Adopted December 6, 1996 · Not amended since adoption · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceA respondent must answer a deficiency petition that carries a notice to defend within twenty days of service — sixty days if served outside the United States — in numbered paragraphs matching the petition.
(a)Except as provided by subdivision (b), an answer to a petition which contains a notice to defend shall be filed within twenty days after service of the petition.
(b)A respondent served outside the United States shall have sixty days from service of the petition within which to file an answer.
(c)The answer to a petition shall be divided into paragraphs, numbered consecutively, corresponding to the numbered paragraphs of the petition.
End
Plain-English Summary
This rule sets the respondent’s deadline to answer a deficiency petition. When the petition contains a notice to defend, the respondent files an answer within twenty days after service, or within sixty days if served outside the United States. The answer is divided into consecutively numbered paragraphs that correspond to the petition’s paragraphs.
Because a default, or an answer that does not deny the key allegations, leads to an order without a hearing, the answer is the respondent’s opportunity to put the fair-market-value or satisfaction questions in dispute.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is there to answer a deficiency petition?
Twenty days after service, or sixty days if the respondent was served outside the United States.
Why does the answer matter?
An answer that denies the key allegations sends the disputed questions to trial; without it, an order may be entered without a hearing.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 3280 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. This rule has not been amended since its adoption. Last verified June 30, 2026. ·
Official text