Philadelphia Municipal Court Judgment Collection

Philadelphia doesn't have Magisterial District Courts. If you sued someone in small claims in Philadelphia County, your case went through the Philadelphia Municipal Court (PMC) Civil Division — and collecting on that judgment follows a different process than the rest of Pennsylvania.

How Philadelphia Enforcement Differs

Across Pennsylvania's other 66 counties, small claims judgments are enforced through MDJ courts using constables and MDJS Form 305ABL. Philadelphia operates its own system:

• Different filing portal: PMC uses the FJD (First Judicial District) Claims portal for electronic filings
• Different enforcement officers: PMC bailiffs and the Philadelphia Sheriff handle execution, not elected constables
• Different fee schedule: Philadelphia's filing and execution fees differ from the statewide MDJ schedule
• Same 30-day wait: Like everywhere in Pennsylvania, you must wait 30 days after judgment entry before filing for execution

Filing for Execution in Philadelphia Municipal Court

After the 30-day appeal window expires and no notice of appeal has been filed, you can begin enforcement:

1. File a Praecipe for Writ of Execution with the Philadelphia Municipal Court Civil Division. This can be done through the FJD Claims portal or in person at the Land Title Building (1339 Chestnut Street) or City Hall.

2. Pay the execution fees and service costs. The Philadelphia Sheriff's fee schedule lists $135 for a Municipal Court Writ of Execution: a $90 sheriff fee, $20 state fee, and $25 mileage. A property sale or other service can add costs.

3. The writ is served by PMC enforcement officers (for personal property within the Municipal Court's jurisdiction) or the Philadelphia Sheriff's civil division (for bank garnishments and broader execution).

Bank Account Garnishment in Philadelphia

To garnish a debtor's bank account, you typically need to transfer the judgment to the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Prothonotary. The transfer process:

1. Request a certified transcript from the PMC clerk
2. File the transcript with the Common Pleas Prothonotary at City Hall
3. File a Praecipe for Writ of Execution (Garnishment), naming the debtor's bank as the garnishee
4. The Philadelphia Sheriff serves the writ on the bank branch

Under Pa.R.C.P. 3111(b), serving the writ immediately freezes the account. The bank must respond with sworn answers to Interrogatories to Garnishee within 20 calendar days, detailing the exact balance held.

Creating a Real Estate Lien

An PMC judgment does not automatically attach to the debtor's real property. To create a judgment lien on real estate:

1. Obtain a certified transcript from PMC
2. File it with the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Prothonotary
3. The judgment is indexed, and the lien attaches to real property then titled to the debtor in Philadelphia County

If the debtor owns property outside Philadelphia, you'll need to file the transcript in those counties as well.

The Philadelphia Sheriff's Office

The Philadelphia Sheriff's civil division at 100 South Broad Street handles writs of execution, property levies, bank garnishments, and Sheriff's Sales for Common Pleas judgments. When filing a writ, you'll need to provide:

• A copy of the writ issued by the Prothonotary
• A deposit for the sheriff's service costs
• Specific information about the target asset — the bank branch address for garnishment, the property address for a levy

The sheriff's office can be slow during high-volume periods. Plan for several weeks between filing and completion of service.

When to Transfer vs. Stay in PMC

Stay in PMC if:

• The debtor has personal property you can identify and locate within Philadelphia
• You want to keep costs lower and the process simpler

Transfer to Common Pleas if:

• You want to garnish the debtor's bank account
• The debtor owns real estate and you want a lien
• You need post-judgment discovery to locate assets (interrogatories and depositions under Pa.R.C.P. 3117)
• You want to extend the judgment life beyond the initial period through revival

Most Philadelphia creditors who are serious about collection end up transferring to Common Pleas, because bank garnishment is usually the most effective tool and it's only available through that court.

The Pennsylvania Judgment Collection Guide includes a dedicated Philadelphia chapter with FJD-specific filing instructions, fee schedules, and step-by-step workflows for both PMC and Common Pleas enforcement.

See more Pennsylvania guides →