Curry v. Catlin
Curry v. Catlin
Concurring Opinion
(concurring). — I agree with the conclusion of the majority as to the merits of the controversy, but cannot
Scott, J., dissents.
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
— -The record in this case seems to us to disclose very clearly that the claim of the appellant Lizzie M.
As was said before, the assignments of the contracts were made just before the deed was procured from the railroad company, and at a time when respondent was
Catlin brought a suit against both of the appellants, in which he alleged a judgment, that it was based upon a community debt, and that the record title of the land sought to be charged was in the wife, but that it was acquired by her after her marriage, and the prayer of the complaint was that the property be declared community property, that the judgment be declared a judgment against the community, and that the property be subjected to the lien of the judgment. We do not think this complaint stated a cause of action. Where real property is acquired by purchase, by either husband or wife after their marriage, the statute declares that it shall be community property. Where such real estate is conveyed to either husband or wife after their marriage, by deed, the presumption is that it is community property. Yesler v. Hochstettler, 4 Wash. 349 (30 Pac. 398). Being community property it is subject to the payment of community debts, and the judgment against the husband is prima facie a community debt. Calhoun v. Leary, 6 Wash. 17 (32 Pac. 1070). There was no obstacle, therefore, in the way of levying an execution upon and selling this real estate to satisfy the judgment. It was
Judgment affirmed.
Dunbar, C. J., and Anders, J., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Lizzie M. Curry and John M. Curry v. Jerome Catlin and J. H. Woolery
- Cited By
- 10 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- HUSBAND AND WIFE — COMMUNITY DEBTS — LIABILITY OF COMMUNITY AND SEPARATE PROPERTY — ACTION ON JUDGMENT — PLEADING — EVIDENCE. The finding of the lower court that certain real estate is not the separate property of the wife will not be disturbed when the evidence shows that, although the land had been in part purchased with the separate money of the wife, the understanding between husband and wife that the land was to be hers was not had until after the money had been received and applied by the husband to his own use, and that their testimony on this point was contradicted by their sworn statements in other litigations which they had had. An action by a judgment creditor in which he alleges the rendition of a judgment against a husband, that it was based upon a community debt, that the record title of the land sought to be charged was in the wife, but that it was acquired by her after her marriage, and the prayer of the complaint was that the property be declared community property, that the judgment be declared a judgment against the community, and that the property be subjected to the lien of the judgment, is demurrable on the ground that the complaint does not state a cause of action. (Hoyt, J., dissents.) Where a judgment has been rendered against the husband alone for a community debt, the levy of execution thereunder against the separate property of the husband or the community property of husband and wife cannot be enjoined.