Allegheny County’s arbitration rules require civil cases seeking $50,000 or less to be heard first by a three-attorney panel rather than a judge or jury. The program runs out of Room 702 of the City-County Building at 414 Grant Street in Pittsburgh, and it follows both Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure and the county’s local rules.1Allegheny County Courts. Allegheny County Civil and Family Court Rules Knowing what qualifies, how evidence gets in, what happens at the hearing, and how appeals work can protect you from expensive mistakes.
Which Cases Go to Mandatory Arbitration
Under Allegheny County Local Rule 1301, any civil action seeking money damages of $50,000 or less, not counting interest and costs, must go through arbitration before it can reach a judge or jury. Car accident claims, breach of contract disputes, property damage, and slip-and-fall injuries all typically fall inside this window. The $50,000 ceiling also caps what the panel can award, so even if the case grows during litigation, the arbitrators cannot exceed it.1Allegheny County Courts. Allegheny County Civil and Family Court Rules
Three categories are excluded no matter the dollar amount:
- Actions seeking only an accounting. If you also seek money damages, the panel can award the damages but cannot order the accounting.
- Actions seeking only equitable relief such as an injunction. Again, the damages portion is arbitrable but the equitable claim is not.
- Cases where the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or a Commonwealth employee is the defendant under Chapter 85B of the Judicial Code.
Pennsylvania statute also bars any case involving title to real property from compulsory arbitration.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 42 Section 7361 – Compulsory Arbitration Jurisdiction is measured by the amount in controversy at the time the complaint is filed. Assess damages carefully before you decide where to file.
One boundary worth flagging early: the arbitration panel does not decide legal motions. Preliminary objections, motions for summary judgment, and any other pre-hearing motions go before a Civil Division judge, not the arbitrators.3Allegheny County Courts. General Motions If you think the complaint is defective or the case should not be in arbitration, raise that with the court well before the hearing date.
Getting Evidence In Under Rule 1305
One of the biggest practical advantages of arbitration is that you do not need to bring every doctor, mechanic, or employer into the room. Pennsylvania Rule of Civil Procedure 1305 lets you introduce specific categories of documents on paper, provided you give every other party at least 20 days’ written notice along with a copy of each document.4Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 231 Pa. Code r. 1305 – Conduct of Hearing. Evidence The qualifying documents include:
- Bills and charge records, including medical bills and repair invoices.
- Business and government records that would be admissible if a custodian authenticated them in person.
- Hospital and health-care provider records such as treatment notes, imaging reports, and discharge summaries.
- Written expert reports along with descriptions of the expert’s qualifications.
- Written estimates of property value, repair costs, or loss.
- Employer-prepared statements of your pay rate and time missed from work.
Miss the 20-day deadline and you are at the panel’s mercy. If you gave the other side copies at least 20 days before the hearing or during discovery, the arbitrators may still admit the documents if they find no prejudice to the opposing party.4Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 231 Pa. Code r. 1305 – Conduct of Hearing. Evidence Treat the 20 days as a hard deadline anyway. For anything outside Rule 1305, standard rules of evidence apply.
Build an exhibit folder for each hearing. For in-person hearings, bring enough copies for all three arbitrators and opposing counsel. For remote hearings, exhibits must be uploaded to a SharePoint file the Arbitration Department creates; you will receive an email invitation with access before the hearing date.5Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Remote Arbitration Hearing Instructions
Rescheduling a Hearing
The process for moving a hearing date splits sharply depending on whether the other side agrees.
When Everyone Agrees
Contact all parties, then complete an Adjournment of Hearing form with a cover sheet. Pick a proposed new date from the Arbitration calendar, fill in both parties’ names on the stipulation lines (which serve as a representation under penalty of perjury that everyone consents), and email the paperwork to the Arbitration office at Civilarb@alleghenycourts.us. You must copy opposing counsel on that email or the office will not approve it.6Allegheny County Courts. Arbitration
Approval alone is not enough. The continuance takes effect only when you pay for and file the approved Adjournment with the Department of Court Records, either by e-filing or in person at the City-County Building. After filing, serve a copy on all other parties by email or regular mail.7Allegheny County Courts. Arbitration
When the Other Side Objects
If the other side will not agree, the Arbitration office cannot help. You must follow the operating procedures of the Calendar Control Judge to request a continuance over the objection, and the standard for granting one is higher.
The Hearing
Hearings take place at the Arbitration Center in Room 702. Check in with staff when you arrive. The office calls the list at the start of the session, with a second call at 10:00 a.m. for any case where a party did not initially answer.8Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Frequently Asked Questions Once both sides are ready, a three-member panel is assigned.
Who Sits on the Panel
Each panel consists of three attorneys actively practicing law in Allegheny County. The chairperson must have been admitted to the Pennsylvania bar for at least three years.9Pennsylvania Code & Bulletin. 231 Pa. Code Chapter 1300 – Arbitration Members are drawn from a master list approved by the Administrative Judge of the Civil Division and act with court authority for the hearing.6Allegheny County Courts. Arbitration
How the Hearing Runs
The plaintiff presents first, then the defendant. All witnesses are sworn in by the panel. Each side can cross-examine and challenge evidence. The setting is less formal than a courtroom, with both sides seated at tables facing the panel rather than standing at a podium, but the legal standards for testimony still apply. Arbitrators may ask their own questions to clarify factual or legal issues. Most hearings finish within a few hours.
If You Do Not Show Up
Failing to appear has real consequences. If neither side answers the second call at 10:00 a.m., the court enters a nonsuit. If only one party appears, the case may be sent to the first available panel for an ex parte hearing, where the party present makes its case and the panel issues an award without the absent party’s input.8Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Frequently Asked Questions
Alternatively, if the hearing notice included a “Duty to Appear” warning and all present parties agree, the case can be heard immediately by a judge instead of the arbitration panel. A judge’s verdict here comes with a critical difference: there is no automatic right to a trial de novo. The absent party must file post-trial motions within 10 days, explain the absence, and convince the same judge who rendered the verdict to grant relief.8Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Frequently Asked Questions That is a much harder road than appealing a standard arbitration award. Treat the hearing date as non-negotiable.
Settling Before the Hearing
If the dispute settles before the hearing, do not just let the date pass. Call the Arbitration Center at 412-350-1926 to report the settlement, then file a Praecipe to Settle and Discontinue with the Department of Court Records.8Fifth Judicial District of Pennsylvania. Frequently Asked Questions Skipping this step wastes panel resources and can create docket problems.
The Award and Turning It Into a Judgment
After testimony ends, the panel deliberates privately and drafts an Award of Arbitrators that names the prevailing party and the dollar amount owed. It is filed with the Prothonotary’s office, typically the same day.
An unappealed award is not automatically an enforceable judgment. The prevailing party must file a Praecipe for Judgment on the Arbitration Award with the Department of Court Records, specifying the case number, the party the judgment is entered against, the dollar amount, and whether the case involves a motor vehicle. The filer must also certify that a true copy was mailed to all other parties.10Allegheny County Courts. Praecipe for Judgment on the Arbitration Award Once judgment is entered, standard collection tools become available, including a writ of execution through the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office.11Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office. Writs Service – Service of Judicial Orders
Appealing the Award
Any party unhappy with the result can appeal for a trial de novo, which restarts the case from scratch as though the arbitration never happened.2Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes Title 42 Section 7361 – Compulsory Arbitration The award is not disclosed to the new judge or jury.
Deadline and Cost
File the notice of appeal with the Prothonotary no later than 30 days after the docket notation that notice of the award was provided.12Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 231 Pa. Code r. 1308 – Appeal. Arbitrators’ Compensation. Notice Miss the window and the award becomes a final, enforceable judgment.
Filing also requires paying the arbitrators’ compensation to the Prothonotary. Under Rule 1308, that amount cannot exceed 50 percent of the amount in controversy.12Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 231 Pa. Code r. 1308 – Appeal. Arbitrators’ Compensation. Notice On a $10,000 claim, that means up to $5,000 just to file. The money cannot be taxed as costs or recovered later, even if you win at trial. A party who cannot afford the payment can petition the court to proceed in forma pauperis. No bond or other security is required beyond the arbitrator compensation.
What a Trial De Novo Looks Like
Once the appeal is filed, the case moves to the general civil trial list with full jury trial rights, standard scheduling, and all the procedures of a regular trial. The arbitration award is sealed from the new fact-finder. The appellant must also provide the Prothonotary with properly stamped and addressed envelopes so notice of the appeal can be mailed to every other party.12Legal Information Institute. Pennsylvania Code 231 Pa. Code r. 1308 – Appeal. Arbitrators’ Compensation. Notice
Think carefully before appealing. The arbitrator compensation you pay up front is gone regardless of outcome, and a full trial means additional attorney fees, preparation costs, and months of delay. Appeals make sense when the award is well off the mark; filing one as a reflex to losing is an expensive gamble.