Badders v. Uhler

Henderson, J., delivered the opinion of the Court. This appeal is from a decree granting summary judgment for the appellees, upon their motion, and entering a judgment for costs. The bill of complaint sought to fasten a constructive trust upon property owned by the defendant, Mrs. Uhler, plaintiff's mother, which she had turned over to Mr. & Mrs. Huff. The motion was based upon the ground that the subject matter had been fully adjudicated in a previous suit in Baltimore County between the appellant and Mrs. Uhler.

The first contention of the appellant is that since there was an appeal pending in the previous suit, there was no final judgment and the court erred in applying the rule of res judicata and in granting the summary judgment. The point appears to be a novel one in Maryland. Green v. State, 170 Md. 134, 142 , relied on by the appellant, was not a case of res judicata and is distinguishable on the facts. It is, of course, well settled that ⁴⁴³ the rules of res judicata do not apply unless there is a final judgment.

Surrey Inn, Inc. v. Jennings, 215 Md. 446, 454-55 . But on the precise point as to the effect of an appeal there is a broad split of authority. The cases pro and con are collected in Annotation, 9 A.L.R. 2d 984 . See also 2 Freeman, Judgments (5th ed. 1925), § 722, and Restatement, Judgments § 41, Comment (d).

Some courts have solved the problem by granting a continuance or stay until the pending appeal is decided. We find it unnecessary to decide the question here, because the appeal in the previous case, No. 86, This Term, was dismissed on motion prior to the hearing in the case at bar. Whether or not the case became moot, as contended by the appellees, it would serve no useful purpose to remand the case for further consideration of a judgment that has now become final. The appellant contends that the suit brought in Baltimore County on October 22, 1962, was based upon a wholly different theory.

It sought an accounting and injunction and to recover possession of certain bank accounts, bank books, bonds and cash, and to recover monies paid on account of the purchase of certain real property. The decree entered on