriate documents must be fully completed and ready to be filed by 3:45 p.m. Monday -Thursday and 2:45 p.m. – Friday.

Motions are heard daily at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 703 of the City-County Building.

Local Rule 208.3 requires the Movant to provide ten (10) days for presentation of any Contested Motion to any and all parties.

The Court does not schedule the date and time of presentation. The Petitioner/Movant selects a date and time at which time he or she wishes to present their Contested Motion. The Petitioner/Movant must provide a minimum of ten (10) days notice as per local rule.

No. Motion for Summary Judgment Motions and Motions for Judgment on Pleadings are scheduled on the General Argument List which is published roughly every sixty (60) days. See Local Rule 1035.2(a)

All Preliminary Objections are required to be filed electronically. The Standard Operating Procedure for filing Preliminary Objections can be found on the website under General Motions page.

No! Local Rule 1028 requires the parties to seek a continuance of the Arbitration Trial Date if the parties wish to have the pleadings closed prior to the Arbitration Trial Date.

Your answer and brief in opposition are due seven (7) days prior to the scheduled argument date.

No! If your Motion is Uncontested, you may present in person in Courtroom 703 of the City-County Building or you may submit your Uncontested Motion to the email box designated for Uncontested Motions at civiluncontestedmotions@alleghenycourts.us and follows the Standard Operating Procedures listed on the General Motions page.

No! Local Rule 200 requires a corporation’s partnership or unincorporated association to be represented by a lawyer.

If the Court grants your request for injunctive relief, the injunction takes effect as soon as the Court ordered Bond is posted with the Department of Court Records. The Department of Court Records keeps a list of approved bonding companies.

You may fill out the Pro-Bono Mediator Application.

Attorney Mediators

Have been admitted to the practice of law for at least 7 years.
Are currently licensed and in good standing or are in “Retired” status.
Possess Experience in Civil Litigation
Possess strong mediation process skills and the temperament and training to listen well, facilitate communication across party lines and assist the parties with settlement negotiation.

Non-Attorney Mediators

40 hours of mediation training
Have experience mediating at least five cases
Possess strong mediation process skills and the temperament and training to listen well, facilitate communication across party lines and assist the parties with settlement negotiations.

Arbitration Appeals.
Cases where the demand is $100,000 or less
Cases ordered eligible by the Calendar Control Judge

Arbitration

Where are you located and what are your hours?

Can I have a remote/virtual hearing instead of coming in person?

What is the jurisdictional limit in Arbitration?

Where do I file my complaint or pleadings?

Can I e-file my pleadings?

How do I see my docket entries or case information?

How do I get a hearing date?

How do I continue my Landlord Tenant case?

What if my case settles prior to the Arbitration hearing date?

How do I schedule an Arbitration motion?

How do I schedule a Landlord Tenant motion?

What happens when I check in for my hearing?

How do I obtain a copy of my Arbitration award/verdict?

What happens if a party fails to appear at an Arbitration hearing?

How can I become an arbitrator and what are the requirements?

May I have a court reporter for the Arbitration hearing?

Are litigants allowed to speak with the Arbitrators regarding their final decision after the hearing?

Can I appeal my Arbitration award?

Asbestos Docket

How are asbestos cases placed at issue?

How are asbestos jury trials managed?

How are motions for summary judgment handled?

How are general asbestos motions scheduled?

How are asbestos trial cases scheduled?

Board of Viewers

When will my hearing be scheduled?

What rules or law apply with regard to my realty tax assessment appeal?

What if I do not appear?

What if I no longer own the property or did not own it when the appeal was filed?

What effect does my Board of Viewers hearing have upon the Board of Property Assessment proceedings?

What if I move and do not advise the Court in writing of my new address?

May someone speak on my behalf at the hearing?

Are the facilities accessible for individuals with a disability?

How may I request a postponement?

What can I expect when I show up in Court?

Is child care available?

What if I have additional questions?

Calendar Control

How can I search for my cases and hearing dates online?

Who is the Calendar Control Judge?

How will I know when my case is listed for trial?

When are Motions in Limine due?

How do I e-file my pleadings?

Can I file my pleadings in person?

Housing Court

I want to obtain a hearing date for my motion in Housing Court motion and E-File it. How do I complete this?

When is my rent payment due?

My landlord took me to the Magisterial District Judge (MDJ) to evict me and won, can I file an appeal with the Court of Common Pleas?

I filed my appeal, filed for a fee waiver, and paid the 1/3 of my rent that keeps me in my home during the appeal (Supersedeas). The Cashier in the Department of Court Records told me that 2/3 of my rent is due in 20 days. How do I make that payment?

I thought if I filed an appeal I couldn’t be evicted, but now I am confused. Do I still have to pay rent?

What if I fail to file an appeal from the Magisterial District Judge’s decision within 10 days? Will I be able to file an appeal later?

My tenant filed an appeal from a Magisterial District Judge decision. What do I do next?

I terminated my tenant’s possession of the property because the tenant(s) failed to pay into the escrow account. How do I proceed with an eviction?

When is my Arbitration hearing date?

I lost at arbitration, and I want to file an appeal of that Award. I was told I have 30 days to file the appeal. Will I be considered late if I wait until after 30 days to file the appeal?

I missed my Arbitration hearing, and a Non-Jury verdict was entered against me. What can I do to get another Arbitration Hearing date?

My tenant filed a Motion for Extension to Obtain Supersedeas and was required to make a payment on a date set forth in the court order issued to obtain possession of the property. The tenant failed to make the payment by that date. How can I proceed with eviction?

A rental payment schedule was established by the Department of Court Records. Although my tenant made the initial payment(s), the tenant failed to make subsequent payments. Can I take action against them?

My tenant failed to make rental payments, I sent the Important 10-day Notice to them, and it has been more than 10 days. What is the next step?

I have come to an agreement with the other side in my case. Can we make a filing to record this agreement?

What is the Housing Court Help Desk hours of operation?

Motions Court

I have a Contested Motion. Where do I present my Motion?

How much notice am I required to provide my opposition before I can present my Motion?

How does my Contested Motion get scheduled?

Does the “General Motions Judge” hear Motions for Summary Judgment or Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings?

I need to file Preliminary Objections. Where can I find the Standard Operating Procedure for filing Preliminary Objections?

I am filing Preliminary Objections in an Arbitration Case. The argument date for the Preliminary Objections is beyond the scheduled Arbitration Trial Date. Does my Arbitration Trial Date automatically get stayed or postponed?

I have been served with General Docket Preliminary Objections. When is my answer and reply brief due?

My Motion is uncontested. Do I need to present my motion in person in Courtroom 703 at 9:30 a.m.?

If I am an officer in a corporation’s partnership, or unincorporated associations, can I represent the corporation, partnership or association?

I have presented an emergency Motion requesting Preliminary Injunctive Relief. When does my injunction relief take effect?

Pro Bono Mediator Information

How do I apply to be a Pro Bono Mediator?

What are the requirements for being a Pro Bono Mediator?

What cases are eligible for Mediation?