Pennsylvania Code
Title 231 - RULES OF CIVIL PROCEDURE
Part I - GENERAL
Chapter 1300 - ARBITRATION
Subchapter A - COMPULSORY ARBITRATION
Rule 1311.1 - Procedure on Appeal. Admission of Documentary Evidence

(a) Election. The plaintiff may elect an amount equal to the jurisdictional limit for compulsory arbitration of the judicial district in which the action was filed as the maximum amount of damages recoverable upon the trial of an appeal from the award of arbitrators. The election shall be filed and served upon every other party at least 30 days from the date the appeal is first listed for trial. The election may be withdrawn at any time by agreement of the parties. If the parties cannot agree, upon plaintiff's motion to withdraw the election, the court may grant the withdrawal of the election upon good cause shown.

(b) Offer of Documents at Trial. If the plaintiff has filed and served an election as provided in subdivision (a), any party may offer at trial the documents set forth in Rule 1305(b)(1). The documents offered shall be admitted if the party offering them has provided written notice to every other party of the intention to offer the documents at trial at least 20 days from the date the appeal is first listed for trial. The written notice shall be accompanied by a copy of each document to be offered.

(c) Permissible Use of Documents. A document which is received into evidence under subdivision (b) may be used for only those purposes which would be permissible if the person whose testimony is waived by this rule were present and testifying at the hearing. The court shall disregard any portion of a document so received that would be inadmissible if the person whose testimony is waived by this rule were testifying in person.

(d) Other Parties. Any other party may subpoena the person whose testimony is waived by this rule to appear at or serve upon a party a notice to attend the trial and any adverse party may cross-examine the person as to the document as if the person were a witness for the party offering the document. The party issuing the subpoena shall pay the usual and customary fees and costs of the person subpoenaed to testify, including a usual and customary expert witness fee if applicable.

(e) Election Form. The election required by subdivision (a) shall be substantially in the following form:

(Caption)

Election to Limit Monetary Recovery

Pursuant to Rule 1311.1

To: ____________

(Name of Party/Parties)

____________ , plaintiff, elects $________ as the maximum amount of damages recoverable upon the trial of the appeal from the award of arbitrators in the above captioned action.

_________________________

(Name of Plaintiff)

_________________________

(Attorney for Plaintiff)

_________________________

Date

Note: The term ''plaintiff'' includes a defendant who is the plaintiff in a counterclaim.

A plaintiff may include in a single document the election and the notice of intent to offer documents.

(f) Notice Form. The notice required by subdivision (b) shall be substantially in the following form:

(Caption)

Notice of

Intent to Offer Documentary Evidence

Pursuant to Rule 1311.1

To: ____________

(Name of Party/Parties)

____________ , (Plaintiff, Defendant, Additional Defendant), intends to offer the documents attached hereto at the trial of the appeal from the award of arbitrators, in the manner provided by Rule of Civil Procedure 1311.1. The following documents are attached (list all documents to be offered):