Splettstoesser v. Franke
Splettstoesser v. Franke
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff is the mother of defendant’s wife. Plaintiff’s husband died in June, 1919. Very soon thereafter plaintiff went to live at the home of defendant and his wife on a farm in Sibley county. An agreement was made by which defendant and his wife were to furnish suitable board and lodging to plaintiff during the
Defendant contends that the verdict of the jury is not sustained by the evidence. The evidence is in conflict. Plaintiff was undoubtedly entitled to recover this amount if she established these two propositions: First, that the money was an advance on account of the sum agreed to be paid for board and lodging'; and second, that there was mistreatment justifying plaintiff in leaving defendant’s home.
The evidence is, in our opinion, quite sufficient to sustain the first proposition. The receipt of July 19 is in nn sense conclusive against
The evidence of mistreatment of plaintiff is not strong. It consists of the uncorroborated testimony of plaintiff, and it is met by the testimony of a number of witnesses to the contrary. Yet we think plaintiff’s testimony makes out a prima facie case and the truth was for the jury to determine. We hold the verdict sustained by the evidence.
The court in charging the jury stated plaintiff’s claim about as alleged, but stated that it was the claim of defendant that the money was a gift on the part of plaintiff to defendant, and then instructed them that “to establish a gift the evidence must be clear and convincing.” At the conclusion o:f the charge, counsel for defendant took exception to this and said: “We don’t claim that it was a gift, we claim that it was a contract based upon a sufficient consideration.” Thereupon the court said to the jury:
“In view of counsel’s statement, gentlemen of the jury, perhaps I should say to you further, that if you find that the contention of the defendant is true, whether the money advanced or paid to the defendant was a gift or whether it was made upon the understanding and upon the arrangement which he claims it was, whether a gift or whether as a contract and made upon a sufficient consideration, I say if you find that the contention of the defendant is true in this matter, then your verdict should be for the defendant. If you find that the contention of the plaintiff is true and by a preponderance of the testimony, then your verdict should be for the plaintiff.”
Counsel for defendant contends that the court still misled or confused the jury, and left the issue of gift before them and led them to believe that defendant was required to establish his version of
Nor do we think that the failure of the court to instruct more fully as to what constitutes a sufficient consideration was error. Such instruction might properly have been given, but in the absence of request to do so the failure to instruct more fully on this point was not error.
We may add that the jury, in order to arrive at the verdict which they rendered, must necessarily have found that defendant gave plaintiff just cause for leaving his home, and if such was the fact it seems to us plaintiff would be entitled to a return of the money advanced or paid by her, even though the agreement or understanding was as defendant contends.
Order affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- WILHELMINA SPLETTSTOESSER v. ALBERT FRANKE
- Status
- Published