WILLIAM DONALD SCHAEFER, Governor                         Ch. 313

Article - Courts and Judicial Proceedings

4-401.

Except as provided in § 4-402 of this subtitle, and subject to the venue provisions of
Title 6 of this article, the District Court has exclusive original civil jurisdiction in:

(1)     An action in contract or tort, if the debt or damages claimed do not
exceed $20,000, exclusive of attorney's fees if attorney's fees are recoverable by law or
contract;

(2)     An action of replevin, regardless of the value of the thing in controversy;

(3)     A matter of attachment before judgment, if the sum claimed does not
exceed $20,000, exclusive of attorney's fees if attorney's fees are recoverable by law or
contract;

(4)     An action involving landlord and tenant, distraint, or forcible entry and
detainer, regardless of the amount involved;

(5)     A grantee suit brought under § 14-109 of the Real Property Article;

(6)     A petition for injunction relating to the use, disposition, encumbrances,
or preservation of property that is:

(i) Claimed in a replevin action, until seizure under the writ; or

(ii) Sought to be levied upon in an action of distress, until levy and any
removal;

(7)     A petition of injunction filed by:

(i) A county or municipality including Baltimore City for the
enforcement of its health, housing, fire, building, electric, licenses and permits, plumbing,
animal control, and zoning codes;

(ii) A tenant in an action under § 8-211 of the Real Property Article
or a local rent escrow law; or

(iii) A person who brings an action under § 14-120 of the Real
Property Article.

(8)     Proceedings under Article 27, § 264 or § 297 of the Code for the
forfeiture or return of moneys involved in a gambling or controlled dangerous substances
seizure where the amount involved, excluding any interest and attorney's fees, if
attorney's fees are recoverable by law or contract, does not exceed $10,000;

(9)     A proceeding for adjudication of:

(i) A municipal infraction as defined in Article 23A, Section 3(b)(1)
of the Code;

(ii) A Commission infraction as defined in Article 28, § 5-113 of the
Code;

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