ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROTHONOTARY ELECTRONIC FILING … · Payment methods / Credit cards 8 Upon completion of case filing credit card information needs to be secured 8 Fill in Credit

ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROTHONOTARY ELECTRONIC FILING

AND RETRIEVAL WEBSITE

USER DOCUMENTATION

Michael F. Coyne Prothonotary

Software Learning Center 920 Fort Duquesne Boulevard Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.281.3193 www.softwarelearning.com Jeffrey G. Yinling

i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BASIC SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS .............................................................................................. 1 REQUIRED PROGRAMS ........................................................................................................................... 1

SYSTEM PROTOCOLS ........................................................................................................................ 1

MANUAL DOCUMENTATION............................................................................................................ 1

ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROTHONOTARY ELECTRONIC FILING AND RETRIEVAL SYSTEM OPENING SCREEN.............................................................................................................. 2

REGISTRATION ...................................................................................................................................... 2 First Time User – Credit Card Payment ............................................................................................ 2

LOGON PROCESS ................................................................................................................................... 2 Internet Explorer............................................................................................................................... 3 Netscape Navigator........................................................................................................................... 3

CASE SEARCH ....................................................................................................................................... 3 PAYMENT OPTIONS ........................................................................................................................... 3

INITIAL LOGIN SCREEN.................................................................................................................... 4

NEW CASE FILING.............................................................................................................................. 4 TO ADD ADDITIONAL PARTIES ................................................................................................................ 6 ATTACHING PLEADING ALONG WITH EXHIBITS ........................................................................................ 8 CONFIRMATION ON SCREEN ABOUT SUCCESSFUL FILING .......................................................................... 8

SECONDARY FILING........................................................................................................................ 10

PAYMENT METHODS / CREDIT CARDS ......................................................................................... 9

SEARCHING THE PROTHONOTARY SITE ................................................................................... 11 FEES FOR SEARCHING – SEARCH BY LITIGANT NAME ........................................................................... 11 TYPES OF SEARCHES............................................................................................................................ 11 NAMED SEARCH / ALL RECORDS -SEARCH BY LITIGANT NAME............................................................. 11

On Screen Help............................................................................................................................... 11 Results / Named Search / All Records -Search by Litigant Name ..................................................... 12 Selecting Case No ........................................................................................................................... 13 Case Details ................................................................................................................................... 13 Parties Involved.............................................................................................................................. 13 Docket Entries ................................................................................................................................ 13 Use date range for large cases ........................................................................................................ 13 Print Case Information.................................................................................................................... 13

NAMED SEARCH - SEARCH BY PROPERTY ............................................................................................. 14 NAMED SEARCH - SEARCH BY DOCKET TYPE (VERY RARE/SELECTIVE SEARCH) ............................ 14 NAMED SEARCH - SEARCH BY JUDGMENT ............................................................................................ 15 FREE SEARCH - SEARCH BY BLOCK AND LOT NUMBER ......................................................................... 16 FREE SEARCH / CASE SEARCH BY CASE NUMBER.................................................................................. 16 FREE SEARCH / DATE SEARCH ............................................................................................................. 17 ASBESTOS SEARCHING ........................................................................................................................ 17

DOCKET REPORTS – PRINTING .................................................................................................... 18

ii

VIEW OUTSTANDING CHARGES FOR SEARCHES..................................................................... 18

COMPANY ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATION ................................................................................... 18

CHANGE YOUR REGISTRATION INFORMATION ...................................................................... 18

CHECK FOR FILINGS WHERE CREDIT CARD INFORMATION IS INCOMPLETE................ 18

Software Learning Center 5/10/00 9:13:53 AM Page 1

Allegheny County Prothonotary Electronic Filing and Retrieval System

Website Address – prothonotary.county.allegheny.pa.us (no need for www.prefix)

Basic Software Requirements The following programs are necessary for navigation of the Prothonotary Website. These programs can be easily downloaded from the home page of our website by clicking on the appropriate icon and following the on screen instruction. You can check the current version of the software you are using by clicking on the Help Menu and selecting About Internet Explorer (Netscape)

Required Programs 8 Adobe Acrobate Reader 8 Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher 8 Netscape Navigator – 4.5

If your current system does not have these version click on the icons to download the most current version of software programs.

If you have problems with any of these downloads you should contact your firm MIS support staff on downloading

these programs

System Protocols Through out the different input screens in the Prothonotary some of the input fields will be identified with RED Labels. These fields are required fields. You must input data into these fields or the system will not proceed to the next screen.

Manual Documentation Throughout the manual several conventions will be used consistently to give users the necessary skills to successfully utilize the Prothonotary Website

8 Items that are BOLD designate mouse commands 8 Items that are ITALIZED are notes about the system 8 Screen captures are utilized to give visual representation of the progression of steps user will

encounter throughout the process of successfully navigating the Prothonotary Website.


Allegheny County Prothonotary Electronic Filing and Retrieval System Opening Screen

Registration 8 Click on Register

First Time User – Credit Card Payment

8 Enter User ID Attorneys – use Pennsylvania Bar ID Non-Attorneys use any ID

8 Enter Password 8 Tab through remaining fields 8 RED fields are Required

User ID and Password is case sensitive Keep record of ID and Password

8 Register this way the Credit Card field is turned on 8 For draw account has to be set up through Prothonotary Office 8 Upon initial registration process user has immediate access to logon screen

Logon Process

8 Insert User ID 8 Insert Password


Internet Explorer Tab through the Fields and hit the Enter Key to logon

Netscape Navigator

Tab through the Fields and Mouse Click on OK

Case Search Once account has been established users can use a variety of different methods to search Prothonotary site to find information. This will be primary focus of manual.

Payment Options Select the appropriate payment option

8 Credit Card Payments Designed for individuals who want to use Electronic filing or conduct searches

8 Draw Down Accounts Designed for Law Firms who have set up accounts that will have all cost deducted from their account

8 Company Administrator Area for changing authorized users on draw down accounts


Initial Login Screen This login screen presents all the different functions that can be accessed from the Prothonotary Website. All of the functions are hyperlinks and clicking on any of the items underlined will take you to that specific function. Each the functions on the Initial Login Screen will be covered in detail throughout the manual.

New Case Filing

8 Enter Attorney Bar ID – 12345 8 Select Court Type 8 Select Case Type – type first letter 8 Insert Amount in Dispute if appropriate 8 Check box to Request Jury if appropriate 8 Select button at bottom of screen for Excess of

$25,000.00 or Within Arbitration Limits if appropriate

8 Select OK

NOTE: Pay Special Attention to Selection of Requesting Jury

Do not use the BACK button on the browser toolbar while filing First or Secondary cases!


8 Select the type of Party to add to case Company/Organization/Estate Person/Individual

8 Enter Party information

If the Party involved is a DEFENDANT that requires SERVICE you MUST fill out following information

8 If defendant lives outside Pennsylvania check box and you are finished

8 If defendant is a Pennsylvania

resident fill out Service Address for Sheriffs instruction

8 Select Municipality if defendant lives in Allegheny County

8 Select Ward is defendant lives in City of Pittsburgh

8 If defendant lives in another county in Pennsylvania select from drop down list

8 Please enter fee that Sheriff will charge for service (if

unknown charge will be $75.00)

Notice: If Company is selected TaxId field is available. If Individual is selected SS# field is available.


8 Select it you want to Alternative Names YES – Want alternative names NO – no alternative names

8 If yes, select the appropriate Name Indicator

8 Save Alternative Name

8 Upon completion of first Alternative name screen will verify that Alternative Name has been save and prompt if additional names are necessary.

8 If multiple alternative names – click yes and continue same process as above

To add additional parties 8 Repeat above procedure

Property Entry Additional information is required for case involving real property

8 Enter Block / Lot number 8 Use NONE in Tiebreaker if Block /

Lot number is not known 8 Select Municipality 8 Select Ward is for four cities 8 Enter Property Description (Address) 8 Select OK 8 Screen will prompt for additional properties – if yes follow same procedure


Selecting Docket Type Plaintiff Defendant All parties with case

8 System assigns Temporary Case ID 8 Select the down arrow for Filing Party

and make appropriate selection

8 Qualifier field used to minimize choices

8 Select the down arrow for Docket type

and make appropriate selection

8 Select OK

Qualifier Field Minimizes Choices for Docket Type

Important with Secondary filings

Client ID Used by Law firms for Client tracking


Fees Charged are determined by Docket type – IMPORTANT

Attaching pleading along with exhibits 8 Main Pleading – Main Document 8 Exhibits – Support Material 8 Same strategy as email file attachments 8 Standard WINDOWS file navigation 8 Submit Pleadings/Exhibits

Confirmation on screen about successful filing

8 Email confirmation will be sent 8 Temporary Docket # number is displayed 8 Select Continue

If Necessary exhibits can be submitted by mail or fax

8 Additional Pleadings/Exhibits for same – repeat through Docket entry procedures 8 Finished

Screen Capture of Successful filing


Payment methods / Credit cards

8 Upon completion of case filing credit card information needs to be secured

8 Fill in Credit Card #

8 Submit form only one time or multiple billings will be applied to credit card

8 Notification of Successful transaction

If Y is selected than Credit card # will be stored on local computer


Secondary Filing

8 Navigate from opening screen 8 Must enter in Case ID with exact syntax

8 Some information is pulled through based on Case ID# 8 Need Attorney ID 8 Select Filing party 8 Select Docket Type

Depending on the type of Secondary Filing system could prompt if this is Defendants First filing. There will be a check box o to select.

Secondary Filing follows the same protocol as New Case filing


Searching the Prothonotary Site

Fees for Searching – Search by Litigant Name 8 Office hours - 15¢ per search 8 Off hours 10¢ per search 8 Office hours – 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Name Searches are only Billable Searches

Types of Searches

Named Search / All Records -Search by Litigant Name 8 Search All Records – Searches everything 8 Other 3 are specific searches with only criteria selected will be

met

Client ID is for Law Firm tracking Each named search is a billable event

On Screen Help

8 The more specific you can be in searching the results will be narrowed to meet your criteria

Billable

Free


***** VERY IMPORTANT *****

Searches are Case Sensitive – Letter Case

Wild Card - % used to return range of letters Example

H%J% Heinz – returns HJ Heinz and H.J. Heinz H%J% HEINZ – returns nothing

Red fields are required input fields

8 Narrow search by Court Type – Screens will refresh based on selection - All Records

NOTE – Charges for Named Searches

8 Select the Search Results / Named Search / All Records -Search by Litigant Name

8 Illustration of Case Details 8 Notice Hyperlinks

8 Selecting Hyperlink opens to new screen to provide details about case selected

Capture main screen


Selecting Case No Selecting the Case No provides details about the case including: Case Details 8 Provide general information

Parties Involved 8 Selecting hyperlink to Parties Involved

will show information about all parties involved in case

Docket Entries

8 If I want to Print out a Docket report – will print clean screen with no hyperlinks

8 Selecting Hyperlink in Document column will open documents for users review 8 Printing document will print without Hyperlinks

Use date range for large cases

8 On cases that have lasted for years utilizing a data range will minimize the number of Docket Entries

Print Case Information

8 Go to File Print


Named Search - Search by Property

8 Criteria narrows the search

8 Provides details on case

8 Provides details on property

8 Printing functions same as previous sections

Named Search - Search by Docket Type (Very rare/selective search)

8 Must know Docket Number



Named Search - Search by Judgment

Date is different in this search in that it is determined by Judgment entry date not by Initial case filing date



8 Provides details on Parties

8 Provides details on Docket Entries



Free Search - Search by Block and Lot Number

Every property in Allegheny County has Block / Lot number

8 Enter Information EXACTLY

8 Result from Block / Lot Search 8 Property Information

8 Hyperlinks for Details on Property

Free Search / Case search by Case Number 8 Enter information for

Standard Case ID

8 Enter information for Non-Standard Case ID

Case Example Leading Zeros Delinquent Tax Docket DTD-95-000006 Must have 6 numbers after last dash Uniform Commercial Code Docket UCC-95-000006 Must have 6 numbers after last dash Federal Tax Liens FTL-95-000006 Must have 6 numbers after last dash (pre-1995 Federal Tax Liens) FTL-8765r No lead 0’s (pre-1995 Federal Tax Liens) FTL-101010 No lead 0’s General Docket Term Cases GD-0010-04-76 Must have 4 numbers after first dash Family Division Term Cases FD-0010-04-76 Must have 4 numbers after first dash

Follows same sequence as all searches – takes directly to case

% Sign in tiebreaker will identify condos /

trailers


Free Search / Date Search

8 Enter date range for searches

8 Select Docket Report hyperlink

and input Calendar month

Asbestos Searching Due to size of Asbestos cases there are limitations to viewing capabilities for docket searches. Docket entries may ONLY be viewed by ONE calendar month at a time.


Docket Reports – Printing

8 Same screen as looking up cases as secondary filing

8 Displays Docket information

without hyperlinks 8 Select print through Browser

View Outstanding Charges for Searches

8 Presents Outstanding Search charges

8 Select Pay Credit Card Amount Owed

8 Input Credit Card information

Charges are reconciled on a monthly basis and system will prompt monthly for credit card payment. System will not allow

access until credit card payment has been made.

Company Account Administration

8 Only to be used by Draw Down Accounts. Must have authorized password to alter accounts.

Change your Registration Information

8 Make any changes to your account (name, address, email, phone).

Check for Filings where Credit Card Information is Incomplete

8 If credit card transaction did not complete, allows you to resubmit credit card information.

Documents

ALLEGHENY COUNTY PROTHONOTARY ELECTRONIC FILING … · Payment methods / Credit cards 8 Upon completion of case filing credit card information needs to be secured 8 Fill in Credit