§ 4306. Enforcement of foreign judgments.
(a) Short title of section.--This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Uniform Enforcement of Foreign
Judgments Act."
(b) Filing and status of foreign judgments.--A copy of any foreign judgment including the docket entries incidental thereto authenticated
in accordance with act of Congress or this title may be filed in the office of the
clerk of any court of common pleas of this Commonwealth. The clerk shall treat the
foreign judgment in the same manner as a judgment of any court of common pleas of
this Commonwealth. A judgment so filed shall be a lien as of the date of filing and
shall have the same effect and be subject to the same procedures, defenses and proceedings
for reopening, vacating, or staying as a judgment of any court of common pleas of
this Commonwealth and may be enforced or satisfied in like manner.
(c) Notice of filing.--
(1) At the time of the filing of the foreign judgment, the judgment creditor or his attorney
shall make and file with the office of the clerk of the court of common pleas an affidavit
setting forth the name and last known post office address of the judgment debtor,
and the judgment creditor. In addition, such affidavit shall include a statement that
the foreign judgment is valid, enforceable and unsatisfied.
(2) Promptly upon the filing of the foreign judgment and the affidavit, the clerk shall
mail notice of the filing of the foreign judgment to the judgment debtor at the address
given and shall make a note of the mailing in the docket. The notice shall include
the name and post office address of the judgment creditor and the attorney for the
judgment creditor, if any, in this Commonwealth. In addition, the judgment creditor
may mail a notice of the filing of the judgment to the judgment debtor and may file
proof of mailing with the clerk. Lack of mailing notice of filing by the clerk shall
not affect the enforcement proceedings if proof of mailing by the judgment creditor
has been filed.
(d) Stay.--
(1) If the judgment debtor shows the court of common pleas that an appeal from the foreign
judgment is pending or will be taken, or that a stay of execution has been granted,
the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign judgment until the appeal is concluded,
the time for appeal expires, or the stay of execution expires or is vacated, upon
proof that the judgment debtor has furnished the security for the satisfaction of
the judgment required by the State in which it was rendered.
(2) If the judgment debtor shows the court of common pleas any ground upon which enforcement
of a judgment of any court of common pleas of this Commonwealth would be stayed, the
court shall stay enforcement of the foreign judgment for an appropriate period, upon
requiring the same security for satisfaction of the judgment which is required in
this Commonwealth.
(e) Optional procedure.--The right of a judgment creditor to bring an action to enforce his judgment instead
of proceeding under this section remains unimpaired.
(f) Definition.--As used in this section "foreign judgment" means any judgment, decree, or order of
a court of the United States or of any other court requiring the payment of money
which is entitled to full faith and credit in this Commonwealth.
Cross References. Section 4306 is referred to in section 3705 of Title 23 (Domestic Relations).
Notes of Decisions
Cited in
56
cases (
12 in the last 5 years), 1981–2025 · leading case:
Noetzel v. Glasgow, Inc., 487 A.2d 1372 (Pa. 1985).
Noetzel v. Glasgow, Inc., 487 A.2d 1372 (Pa. 1985).
· cites it 3× “42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. 2 . A similar result could not occur in Pennsylvania.”
Est. of: J.M. v. McFadden, J., 305 A.3d 1092 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023).
· cites it 6× “Appellant first argues that the New Jersey judgment was not properly authenticated pursuant to the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act -3- J-A19012-23 (“UEFJA”), 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306, because it lacked a seal and a certificate “that Surrogate and Deputy Clerk O’Brien had…”
Eclipse Liquidity, Inc. v. Geden Holdings Ltd., 200 A.3d 507 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
· cites it 4× “42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. In addressing enforcement of foreign judgments, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has stated: Under Pennsylvania law, foreign judgments are treated, in the first instance, not as judgments, but as rights of action.”
Nobel Well Serv., Inc. v. Penn Energy, Inc., 502 A.2d 200 (Pa. 1985).
· cites it 4× “42 Pa.Cons.Stat. § 4306. The record shows that appellant filed an affidavit of the judgment creditor, a "Certificate of Judgment for Lien upon Lands and Tenements”, and a certified copy of a document entitled, “DOCKET ENTRY”, 1 which was signed by the Honorable Harold B.”
Soc'y of Lloyd's v. Mullin, 255 F. Supp. 2d 468 (E.D. Pa. 2003).
· cites it 3× “Rather, he argues that this Court should not recognize the judgment under the Recognition Act.”
Stand. Chartered Bank v. Ahmad Hamad Al Gosaibi & Bros., 99 A.3d 936 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2014).
· cites it 3× “[Standard Chartered] duly filed the New York judgment in Pennsylvania pursuant to 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. Therefore, the New York judgment is entitled to the same res judicata effect it would have in New York.”
Novae Corp. Underwriting Ltd. v. Atl. Mut. Ins., 556 F. Supp. 2d 489 (E.D. Pa. 2008).
· cites it 6× “49 plus costs and interest pursuant to Pennsylvania’s Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. Count III claims unjust enrichment against all three defendants, asserting that when Underwriters allegedly paid damages to ReSource US, Atlantic, and/or…”
Capstone Capital Grp. v. Alexander Perry, Inc, 2021 Pa. Super. 195 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2021).
· cites it 2× “See 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. When a judgment of one of the United States is transferred to another state, the full faith and credit clause prevents courts of the transferee state -6- J-A19037-21 from addressing the merits of the decision that forms the basis of the judgment.”
Nat'l Union Fire Ins. v. Nicholas, 651 A.2d 1111 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1994).
· cites it 4× “McEWEN, Judge: This appeal presents an issue of first impression in Pennsylvania: Whether a foreign judgment, registered in Pennsylvania pursuant to the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act, 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306, (hereinafter “UEFJA”), more than four years after the…”
Hilkmann v. Hilkmann, 858 A.2d 58 (Pa. 2004).
· cites it 2× “7 (citing 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306, and 23 Pa.C.S. § 7604); see also 42 P.”
Ward v. Price, 814 A.2d 262 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002).
· cites it 3× “Pennsylvania courts fulfill this constitutional mandate through the Pennsylvania Uniform Act for Enforcement of Foreign Judgments, 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. The statute reads as follows: A copy of any foreign judgment including the docket entries incidental thereto authenticated in…”
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4306(b) — 24 cases
Est. of: J.M. v. McFadden, J., 305 A.3d 1092 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2023).
“Appellant first argues that the New Jersey judgment was not properly authenticated pursuant to the Uniform Enforcement of Foreign Judgments Act -3- J-A19012-23 (“UEFJA”), 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306, because it lacked a seal and a certificate “that Surrogate and Deputy Clerk O’Brien had…”
Eclipse Liquidity, Inc. v. Geden Holdings Ltd., 200 A.3d 507 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2018).
“42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. In addressing enforcement of foreign judgments, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has stated: Under Pennsylvania law, foreign judgments are treated, in the first instance, not as judgments, but as rights of action.”
Noetzel v. Glasgow, Inc., 487 A.2d 1372 (Pa. 1985).
“42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. 2 . A similar result could not occur in Pennsylvania.”
Ward v. Price, 814 A.2d 262 (Pa. Super. Ct. 2002).
“Pennsylvania courts fulfill this constitutional mandate through the Pennsylvania Uniform Act for Enforcement of Foreign Judgments, 42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. The statute reads as follows: A copy of any foreign judgment including the docket entries incidental thereto authenticated in…”
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4306(c) — 2 cases
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4306(c)(1) — 3 cases
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4306(c)(l) — 1 case
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4306(e) — 2 cases
Nobel Well Serv., Inc. v. Penn Energy, Inc., 502 A.2d 200 (Pa. 1985).
“42 Pa.Cons.Stat. § 4306. The record shows that appellant filed an affidavit of the judgment creditor, a "Certificate of Judgment for Lien upon Lands and Tenements”, and a certified copy of a document entitled, “DOCKET ENTRY”, 1 which was signed by the Honorable Harold B.”
— 42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 4306(f) — 2 cases
Noetzel v. Glasgow, Inc., 487 A.2d 1372 (Pa. 1985).
“42 Pa.C.S. § 4306. 2 . A similar result could not occur in Pennsylvania.”
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