The proceeding shall be brought in the county in which the real property which is sold is located as a supplemental proceeding in the execution proceeding in that county.
Rule 3278.Venue. Supplementary Proceeding.
Adopted December 6, 1996 · Last amended December 6, 1996 · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceA deficiency-judgment proceeding is brought in the county where the sold real property is located, as a supplementary proceeding within the execution case in that county.
Full Text of Rule 3278
Plain-English Summary
This rule fixes where and how a deficiency proceeding is brought. It is filed in the county where the real property that was sold is located, and it proceeds as a supplemental proceeding within the execution case in that same county — not as a separate action.
Tying the deficiency proceeding to the existing execution keeps the fair-market-value determination in the court that conducted the sale, where the record of the sale and the property’s location already sit. Treating it as supplementary, rather than a new suit, streamlines the path to crediting the debtor and fixing any remaining deficiency.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is a deficiency proceeding filed?
In the county where the sold real property is located, within the execution proceeding in that county.
Is it a separate lawsuit?
No. It is a supplementary proceeding within the existing execution case.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 3278 adopted December 6, 1996, effective January 1, 1997, 26 Pa.B. 6068.
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. Last verified June 30, 2026. ·
Official text
Also known as: deficiency proceeding venuesupplementary proceeding