- Write the occupant a letter instructing him/her that you are now owner of the property and that he/she has thirty days to vacate the property.
- Once the thirty days has elapsed and the occupant is still in the property, you must prepare a Complaint in Ejectment with a 20 Day Notice to Defend and a legal description of the property and/or the deed.
- When the Complaint in Ejectment is completed, it must be filed in the Office of Judicial Records – Civil Filing Center in City Hall, Room 296.
- You must have the occupant served immediately. Once the occupant is served, a notarized Affidavit of Service must be filed with the Civil Filing Center, City Hall, Room 296. The occupant then has 20 days from the date when service was made to respond to the Complaint in Ejectment. The occupant must respond to the Complaint in the Civil Filing Center, City Hall, Room 296. If he/she does not respond within the 20 days, on the 21st day after service you must send them day Notice of Default. After the 10 days has passed, AND the occupant has not responded, you may go to the Civil Filing Center (City Hall, Room 296) and ask the court to enter a Praecipe to Enter Default Judgment for Possession against the occupant. Once you have the Judgment by Default against the occupant, then you may file a writ of possession in the Civil Filing Center (City Hall, Room 296).
- Bring the Writ of Possession to the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office with $325.00 in the form of a money order, cashier’s check, certified check, or attorney’s check.
