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Declaratory Judge Case

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Maryland Code (1973, 2013 Repl. Vol.), § 3-409(a) of the Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article (“CJP”) provides: “a court may grant a declaratory judgment . . . if it will serve to terminate the uncertainty or controversy giving rise to the proceeding . . . .” (emphases added). Indeed because “[a] court ‘may grant a declaratory judgement;’ [the] declaratory judgment generally is a discretionary type of relief.” Coverge Servs. Grp. v. Curran, 383 Md. 462, 477 (2004) (quoting CJP 3-409(a)). “Thus, we generally review a trial court’s decision to grant or deny declaratory judgment under an abuse of discretion standard.” Sprenger v. Pub. Serv. Comm’n of Md., 400 Md. 1, 21 (2007); Tanner v. McKeldin, 202 Md. 569, 577 (1953) (“[I]t is clear …show more content…

Rarely, we have held, is it permissible to dismiss an action for declaratory judgment in lieu of declaring the rights of the party seeking the judgment.Post v. Bregman, 349 Md. 142, 159-60 (1998). Indeed, This Court has emphasized, time after time, that dismissal “is rarely appropriate in a declaratory judgment action.” Popham v. State Farm, 333 Md. 136, 140 n. 2, 634 A.2d 28, 30 n. 2 (1993), quoting Broadwater v. State, 303 Md. 461, 465, 494 A.2d 934, 936 (1985). See, e.g., Turnpike Farm v. Curran, 316 Md. 47, 49, 557 A.2d 225, 226 (1989); Boyds Civic Ass'n v. Montgomery County, 309 Md. 683, 687 n. 2, 526 A.2d 598, 600 n. 2 (1987); Jennings v. Government Employees Ins., 302 Md. 352, 355, 356, 488 A.2d 166, 167–168 (1985); State v. Burning Tree Club, 301 Md. 9, 17, 481 A.2d 785, 789 (1984); Koontz v. Ass'n of Classified Emp., 297 Md. 521, 529, 467 A.2d 753, 758 (1983); Carroll Co. Educ. Ass'n v. Bd. of Educ., 294 Md. 144, 155–156, 448 A.2d 345, 351 (1982); East v. Gilchrist, 293 Md. 453, 461 n. 3, 445 A.2d 343, 347 n. 3 (1982); Mauzy v. Hornbeck, 285 Md. 84, 90–92, 400 A.2d 1091, 1095 (1979), and cases there

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