§ 5532 — Absence or concealment

(a) General rule.--If, when a cause of action accrues against a person, he is without this Commonwealth, the time within which the action or proceeding must be commenced shall be computed from the time he comes into or returns to this Commonwealth. If, after a cause of action has accrued against a person, he departs from this Commonwealth and remains continuously absent therefrom for four months or more, or he resides within this Commonwealth under a false name which is unknown to the person entitled to commence the action or proceeding, the time of his absence or residence within this Commonwealth under such a false name is not a part of the time within which the action or proceeding must be commenced.

(b) Exception.--Subsection (a) does not apply in any of the following cases:

(1) While there is in force a designation, voluntary or involuntary, made pursuant to law, of a person to whom process may be delivered within this Commonwealth with the same effect as if served personally within this Commonwealth.

(2) While a foreign corporation has one or more officers or other persons in this Commonwealth on whom process against such corporation may be served.

(3) While jurisdiction over the person of the defendant can be obtained without personal delivery of process to him within this Commonwealth.

(c) Fraudulent concealment.--In the case of a civil action or proceeding against the trustee of an express or implied trust, the time within which such an action or proceeding by or on behalf of a beneficiary on account of fraud must be commenced shall be computed from the discovery of the fraud, or when, by reasonable diligence, the person defrauded might have discovered the fraud. This subsection shall not prevent a bona fide purchaser for value from pleading the applicable statute of limitations.