Rule 1143.Commencement of Action.
Adopted September 30, 1949 · Not amended since adoption · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceA mortgage-foreclosure action is commenced by filing a complaint with the prothonotary, beginning the case with the complaint rather than a writ of summons.
Full Text of Rule 1143
An action shall be commenced by filing a complaint with the prothonotary.
End
Plain-English Summary
This rule sets how a mortgage-foreclosure action begins: by filing a complaint with the prothonotary. The complaint lays out the mortgage, the default, and the relief sought against the property.
Requiring the complaint at the outset fits a proceeding against the land where the basis for foreclosing must be stated from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a mortgage foreclosure action start?
By filing a complaint with the prothonotary.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 1143 adopted September 30, 1949, effective April 1, 1950.
Source & verification. Rule text, the Official Note, and the amendment
history are reproduced verbatim from the Pennsylvania Code, Title 231, the official compilation
of rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania. This rule has not been amended since its adoption. Last verified June 30, 2026. ·
Official text
Also known as: commence mortgage foreclosurefile foreclosure complaintstarting foreclosure