Hennon v. Jones
Hennon v. Jones
Dissenting Opinion
dissenting. I cannot agree to the conclusion that the evidence demanded a verdict for the defendant. I concede that had Mrs. Hennon consented to the sale of the automobile, she would now be estopped from asserting title in the trover suit to recover the property from the purchaser. The evidence, however, does not conclusively show that she consented to the sale. It does 'not necessarily demand any such inference. The giving
The evidence authorized the inference that the car belonged to the plaintiff, even though it may be said that her husband’s money purchased the same and he signed the purchase-money notes. He certainly had a right to make a gift of the car to his wife. She, however, testified that the car was bought with her own money.
Hnder no circumstances can the wife’s title to the car be divested in any condemnation proceeding against the husband alone and to which she is not a party. Such proceeding affects only Ms legal rights. The sale passed ño title from her unless she consented thereto.
Opinion of the Court
Mrs.' Hennon brought trover against Jones in the city'court of Eloyd county. At the trial it was admitted in open court by both parties that the sole issue was the question of title to the automobile sued for. It was further admitted that this automobile had been seized by the sheriff of Eloyd county on a public highway in that county, and that at the time of the seizure it contained five gallons of whisky; that condemnation proceedings had been instituted, and that under this proceeding the defendant purchased the car at the sheriff’s sale. The plaintiff is the wife of the man who was operating the automobile when the whisky was found in it. She testified that her money had paid for the car, and that she knew nothing about the whisky being in it or that it was being used for that purpose. She admitted on cross-examination that she had 'owned four cars, trading them one for the other until this car was bought. She also admitted that she had never signed any notes for the Buick car which was traded for this Eord car, that her husband made the trade and gave his notes for the difference. She testified that her husband was acting for her, and used this language, “ He is my general agent to do anything whenever I ask him to. He would tell me when he was going to use the car. The purpose of his telling me was not for the purpose of getting the car, but for the purpose of telling me where he was going and what time he would be back with it. He was my agent for trading generally. Me and him farmed together. He bought stuff on my account. He has authority to do that. He had general authority from me in reference to this Eord car.” She further
This evidence shows conclusively that the husband had general authority as to the use of the ear in question, and that he also had authority to employ an attorney to represent both him and his wife as to the transaction; and also that the husband’s notes were given for the car, and that the wife (the plaintiff) was present in the office of the attorney when the consent order was agreed upon.
It follows that this evidence demanded a finding that the plaintiff, the wife, was estopped by her conduct from claiming the title to the car bought by the defendant at the condemnation sale; and that the court therefore did not err in directing a verdict for the defendant.
Judgment affirmed.
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.