BEWARE: Petition To Open Judgment Non Pros Must Be Filed Before Any Appeal To Preserve Issues

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In the case of Reilly v. Bristol Twp., No. 2019-08757 (C.P. Bucks Co. June 30, 2023 Corr, J.), the trial court judge issued a Rule 1925 Opinion in which he requested the Superior Court to dismiss a Plaintiff’s appeal of a civil litigation which a non pros default judgment was entered against the Plaintiff and the Plaintiff failed to preserve any issues for appeal when he filed an appeal from the entry of the judgment of non pros rather than filing a Petition to Open and/or Strike the Default Judgment under Pa. R.C.P. 3051.

According to the Opinion, a Plaintiff police officer sued the Defendant township regarding various employment issues.

During the course of the litigation, the trial court granted a Defendant’s request for the entry of judgment of non pros due to the Plaintiff’s failure to proceed with the case with reasonable promptitude.

The Plaintiff then filed an appeal.

The trial court held that the Plaintiff’s appeal had to be dismissed given that the Plaintiff failed to file a Petition for Relief from the judgment of non pros under Pa. R.C.P. 3051. 

According to the trial court, that Rule, and case law construing that Rule, directly addresses the means of obtaining relief from an entry of a judgment of non pros. The Court noted that, according to the Explanatory Note of the Rule, a Plaintiff must file a Petition for relief from the judgment of non pros to the trial court rather than filing an appeal to the appellate court. 

The trial court ruled that, where the Plaintiff erroneously filed an appeal, the Plaintiff failed to preserve any of the issues regarding the entry of the judgment. As such, the trial court requested the Superior Court to dismiss the Plaintiff’s appeal.

Anyone wishing to review a copy of this decision may click this LINK.

Source: “Digest of Recent Opinions.” Pennsylvania Law Weekly (Aug. 1, 2023).