Opinion ID: 2109859
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The alleged errors of the circuit court

Text: As we understand the thrust of this argument, it is that the court below erred in denying that part of Mr. Preissman's motion raising preliminary objections which related to the pendency of the motion to set aside the sale in the orphans' court and in permitting Mr. Harmatz to file an amended bill of complaint in the circuit court. No principle is more firmly established than that an orphans' court has no jurisdiction to determine title to real property, McComas v. Wiley, supra, 132 Md. at 410 or that when an orphans' court is unable to afford a complete and adequate remedy, equity will assume jurisdiction, Shapiro v. Ryan, 233 Md. 82, 87-88, 195 A.2d 596 (1963). Under the facts of this case, the orphans' court was powerless to act, and the assumption of jurisdiction by the equity court was proper. It has long been established that amendments should be freely allowed to serve the ends of justice, Hall v. Barlow Corp., 255 Md. 28, 39-40, 255 A.2d 873 (1969); Stoewer v. Porcelain Enamel & Mfg. Co., 199 Md. 146, 150, 85 A.2d 911 (1952), and that in the absence of abuse of discretion, the allowance or refusal of an amendment will not be reviewed, Baer v. Baer, 252 Md. 586, 589-90, 250 A.2d 897 (1969); Rule 320. Mr. Preissman complains that the circuit court erred in granting Mr. Harmatz' motion for summary judgment under Rule 610 because both the motion and the affidavit were defective in form. The short answer to this contention is that even if they were, a court may enter summary judgment of its own motion where there is no genuine dispute as to a material fact, Hunt v. Montgomery County, 248 Md. 403, 237 A.2d 35 (1968); Fletcher v. Flournoy, 198 Md. 53, 81 A.2d 232 (1951) and that therefore the entry of a judgment on a motion which is defective in form is not necessarily reversible error, Myers v. Montgomery Ward & Co., 253 Md. 282, 252 A.2d 855 (1969).