Opinion ID: 2099317
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Transfer of the Action

Text: Although, as we explained above, the MLLC and the MRUPA restrict subject matter jurisdiction of this action to the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, the trial court's transfer of the case to that circuit court and Judge Caroom's special designation as a judge of that court cured the jurisdictional problem. Judge Caroom, sitting as a judge for the Circuit Court for Anne Arundel County, made findings regarding the appropriate relief on all fourteen counts presented by Dyas. At that time, he found that the evidence indicated that Dyas and Della Ratta could not reasonably carry on with Bay View LLC and thus dissolution was warranted. Judge Caroom, however, was very careful to explain that the judgement of dissolution was not final because Anne Arundel County did not have the jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter: I find that the facts are sufficient for the Court to grant the dissolution but that I don't have the subject matter jurisdiction so the Court will transfer it to Montgomery County. And the Circuit Court there, unless there is something else presented to persuade it otherwise, in all likelihood would find that it might be appropriate to grant that relief. Through an order dated June 23, 2006, Chief Judge Bell specially assigned Judge Caroom to sit as a Judge for the Circuit Court of Montgomery County. In his Amended Interlocutory Judgment issued from Anne Arundel County, Judge Caroom transferred the case to the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, effective August 7, 2006. On March 12, 2007, Judge Caroom, sitting specially as a judge of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, ordered the dissolution of Spa GP and Bay View LLC. To be sure, the mere transfer of a case for the formality of issuing an order will not comply with the dictates of CA Section 4A-903. Yet in this case, Judge Caroom did not close the dissolution matter before transferring it to Montgomery County. [13] As the judge's statement indicates, Della Ratta would have had the opportunity to persuade him, when sitting as a judge of the Montgomery County Circuit Court, that the facts did not justify dissolution. According to the orders dissolving Spa GP and Bay View, the parties were able to advance their arguments during a February 28, 2007 telephone conference, and those arguments along with the applicable law and the record in the case prompted Judge Caroom to order dissolution. [14] During oral argument, Dyas conceded that no additional evidence was presented on dissolution once the case was transferred. Absent some proffer of additional evidence by Della Ratta, however, it was appropriate for Judge Caroom to rely on his findings regarding the other twelve counts in the Anne Arundel County case. Indeed, once the Anne Arundel County judgment became final, Della Ratta would be collaterally estopped from disputing the findings on the other twelve counts, and those issues could provide the necessary support for dissolution. The exercise of subject matter jurisdiction does not depend on the parties' decisions to submit additional evidence, but rather on whether the matter was adjudicated by the appropriate court. Thus, by providing the parties the chance to convince the Montgomery County court that dissolution was not necessary, Judge Caroom ensured that the order for dissolution did not violate the statutory restriction on subject matter jurisdiction. Accordingly, the Circuit Court made no error with respect to the dissolution and winding up of Spa GP and Bay View.