Ii. [§ 13.8] Failure To Pay Rent—Repossession of Rented Property

• Jurisdiction: Maryland

II. [§ 13.8] FAILURE TO PAY RENT—REPOSSESSION OF RENTED PROPERTY

George Harris rented an apartment from John Smith in Baltimore City, Maryland. The rent was due monthly in the amount of $1,500. Harris failed to make three rental payments. Smith determined that he wanted to repossess the rented property and obtain a judgment Harris for back rent.

[The completed forms DC-CV-082, Failure to Pay Rent/Landlord's Complaint for Repossession of Rented Property (Rev. 10/2021) and DC-CV-081, Petition for Warrant of Restitution (Rev. 06/2022) appear on the following pages. The District Court forms can be accessed on the District Court's website currently found at: https://mdcourts.gov/district/forms. See also infra § 13.15 for a general discussion regarding District Court forms and process and other useful links.]

COMMENT

Landlord-tenant disputes are within the exclusive original jurisdiction of the District Court regardless of the amount in controversy. Cts. & Jud. Proc. I § 4-401; see Vill. Green Mut. Homes, Inc. v. Randolph, 361 Md. 179, 760 A.2d 716 (2000) (finding that a housing cooperative and one of its members had landlord-tenant relationship, and thus finding that the District Court has original exclusive jurisdiction). A general discussion of the various remedies available to landlords and tenants is...