If an answer is filed which denies the allegations in the petition, the trial shall be by a judge sitting without a jury in accordance with Rule 1038.
Rule 3291.Trial.
Adopted December 6, 1996 · Last amended December 6, 1996 · Last verified June 30, 2026
In one sentenceIf an answer denies the allegations of the petition to mark a judgment satisfied, the matter is tried by a judge sitting without a jury.
Full Text of Rule 3291
Plain-English Summary
This rule handles the contested petition to mark a judgment satisfied. When an answer denies the petition’s allegations — chiefly that the creditor bought the property and let the six-month window lapse — the trial is by a judge without a jury under the general non-jury rule.
The Official Note confirms the general petition-and-answer rules do not apply. Reserving a bench trial for the disputed cases keeps the remedy quick where nothing is contested and orderly where it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if the creditor contests the petition?
The matter is tried by a judge sitting without a jury.
Is there a jury?
No. The trial is before a judge without a jury.
Official Note
Official Note: Rules 206.4 through 206.7 governing petitions and answers do not apply to a petition subject to these rules.
Amendment History
The provisions of this Rule 3291 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: trial section 8103(d)