Oliver v. Oliver
Oliver v. Oliver
Opinion of the Court
This is an appeal, taken by one of the defendant’s creditors, from a judgment rendered in favor of the plaintiff against her husband, for certain sums of money, alleged to have been received by the defendant, as the paraphernal funds of his wife. The appellant intervened in this suit, for the purpose of making opposition to the claims set up by the plaintiff. His opposition contains allegations of fraud and collusion.
1st. The only evidence adduced by the plaintiff in support of her claims, consists : 1st. In an act of partition, executed on the 12th of January, 1835, in which it is recited that, “the heirs of Wm. Ogden, deceased, desirous to make a provisional partition, of so much of the funds and debts of said estate, as can at this time be divided, agree that a provisional partition be made among them, of forty thousand dollars, &c. and out of which plaintiff is entitled to receive $2500, &c.” This act does not say, that the several sums of money therein mentioned, were paid to the heirs ; nor does it show that the defendant received the amount coming to his wife. 2d. In an act of sale, made by the husband and wife, on the 18th of September, 1833, of certain property said to belong to the plaintiff, as her paraphernal property; which was sold for the sum of $1900, which is stated in the deed “to have been paid in hand, by the vendee to the said Oliver and wife, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged.” This is the only proof of the.husband’s having received this sum.
The appellant has contended, that this evidence is insufficient to establish the fact of the money’s having been received by the defendant in the right of his wife ; and that it is necessary, in order to entitle her to recover, that she should prove that the money has really been counted to the husband, at the periods from which her legal mortgage is to take effect.
This court has several times had occasion to recognize the rule, that prima facie evidence of the claims of the wife, is not sufficient to authorize her to obtain judgment thereon against her
We think, however, that, as the plaintiff, under the opinion of the lower court, may have thought it unnecessary to adduce other proof of her rights and claims, she should not be precluded from producing any further evidence which it may be in her power to offer, according to the principles above recognized ; and that justice requires this case should be remanded for further proceedings.
It is, therefore, ordered that the judgment of the District Court be annulled, and reversed, and that this case be remanded for further proceedings according to law ; the plaintiff and appellee paying the costs of the appeal.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Elizabeth Oliver v. Francis Oliver, her Husband
- Cited By
- 1 case
- Status
- Published