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  • May 22, 2026

How to Fill Out Pennsylvania Praecipe to Enter Judgment by Confession + FAQs

A Pennsylvania Praecipe to Enter Judgment by Confession is the one-page direction a creditor (or its attorney) files with the county Prothonotary to convert a signed warrant of attorney into a real, enforceable court judgment under Pa.R.C.P. 2951. The praecipe itself is short, but it triggers powerful collection rights — wage attachment is barred in Pennsylvania, but bank levies, real estate liens, and sheriff sales become available the moment the clerk dockets the judgment.

Confession-of-judgment practice is unusually concentrated in Pennsylvania. According to data summarized in the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia’s research on confessed judgments, Pennsylvania prothonotaries enter tens of thousands of confessed judgments each year, and Philadelphia County alone routinely tops 4,000 commercial confessions annually — making field-level accuracy on this praecipe one of the highest-leverage pieces of paperwork in state civil practice.

Here is what you will learn:

What the Praecipe Is and Who Must File It

A “praecipe” is a written direction to the Prothonotary, Pennsylvania’s term for the civil court clerk. The Praecipe to Enter Judgment by Confession instructs that clerk to enter a money judgment, a judgment for possession, or both, against a defendant who previously signed a warrant of attorney authorizing such entry. The authority for the praecipe sits in the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, principally Rules 2950–2967 for money confessions and Rules 2970–2986 for confessions for possession of real property.

The filer is almost always a creditor, a commercial landlord, a lender, or counsel for one of those parties. Common filers include a bank enforcing a commercial promissory note, a landlord enforcing a commercial lease, an SBA lender enforcing a guaranty, and a vendor enforcing a forbearance agreement that contains a confession clause. Pennsylvania bars confessions of judgment in residential consumer credit transactions under the Goods and Services Installment Sales Act, 69 P.S. § 1602, and federal law bars them in most consumer contracts under the FTC Credit Practices Rule, 16 C.F.R. § 444.2.

Two things flow from filing. First, the judgment is a lien on all real estate the defendant owns in that county the instant it is docketed under 42 Pa.C.S. § 4303. Second, the defendant gets a 30-day window (sometimes shorter for possession actions) to challenge it under Pa.R.C.P. 2959 and a strict notice regime under Pa.R.C.P. 2958.1.

Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need

A confession praecipe fails fast if the supporting paper is missing. Pennsylvania prothonotaries reject incomplete confession packets at the counter, and judges routinely strike judgments where the underlying instrument is not attached, as confirmed in cases like Hazer v. Zabala, 26 A.3d 1166 (Pa. Super. 2011). Gather every item below before you open the form.

  • The original instrument containing the warrant of attorney. Without it, the prothonotary has no authority to act under Pa.R.C.P. 2952(a)(2).
  • A separate “warning notice” page signed by the obligor in 12-point bold type, required by Pa.R.C.P. 2952(a)(7) for instruments executed after 1996.
  • A computation of the amount due, broken into principal, interest, attorney’s commission, and costs.
  • The exact post-default per diem interest rate, because the prothonotary will not “do math” beyond a fixed sum.
  • The defendant’s last known address for the Pa.R.C.P. 2958.1 notice and writ of execution.
  • A verification under Pa.R.C.P. 1024 signed by someone with personal knowledge.
  • An SCRA non-military affidavit if you intend to take execution against a natural person.
  • A certificate of residence for the judgment creditor, required by many county local rules such as Philadelphia Civil Rule *1018.1.
  • An Act 6 and Act 91 pre-filing notice if the obligation is a residential mortgage.

Where to Get the Form and How to Access It

Pennsylvania publishes the suggested praecipe form directly inside the rule. The full text and template appear at Pa.R.C.P. 2952, and Pa.R.C.P. 2972 gives the parallel template for confessions for possession. There is no separate fillable PDF issued by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts, so attorneys typically retype the rule’s template on pleading paper.

Several counties post local versions. Philadelphia practitioners often start from the First Judicial District’s Civil Forms page. Allegheny County provides templates through the Allegheny County Department of Court Records. Montgomery County’s praecipe practice runs through the Montgomery County Prothonotary, and Bucks County uses forms hosted by the Bucks County Prothonotary.

If you e-file, you will use one of two portals. The statewide PACFile system handles most counties. Philadelphia uses the dedicated Civil Electronic Filing System (CEFS). Confirm the revision date on the rule (the current Rule 2952 template was last amended effective July 1, 2018) before submitting, because outdated language in the warning notice is a frequent strike-down ground.

Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the Praecipe Line by Line

The praecipe template inside Pa.R.C.P. 2952 is short, but every blank carries weight. Each H3 below covers one field, with the six-element template: plain English, how to answer, a sample entry, an edge case, a mistake plus consequence, and a misconception.

Caption — Court, County, and Term/Number

This is the heading at the top of the praecipe naming the court (always a Court of Common Pleas), the county, and the docket information. You write “IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF [COUNTY] COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA — CIVIL DIVISION” in all caps, then leave the term and number blank for the prothonotary to assign on filing.

A sample entry for a Philadelphia matter reads “IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF PHILADELPHIA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA — CIVIL DIVISION — TERM, 20, NO. ___”. The edge case to watch is multi-county collateral: if the defendant owns real estate in several counties, you must file a separate praecipe and complaint in each county where you want a lien, as required by 42 Pa.C.S. § 4303.

A common mistake is filing in the wrong division — Civil rather than Trial Division/Civil in Philadelphia — which causes a counter rejection and lost lien priority. The misconception is that confessions can be filed in Magisterial District Court; they cannot, because only a Court of Common Pleas Prothonotary may dock a confessed judgment.

Plaintiff Block — Full Legal Name and Address

This block names the judgment creditor exactly as the warrant of attorney runs in its favor. Use the full legal entity name, the state of incorporation if a corporation, and a complete street address — never a P.O. Box alone, because Pa.R.C.P. 1018.1 requires a service-capable address.

A sample entry is “Keystone Capital Lending, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, with offices at 100 Market Street, Suite 400, Harrisburg, PA 17101.” The edge case is an assigned note: if the original lender assigned the note, the praecipe must name the assignee and attach the chain of assignment, or the judgment is void under Manor Building Corp. v. Manor Complex Associates, 645 A.2d 843 (Pa. Super. 1994).

A common mistake is using a trade name instead of the legal entity, which the prothonotary will reject and which can defeat enforcement. The misconception is that a parent company can confess on a subsidiary’s note — it cannot, because the warrant runs only to the named obligee.

Defendant Block — Name, Address, and Capacity

Identify every obligor on the warrant. Match the spelling on the instrument exactly, because variations let defendants attack the judgment as void for misidentification.

A sample entry is “Marcus T. Rivera, an individual residing at 482 Chestnut Lane, Lancaster, PA 17602, and Rivera Bakery, Inc., a Pennsylvania corporation, jointly and severally.” The edge case is a deceased defendant: you cannot confess against a dead person, and a confession entered after death is void ab initio under Linett v. Linett, 254 A.2d 7 (Pa. 1969).

The mistake to avoid is omitting a guarantor whose warrant you intend to use — you waive the right to confess against any obligor you leave out. A misconception is that married defendants must be sued together; under 23 Pa.C.S. § 3502, each spouse is treated as a separate obligor.

“TO THE PROTHONOTARY” Direction Line

This is the single sentence directing the clerk to act. The rule requires the words “Enter judgment in favor of plaintiff and against defendant in the above-captioned matter.”

A sample entry reads “TO THE PROTHONOTARY: Enter judgment in favor of Keystone Capital Lending, LLC and against Marcus T. Rivera and Rivera Bakery, Inc., jointly and severally, by confession, pursuant to the warrant of attorney contained in the Note attached as Exhibit A to the Complaint in Confession of Judgment filed herewith.” The edge case involves possession plus money: you must include both directives if you are confessing under both Rule 2951 and Rule 2971.

A common mistake is failing to identify the specific instrument that contains the warrant, which lets the defendant move to strike for facial defect. The misconception is that the prothonotary may “interpret” the warrant — the clerk performs a purely ministerial act and will reject any direction that requires judgment.

Amount of Judgment — Principal

This is the unpaid principal balance the warrant authorizes. Enter it as a fixed dollar number with no ranges and no estimates.

A sample entry is “Principal: $185,432.17 as of February 14, 2026.” The edge case is acceleration: if the note allows acceleration on default, the praecipe must state that the holder has accelerated and identify the acceleration date, because confession of an unaccelerated balance waives the rest. A common mistake is including future installments that the warrant does not yet permit, which is fatal under Dollar Bank v. Northwood Cheese Co., 637 A.2d 309 (Pa. Super. 1994). The misconception is that the prothonotary will calculate a payoff — the clerk enters only the exact figure you write.

Amount of Judgment — Interest and Per Diem

Pennsylvania allows confession of pre-judgment interest at the contract rate, plus a stated per diem so post-judgment interest accrues automatically. Calculate interest from the last paid-through date to the filing date, then state the daily figure that follows.

A sample entry is “Interest from August 1, 2025 through February 14, 2026 at 8.50% per annum: $8,217.42, with a per diem of $43.20 thereafter.” The edge case is the Loan Interest and Protection Law (Act 6), 41 P.S. § 201, which caps residential mortgage interest at 6% above the federal discount rate.

A common mistake is using the default rate when the contract requires a notice of default first, which lets the defendant open the judgment as to interest. The misconception is that 6% is always the legal rate — the judgment rate under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8101 is 6%, but the contract rate controls confessions.

Amount of Judgment — Attorney’s Commission

The warrant typically authorizes an “attorney’s commission” of a stated percentage. Enter the percentage and the dollar result.

A sample entry is “Attorney’s commission of 5% of principal and interest: $9,682.48.” The edge case is a commission that the court may find unconscionable: Pennsylvania courts routinely reduce commissions above 5% on commercial notes and have rejected 15%+ figures, as discussed in PNC Bank v. Bolus, 655 A.2d 997 (Pa. Super. 1995).

A common mistake is confessing the maximum allowed by the warrant when you have not yet incurred those fees — the defendant will move to open and you will be limited to actual reasonable fees. The misconception is that the commission is a “bonus” for the lawyer; it is intended to indemnify the lender for collection costs, not enrich counsel.

Amount of Judgment — Costs

This line covers filing fees, service costs, and other taxable items the warrant authorizes.

A sample entry is “Costs of suit: $185.50.” The edge case is sheriff’s mileage: if you anticipate immediate execution, do not lump those fees into the praecipe — they are added later as a writ of execution cost. A common mistake is confessing attorney’s fees as costs rather than as the commission, which double-counts and invites a strike motion. The misconception is that the prothonotary’s filing fee can be confessed before it is paid; it is paid first, then included.

Description of the Property (Possession Cases Only)

If you are confessing for possession of real estate under Pa.R.C.P. 2971, describe the leased premises with street address, unit number if applicable, and the lease’s metes-and-bounds reference.

A sample entry is “All that certain commercial unit known as Suite 220, 700 South Henderson Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406, as more fully described in the Lease attached as Exhibit A.” The edge case is mixed-use property: the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951, 68 P.S. § 250.302, bars confessions in residential leases, so any residential portion voids the entire confession.

A common mistake is using only a tax parcel number without a street description, which the sheriff cannot serve. The misconception is that a holdover tenant can be ousted by confession after the lease ends — most warrants expire with the lease term unless they expressly survive.

Signature Block and Verification

The praecipe must be signed by the plaintiff or counsel, with name, attorney ID, firm, address, phone, and email. The accompanying complaint requires a verification under Pa.R.C.P. 1024.

A sample entry is “/s/ Janet S. Choi, Esquire — PA ID No. 312456 — Choi & Park LLP — 1500 Market Street, Suite 3200, Philadelphia, PA 19102 — (215) 555-0140 — jchoi@choipark.com.” The edge case is out-of-state counsel who must associate with PA-admitted counsel under Pa.B.A.R. 301.

A common mistake is using an electronic signature that does not include the “/s/” convention required by Pa.R.C.P. 205.4, causing rejection. The misconception is that the client must sign the praecipe — counsel signs, but the verification on the complaint must be signed by a client representative with personal knowledge.

Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios

Scenario 1 — Aisha Patel, Commercial Lender Confessing on a Promissory Note

Form Section What Aisha’s Counsel Enters
Caption IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF DAUPHIN COUNTY — CIVIL DIVISION
Plaintiff Keystone Community Bank, a PA banking corporation, 100 Market St., Harrisburg, PA 17101
Defendant Riverbend Manufacturing, Inc. and Aisha Patel, Guarantor, jointly and severally
Direction Enter judgment by confession pursuant to the Warrant in the Note dated 03/05/2023
Principal $425,000.00 as of 02/01/2026
Interest $18,541.10 at 7.25% from 09/01/2025; per diem $84.38
Attorney’s Commission 5% — $22,177.06
Costs $185.50
Signature /s/ Janet S. Choi, Esq., PA ID 312456

Scenario 2 — Marcus Rivera, Commercial Landlord Confessing for Possession and Rent

Form Section What Marcus’s Counsel Enters
Caption IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY — CIVIL DIVISION
Plaintiff Henderson Plaza Associates, LP, 700 S. Henderson Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406
Defendant Bright Bean Coffee LLC, tenant under Lease dated 06/15/2022
Direction Enter judgment for possession AND money under Pa.R.C.P. 2971 and 2951
Property Suite 220, 700 S. Henderson Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406
Past-Due Rent $48,200.00 (Sept 2025–Feb 2026)
Acceleration $112,400.00 remaining lease term, accelerated under Section 18.2
Attorney’s Commission 5% — $8,030.00
Costs $210.50
Signature /s/ Daniel Wu, Esq., PA ID 208994

Scenario 3 — Janet Okafor, SBA Lender Confessing on a Personal Guaranty

Form Section What Janet’s Counsel Enters
Caption IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY — CIVIL DIVISION
Plaintiff First Three Rivers Bank, N.A., 600 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Defendant Janet Okafor, Guarantor, 88 Beechwood Blvd., Pittsburgh, PA 15217
Direction Enter judgment by confession pursuant to the Guaranty dated 11/12/2021
Principal $92,300.00 as of 02/14/2026
Interest $5,617.20 at 9.0% from 06/01/2025; per diem $22.76
Attorney’s Commission 5% — $4,895.86
Non-Military Affidavit Filed; SCRA report attached
Costs $165.00
Signature /s/ Robert L. Kim, Esq., PA ID 411203

How to File the Completed Form

Pennsylvania confession filings happen at the county Prothonotary — never in federal court for state-law confessions, and never in Magisterial District Court. Three filing channels exist, and each county chooses which to allow.

In person. Walk the praecipe, complaint, instrument with warrant, certificate of residence, and verification to the prothonotary’s counter. Filing fees vary by county: Philadelphia charges roughly $252.25 per First Judicial District fee schedule, Allegheny charges about $170.75 per the Department of Court Records fee schedule, Montgomery is around $157.50 per the Montgomery County Prothonotary fees, and Bucks runs about $167.00. Pay by check or money order made out to the prothonotary; some counties accept credit cards. Get the time-stamped copy as your proof of filing.

By mail. Send the same packet with a self-addressed stamped envelope and a check. Processing takes 7–14 days. Mail filing is risky for confessions because the lien priority dates from the clerk’s stamp, not the postmark.

Electronic filing. Most counties use PACFile, and Philadelphia uses the Civil Electronic Filing System. E-filing assigns a docket number within minutes and provides an electronic time-stamped confirmation that satisfies proof-of-filing requirements under Pa.R.C.P. 205.4. Fax filing is not available for confessions in any Pennsylvania county.

What Happens After You File

The prothonotary indexes the judgment in the county judgment index the same business day. From that moment, the judgment is a lien on every parcel of real estate the defendant owns in the county under 42 Pa.C.S. § 4303.

You must then serve the Pa.R.C.P. 2958.1 notice on every defendant within a reasonable time. The notice tells the debtor a confessed judgment was entered, what to do about it, and where to find legal help. Failure to serve this notice properly is one of the most common grounds for striking a confessed judgment, as illustrated in Resolution Trust Corp. v. Copley Qu-Wayne Associates, 683 A.2d 269 (Pa. 1996).

The defendant has 30 days from notice to file a petition to strike or open under Pa.R.C.P. 2959. If no petition arrives in time and the defendant raises no defense, you may issue a writ of execution under Pa.R.C.P. 3103 and pursue bank levies, real estate sheriff’s sales, and out-of-county transfers under 42 Pa.C.S. § 4311.

Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form

  • Failing to attach the original instrument. The judgment is void on its face and will be stricken under Pa.R.C.P. 2952(a)(2).
  • Using a stale warrant. Pennsylvania courts find warrants “exhausted” once exercised; reusing one for a later default is fatal under Scott Factors, Inc. v. Hartley, 425 Pa. 290 (1967).
  • Confessing in a residential consumer transaction. Banned by 69 P.S. § 1602 and 16 C.F.R. § 444.2; the entire judgment is void.
  • Including future installments not yet due. Strikes the entire money component.
  • Overstating the attorney’s commission. Triggers a petition to open and judicial reduction.
  • Using a P.O. Box for the defendant’s address. Defeats Rule 2958.1 service.
  • Skipping the verification. A complaint without a Rule 1024 verification is a nullity.
  • Filing without the Act 6 notice on residential mortgages. Voids the judgment.
  • Misnaming the plaintiff entity. Forces a praecipe to amend and risks lien-priority loss.
  • Confessing post-petition under the Bankruptcy Code’s automatic stay, 11 U.S.C. § 362. Exposes counsel to sanctions.
  • Forgetting the SCRA non-military affidavit. Subjects the judgment to reopening under 50 U.S.C. § 3931.
  • Filing in the wrong county. Creates no lien on out-of-county property and wastes the filing fee.

Do’s and Don’ts

  • Do confirm the warrant’s “warning notice” matches the Rule 2952(a)(7) language word-for-word, because deviations get judgments stricken.
  • Do run a PA Department of State entity search to confirm the defendant’s correct legal name.
  • Do check the defendant’s bankruptcy status on PACER before filing.
  • Do calculate interest to the filing date, not the default date.
  • Do save the prothonotary’s time-stamped copy as your proof of lien priority.
  • Do serve the Rule 2958.1 notice promptly to start the 30-day clock.
  • Don’t confess against a consumer; federal and state law forbid it.
  • Don’t include unliquidated damages — confessions are for sums certain only.
  • Don’t sign the verification on behalf of the client unless you have a written authority and personal knowledge.
  • Don’t assume one warrant covers later amendments; new advances usually need a new warrant.
  • Don’t skip the certificate of residence; counter clerks reject the packet immediately.
  • Don’t rely on a faxed copy of the instrument — the prothonotary requires a copy true and correct to the original under Rule 2952(a)(2).

Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help

  • Pro — speed. A practiced attorney can file a clean confession packet within 24 hours of default, locking in lien priority before competitors.
  • Pro — cost recovery. The attorney’s commission inside the warrant typically reimburses counsel’s reasonable fees.
  • Pro — uniformity. Counsel uses templates that satisfy every county’s quirks without rejection.
  • Pro — execution roadmap. Counsel pairs the praecipe with a same-day writ of execution under Rule 3103.
  • Pro — defense readiness. Counsel anticipates Rule 2959 motions and has the file ready.
  • Con — pro se technicality. A single missing element strikes the judgment, and most counties will not coach a non-lawyer at the counter.
  • Con — unauthorized practice risk. A non-attorney signing the praecipe on behalf of a corporation violates 42 Pa.C.S. § 2524.
  • Con — federal preemption traps. Lay filers miss the FTC Credit Practices Rule and the SCRA, 50 U.S.C. § 3931.
  • Con — local rule traps. Each county prothonotary applies its own filing rules.
  • Con — no second chances. A stricken judgment loses lien priority forever.

Money Confession vs. Possession Confession

Feature Money (Rule 2951) vs. Possession (Rule 2971)
Authority Pa.R.C.P. 2951 covers money; Pa.R.C.P. 2971 covers possession
Form Template Rule 2952 vs. Rule 2972
Required Attachment Note/guaranty vs. lease
Notice After Filing Rule 2958.1 vs. Rule 2973.1
Time to Open/Strike 30 days vs. 30 days, but execution can issue in 5 days under Rule 2973.3
Common Use Loan default vs. commercial lease default

FAQs

Can a tenant confess judgment against a landlord?

No. The warrant of attorney runs only in favor of the obligee named in the lease, almost always the landlord, so a tenant has nothing to confess.

Is a confessed judgment valid against a consumer?

No. 69 P.S. § 1602 and 16 C.F.R. § 444.2 bar confessions in consumer credit and residential leases; any such judgment is void.

Do I write the principal as of the default date or the filing date?

No to default date. Calculate principal and interest as of the filing date so the per diem starts the next day under Rule 2952.

Should the attorney’s commission line list a percentage or a dollar figure?

Yes — list both. Stating the percentage from the warrant and the resulting dollar figure satisfies the prothonotary’s “sum certain” rule.

Do I attach the original note or a copy?

Yes, attach a true and correct copy and bring the original to court if requested, per Rule 2952(a)(2).

Can I confess in federal court?

No. Pennsylvania confession-of-judgment procedure is a state-court Prothonotary function; federal courts do not have a parallel Rule 2951 mechanism.

Does a confessed judgment expire?

Yes. It is enforceable as a lien for five years and revivable under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5526 before it lapses.

Do I need to give the debtor pre-filing notice?

No for commercial confessions, but yes for residential mortgages under Act 6 and Act 91.

Can I e-file a confession in Philadelphia?

Yes. The Civil Electronic Filing System accepts confession packets and returns a docket number within minutes.

Should the per diem appear on its own line?

Yes. Stating the per diem separately lets the prothonotary continue interest accrual after entry without further order.

Is wage garnishment available on a confessed judgment?

No. Pennsylvania bars wage garnishment for most consumer debts under 42 Pa.C.S. § 8127; bank levies and real estate sales remain.

Can I confess for both possession and money in one praecipe?

Yes. A single combined praecipe may direct the clerk to enter both, provided the warrant authorizes both and you cite Rules 2951 and 2971 expressly.

Do I need a non-military affidavit for a corporate defendant?

No. The SCRA, 50 U.S.C. § 3931, only applies to natural persons, but file one for any individual co-defendant or guarantor.

Can a defendant remove a confessed judgment to bankruptcy court?

Yes, indirectly — filing a bankruptcy petition triggers the automatic stay under 11 U.S.C. § 362 and freezes execution, though the judgment lien itself survives subject to avoidance actions.

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