Maryland case law › Johnston v. Glenn

Johnston v. Glenn

40 Md. 200 (1874) · Maryland Court of Appeals
Maryland Court of AppealsDisposition: AffirmedStewart, J.✓ Good law
HoldingThe complainant sought an interlocutory injunction to prevent the defendant from intruding upon and breaking up his business, which he conducted under a lease.

Stewart, J., delivered the opinion of the Court. If the complainant will not have a complete remedy at law, for the apprehended grievance, he is clearly entitled to be protected by the summary and preventive'process of the interlocutory injunction. But might not adequate damages be recovered by him at law, if he were wantonly intruded upon and broken up in his business? Is it quite certain that in such case, he would not be entitled to recover, not only consequential, but exemplary damages, if he were disturbed under circumstances of aggravation ?

If there can be ample redress at law, a Court of Equity ought not to interfere, because the parties have the constitutional right to trial by jury. However this might possibly be, according to the “averments of the bill detailing the circumstances of his case, if he has duly discharged all his obligations under the lease, he ought not to be disturbed; and is entitled to the remedy he seeks, because he might not be able to recover in a suit at law, adequate damages for such disturbance of his possession, as threatened. In this respect, we should have had no difficulty in asserting his right to the injunction. But it does not sufficiently appear from the allegations of the bill, that he has performed all his obligations under the lease.

The averment, that he remains in possession of the premises, under the lease, and has had quiet and peacable possession and occupation of the same, without

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