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In civil matters, Court of Common Pleas tries lawsuits in which the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000 (small claims), petitions for name change, habitual offender hearings on the privilege of operating a motor vehicle, and administrative appeals from the Division of Motor Vehicles.
They handle landlord-tenant matters, small civil claims (cases involving amount in controversy up to $12000), summary offenses, violations of municipal ordinances, and preliminary hearings and arraignments in greater misdemeanor and felony offenses pursuant to Pennsylvania's Rules of Criminal Procedure which go on to be tried in the Court of Common Pleas.
Before the advent of this procedural device, a defendant faced the dilemma of either allowing his property to be seized with no defense and sold at sheriff’s sale to partially satisfy the claim against him or, on the other hand, to appear in court to dispute the claim but in the process expose himself to the full in personam jurisdiction of the court and therefore the entire amount in controversy.