25 Del. C. ch. 57 § 5717
Stay of proceedings on appeal
Operative Text
(a) Nonjury trials. — With regard to nonjury trials, a party aggrieved by the judgment rendered in such proceeding may request in writing, within 5 days after judgment, a trial de novo before a special court comprised of 3 justices of the peace other than the justice of the peace who presided at the trial, as appointed by the chief magistrate or a designee, which shall render final judgment, by majority vote, on the original complaint within 15 days after such request for a trial de novo. No such request shall stay proceedings on such judgment unless the aggrieved party, at the time of making such request, shall execute and file with the Court an undertaking to the successful party, with such bond or other assurances as may be required by the Court, to the effect that the aggrieved party will pay all costs of such proceedings which may be awarded against that party and abide the order of the Court therein and pay all damages, including rent, justly accruing during the pendency of such proceedings. All further proceedings in execution of the judgment shall thereupon be stayed. (b) An appeal taken pursuant to subsection (a) of this section may also include claims and counter-claims not raised in the initial proceeding; provided, that within 5 days of the filing of the appeal, the claimant also files a bill of particulars identifying any new issues which claimant intends to raise at the hearing which were not raised in the initial proceeding. (c) Jury trials. — With regard to jury trials, a party aggrieved by the judgment rendered in such proceeding may request, in writing, within 5 days after judgment, a review by an appellate court comprised of 3 justices of the peace other than the justice of the peace who presided at the jury trial, as appointed by the chief magistrate or a designee. This review shall be on the record and the party seeking the review must designate with particularity the points of law which the party appealing feels were erroneously applied at the trial court level. The decision on the record shall be by majority vote. No such request shall stay proceedings on such judgment unless the aggrieved party, at the time of making such request, shall execute and file with the Court an undertaking to the successful party, with such bond or other assurances as may be required by the Court, to the effect that the aggrieved party will pay all costs of such proceedings which may be awarded against that party and abide the order of the Court therein and pay all damages, including rent, justly accruing during the pendency of such proceedings. All further proceedings in execution of the judgment shall thereupon be stayed. (d) The Court shall not issue the writ of possession during the 5-day appeal period. After the 5-day appeal period has ended, the Court may issue the writ of possession at the plaintiff’s request if the defendant has filed an appeal, but not filed a bond or other assurance or an in forma pauperis request to stay the issuance of the writ of possession. If the plaintiff executes on the writ of possession prior to a determination of the appeal and the appealing party is ultimately successful, then the plaintiff shall be responsible for reasonable cover damages (including, but not limited to, the cost of substitute housing or relocation) for the period of the dispossession as a result of the execution of the writ of possession, plus court costs and fees. (e) An aggrieved party may appeal in forma pauperis if the Court grants an application for such status. In that event, the Court may waive the filing fee and bond for a trial de novo, a trial on the record or a request to stay the writ of possession. (f) An appeal taken pursuant to this section may include any issue on which judgment was rendered at the trial court level, including the issue of back rent due, any other statute to the contrary notwithstanding.
Under 25 Del. C. ch. 57 § 5717, after a judgment in a landlord-tenant proceeding, either party has a 5-day window to request further review — a full trial de novo before a new panel of three justices of the peace (for nonjury cases) or a record-based appellate review by a similar panel (for jury cases). To pause enforcement of the judgment during that review, the appealing party must file a bond or other court-approved assurance covering costs, damages, and any rent accruing while the appeal is pending. Courts are barred from issuing a writ of possession during the initial 5-day appeal period, and parties who cannot afford the bond may apply to proceed in forma pauperis to seek a waiver of fees and bond requirements.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under 25 Del. C. ch. 57 § 5717, a landlord who wins a judgment should be aware that the opposing party has up to 5 days to request a trial de novo or record review, and that no writ of possession may be issued during that window. If the tenant files an appeal but does not post a bond or file an in forma pauperis request, a landlord may then request the writ of possession from the court. Landlords who execute on a writ of possession before the appeal is resolved take on financial exposure: if the appealing party ultimately prevails, the landlord can be held responsible for reasonable cover damages — such as substitute housing costs — plus court costs and fees.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under 25 Del. C. ch. 57 § 5717, a tenant who receives an unfavorable judgment has 5 days to request further review, and the court cannot issue a writ of possession during that period. To halt enforcement of the judgment while the appeal proceeds, a tenant must file a bond or other assurance with the court; those who cannot afford this may apply for in forma pauperis status, which can result in a waiver of the filing fee and bond. Tenants facing this situation may benefit from contacting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand the procedural options available under this section, including the ability to raise new claims or issues not addressed in the original proceeding.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 22, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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