Spotts' Estate
Spotts' Estate
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
Taking the facts as the auditor reports them they show that Mrs. Spotts had an open account with Beetem & Co. on which she was a creditor for $661.50 and a debtor for $173.61, leaving a net credit to her of $487.89. G. S. Beetem, one of the firm of Beetem & Co., was at that time indorser on her note for
The second assignment of error cannot be sustained. Mrs. Spotts was carrying on a somewhat extended business which required money. To hold, as is claimed, that one who lends a married woman money, by discounting her note or otherwise, must see that she actually applies it to use in her business, would be going back to that state of limited rights of property and contract which it was the object of the Married. Persons Property Act of 1887 to put an end to. The auditor reports that her notes were discounted by the bank and she received the money, but that “ there is no evidence which proves di.rectly what she did with the proceeds.” It is not necessary that there should be. One who presents a money obligation of a married woman, since the act of 1887, has made out a prima facie case, which can only be defeated by showing that the contract is one of the kinds prohibited by that act. The presumption even in case of a judgment, is that it is regular and valid. “ So general is her power to contract now, that her inability is the exception, rather than the rule: ” Koechling v. Henkel, 144 Pa. 215. “ With the exception of such disabilities as are particularly specified in or contemplated by the provisions of the act, they (married women) are emancipated from
The third assignment of error is to a question of fact, the allowance of the claim of John Spotts, and does not really raise the question argued under it, the competency of Daniel Spotts as a witness. There was however no error in admitting him. He was merely surety for John Spotts for the money that was borrowed. He had no direct interest in the result of this litigation. The most that could be said was that in a certain contingency he would become a creditor of John. That would not make him incompetent even at common law: Dickson v. McGraw, 151 Pa. 98.
Decree reversed and record remitted for restatement of account in accordance with this opinion.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Spotts' Estate. Beetem's Appeal
- Cited By
- 16 cases
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- Published
- Syllabus
- Equitable assignment — Set-off-Decedents' estates. Decedent had an open account with a firm of which claimant wns a member. She was a creditor ou this account for $661.50, and a debtor for $173.61. Claimant was at the timo an indorser on her note for $450, and she desired him to assume the further liability of indorsing another note for $2,000. This he agreed to do in consideration of her agreeing that $450 of her credit should he offset by the note for that amount, which, he undertook that the firm should pay. This arrangement was carried out. Claimant indorsed the second note, and the firm paid the first note. Held, that this was an equitable assignment of $450 of her claim on the firm to claimant, and that it made no difference that the first note was paid after her death. Married women — Loan—Application of funds. A person who lends money to a married woman is not bound to see that she actually applies the money to use in business. Evidence — Witness—Decedents' estates. Where a husband has borrowed money on a bond with a surety, and has loaned the money thus borrowed to his wife, the surety is a competent witness against the wife’s estate, after her death, to establish the husband’s right to the fund.