Marshall v. Hill
Marshall v. Hill
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff did the family washing for the wife of the defendant and now brings suit against him for the amount due her. When a wife takes up necessaries for the family of her husband and herself the primary presumption is that she is acting as his messenger or agent; the primary duty of furnishing necessaries being on him. This presumption disappears when she separates from him unless the separation is shown to be justifiable: Walker v. Simpson, 7 W. & S. 83. When he wrongfully compels her to withdraw from him without means of support there is an implication of law that her husband has given her credit to obtain necessaries suitable to her condition. He who furnishes necessaries to a wife so separated on the credit of her husband does so at his risk and must show that she has been abandoned by her husband or forced to leave his residence: Monahan v. Auman, 39 Pa. Superior Ct. 150; Allen v. Rieder, 41 Pa. Superior Ct. 534; 2 Kent’s Comm. 146.
It was admitted at the trial that the wife’s separation from her husband was justifiable. It also appeared in evidence that the husband had made provision for his wife. If proper provision has been made for a wife her husband is not hable even for necessaries furnished for her support: Cany v. Patton, 2 Ashmead, 140; Endlich & Richards on the Rights of Married Women, par. 81; Husband’s Married Women and Trusts, p. 43.
The husband having provided support for his wife by the payment of a monthly sum to her would, without
Objection is made that the plaintiff’s statement and proofs vary. We see no merit in this contention. The statement declares for work done for the defendant, gives the items and in addition gives a copy of the letter
It is urged that suit should have been brought against husband and wife under the Act of April 11, 1848, P. L. 536, par. 8, and that a suit against the husband alone is irregular. That act provides that in order to charge the wife, the creditor may bring a joint suit against husband and wife and after judgment have execution against the husband and if no property is found proceed against the wife. There is nothing in the act that provides where the husband is sued the wife must be joined. The cases cited by appellant: Berger v. Clark, 79 Pa. 340; Davidson v. McCandlish, 69 Pa. 169, are authority for the position that in order to hold her he must be joined. They have no application to the case where the endeavor is to hold him alone.
All the assignments of error are overruled and the. judgment is affirmed.
Reference
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- Husband and wife — Necessaries—Liability of husband — Parties— Act of April 11,1848, P. L. 586. 1. An action may be maintained, against a husband alone for family-washing for the wife, where it appears from a letter produced in evidence by the plaintiff, and addressed by the defendant’s attorney to his wife, that the husband had promised to furnish all necessary clothing for his wife and children and to pay bills promptly submitted to him for all things that might be necessary. Such a letter, although the plaintiff was not a privy to it, was admissible in evidence, inasmuch as her right to recover was based on the relations of the defendant and his wife and such relations were fixed by the letter. 2. There is nothing in the Act of April 11, 1848, par. 8, P. L. 536, which requires that a wife shall be joined with the husband in a suit for necessaries furnished the wife, where the endeavor is to hold the husband alone.