Fairbanks v. Ainsworth
Fairbanks v. Ainsworth
Opinion of the Court
This is a suit filed by appellees, J. W. Ainsworth and C. W. Colgin, against appellants, G. D. Fairbanks and his wife, Margaret McAllen Fairbanks, to recover on a certain promissory note of $1,197.94, executed by Mrs. Fairbanks for groceries purchased by her, and on an open account; said groceries being for herself and her children. Mrs. Fairbanks promised to pay the note out of her separate property. It was also sought to charge the community estate of the husband and wife. G. D. Fairbanks alleged that he had not abandoned his wife, but did not live with her and did not authorize the purchase of the groceries; that they were purchased by Mrs. Fairbanks and used in her household for herself and her children by a former husband and her relatives. The husband also alleged that she had sufficient separate property to secure payment of the amount due for the groceries. The court rendered judgment that appellees take nothing against G. D. Fairbanks or his separate estate, but rendered judgment against Mrs. Fairbanks for $1,386.55, holding her separate estate and the community property liable for the debt, and authorizing execution against said estates.
The first proposition is that credit has been extended to a married woman on a contract for payment out of her separate estate, and the community estate cannot be lawfully bound for debts made by her for herself and her children; said children not being those of her present husband. It is the general rule that the husband is liable for necessaries furnished the wife, but, where necessaries are sold to the wife on her own responsibility and in view of her separate estate, the husband will not be liable for the same. Crosby v. Harris (Tex.Civ.App.)
The credit was extended to Mrs. Fairbanks and her separate estate alone, and the groceries were shown to be necessaries for her and her children. We think the separate estate alone, of the wife, was liable for the debt, and that it was error to render a judgment binding the community estate.
The judgment will be so amended as to exclude the community estate from liability for the debt for the necessaries sold to the wife alone on her credit secured by her separate estate, and, as amended, the judgment will be affirmed.
The motion for rehearing is overruled
Opinion of the Court
This is a suit filed by appellees, J. W. Ains-worth and C. W. Colgin, against appellants, G. D. Fairbanks and his wife, Margaret Mc-Allen Fairbanks, to recover on a certain promissory note of $1,197.94, executed by Mrs. Fairbanks for groceries purchased by her, and on an open account; said groceries being for herself and her children. Mrs. Fairbanks promised to pay the note out of her separate property. It was also sought to charge the community estate of the husband and wife. G. D. Fairbanks alleged that he had not abandoned his wife, but did not live with her and did not authorize the purchase of the groceries; that they were purchased by Mrs. Fairbanks and used in her household for herself and her children by a former husband and her relatives. The. husband, also alleged that she had sufficient separate property to secure payment of the amount due for the groceries. The court rendered judgment that appellees take nothing against G. D. Fairbanks or his separate estate, but rendered judgment against Mrs. Fairbanks for $1,386.-55, holding her separate estate and the community property liable for the debt, and authorizing execution against said estates.
The first proposition is that credit has been extended to a married woman on a contract for payment out of her separate estate, and the community estate cannot be lawfully bound for debts made by her for herself and her children; said children not being those of her present husband. It is the general rule that the husband is liable for necessaries furnished the wife, but, where necessaries are sold to the wife on her own responsibility and in view of her separate estate, the husband will not be liable for the same. Crosby v. Harris (Tex. Civ. App.) 234 S. W. 127; Colonna v. Kruger (Tex. Civ. App.) 246 S. W. 707. The question as to whether the wife had bound herself bo pay for the groceries out of her separate estate was one of fact, and the court found that she had so contracted. There was testimony to support the conclusion.
The credit was extended to Mrs. Fairbanks and her .separate estate alone, and the groceries were shown to be necessaries for her and her children. We think the separate estate alone, of the wife, was liable for the debt, and that it was error to render a judgment binding the community estate.
The judgment will be so amended as to exclude the community estate from liability for the debt for the necessaries sold to the wife alone on her credit secured by her separate estate, and, as amended, the judgment will be affirmed.
070rehearing
On Motion for Rehearing.
The testimony showed that appellees had been dealing with Mrs. Fairbanks for several years and looked to and received payment from her. The goods were sold to her on her own credit and not that of her husband. The husband was not looked to for payments; he never at any time paid any of her debts for twenty years or more. . She paid them out of her own money. The necessaries were fur
The motion for rehearing is overruled. .
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.