Ky. Rev. Stat. ch. 383 § 383.255
Time for filing appeal -- Deposit of money with clerk -- Return of papers
Operative Text
383.255 Time for filing appeal -- Deposit of money with clerk -- Return of papers or transcript to circuit court. (1) If either party conceive himself aggrieved by the judgment of the court, he may file an appeal within seven (7) days next after the finding aforesaid, and shall deposit with the circuit court clerk the amount of rent owing and due from the onset of the forcible entry and detainer proceedings as well as the amount of all future rents, as it becomes owing and due in each succeeding month during the pendency of the appeal. The rental moneys collected in this account shall be distributed by court order at the conclusion of an appeal. (2) Upon the aggrieved party perfecting his appeal by the payment of moneys into court pursuant to subsection (1) of this section the court shall stay all further proceedings on the inquisition, and return the whole of the papers and proceedings, or a fair transcript thereof, to the office of the circuit court of said county, within ten (10) days thereafter.
Kentucky Revised Statute § 383.255 establishes the process for appealing a forcible entry and detainer (eviction) court judgment. Either party who believes the judgment was wrong has seven days from the ruling to file an appeal, but doing so requires depositing with the circuit court clerk all rent that was owed at the start of the proceedings, plus any rent that continues to come due each month while the appeal is pending. Once those payments are properly made, the lower court must pause all further eviction proceedings and forward the case record to the circuit court within ten days; the deposited rent funds are then held until the appeal concludes, at which point a court order determines how they are distributed.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.255, landlords who receive an unfavorable judgment in a forcible entry and detainer case generally take note that the tenant has a seven-day window to appeal, and that a valid appeal requires the tenant to deposit all past-due rent plus ongoing monthly rent with the circuit court clerk. Compliant operators typically track the exact amounts owed from the start of proceedings so those figures are readily available if the court or clerk requires verification. Because a properly perfected appeal automatically stays further eviction proceedings under § 383.255(2), landlords generally maintain clear rent ledgers and communicate with their legal counsel about the timeline and deposit requirements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Ky. Rev. Stat. § 383.255 gives tenants who believe an eviction judgment was wrongly decided the right to appeal within seven days of that ruling, provided they deposit with the circuit court clerk all rent owed since the proceedings began, as well as each month's rent as it comes due during the appeal. Once those deposits are made, the statute requires the court to halt further eviction action and transfer the case record to the circuit court within ten days. Tenants seeking to understand this process—including exactly how much must be deposited and how to perfect the appeal—may benefit from consulting a local tenant-rights organization or legal aid office familiar with § 383.255 procedures.
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 19, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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