A defendant wishing to appeal a money judgment is required to post an appeal bond before the appeal is heard by the Pennsylvania courts. An appeal bond is a surety bond covering the full worth of the money judgment as well as court costs. Without this bond, the court system would have its time wasted with faulty appeals and the plaintiff would be delayed payment. The appeal bond cost in Pennsylvania is determined by the cost of the judgment, court’s discretion and the credit of the defendant.
On average, an appeal bond cost in Pennsylvania requires 100% collateral. Depending on the judgment amount, this bond price could limit the defendant’s appeal choices if he/she does not have the funds to cover collateral. An alternative to this situation is asking the plaintiff to waive the surety bond requirement and then have a Pennsylvania judge sign off on that agreement.
Where the appeal bond is filed within Pennsylvania also plays a role in the cost. A judge sets the final bond amount and depending on the size of the city, or details of the case, the judge may require more than 100% collateral. For instance, the appeal bond may be required to cover interest as well. Knowing exactly what the court expects out of the surety bond will help lower the cost. Using a surety bond company knowledgeable of state and local mandates is important for this reason.
The defendant’s credit may play a role in the bond cost, but the only way to know for sure is to contact Jurisco. Bad credit is a reality for millions of Americans and as a nationwide surety bond provider with a lawyer-trained staff, Jurisco is equipped to help handle each client’s needs even when they need bad credit bonding.
To know what your appeal bond cost will be in Pennsylvania contact Jurisco today. You may also fill out an appeal bond application online or a member of our staff can fax you over an application.