The prothonotary, on praecipe of the petitioner, shall, without further notice or hearing, enter an order determining the fair market value of the real property to be the value alleged in the petition, determining the prior lien amounts to be in the amounts alleged in the petition and making any special allocation requested by the petition if
Rule 3284.Order Upon Default or Admission.
Adopted December 6, 1996 · Last amended December 2, 2009 · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceIf no answer is filed to a properly served fair-market-value petition, or the answer does not deny the fair market value, prior lien amounts, or special allocation, the prothonotary enters an order fixing the fair market value without further notice or hearing.
Full Text of Rule 3284
(1) no answer is filed within the required time to a petition which was served pursuant to the requirements of Rule 3283 and contains a notice to defend required by Rule 3282(b), and notice has been given as provided by Rule 237.1 et seq., or
(2) an answer is filed which does not deny the allegations in the petition as to the fair market value, the prior lien amounts or any special allocation.
Plain-English Summary
This rule gives the petitioner a clerk-entered result when the petition goes unopposed. On the petitioner’s praecipe, the prothonotary enters an order determining the property’s fair market value without further notice or hearing if either no answer was filed within the time to a petition that was properly served and carried a notice to defend, or an answer was filed that does not deny the allegations as to fair market value, prior lien amounts, or any special allocation.
Allowing the order to be entered without a hearing when nothing is truly contested moves uncontested deficiency valuations quickly to a fixed number.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if no one answers the petition?
The prothonotary enters an order fixing the fair market value without further notice or hearing.
Is a hearing always required?
No. It is required only if an answer denies the fair market value, prior lien amounts, or special allocation.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 3284 adopted December 6, 1996, effective January 1, 1997, 26 Pa.B. 6068; amended August 7, 2001, effective September 4, 2001, 31 Pa.B. 4639; amended December 2, 2009, effective January 4, 2010, 40 Pa.B. 19. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (346775) to (346776).
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: default order deficiencyorder fixing fair market value