Sherlock v. Denny
Sherlock v. Denny
Opinion of the Court
The opinion of the court was delivered by
— The complaint alleges, as a first cause of action, that on or about March 1, 1900, plaintiff loaned defendant $500, and that only $370 of the amount has been repaid; as a second cause of action, that between April 11, 1899, and June 11, 1900, plaintiff performed work for defendant at his request -of the reasonable valuó of $25 per month, none of which has been paid. The answer denies all the allegations of the complaint and sets up as affirmative defenses: (1) That the defendant paid plaintiff all the money ever loaned him by her; (2) that plaintiff is a married woman, that none of the matters alleged related to her separate property, and that her husband was a necessary party plaintiff; (3) that an accounting and settlement had been had between W. J. Sherlock, husband of plaintiff, and the defendant, of all matters in dispute. A trial was had, and, after the appellant rested, a motion was made for a nonsuit. The court directed that
As to the first cause of action, appellant, on ber direct examination, testified that in March, 1900, she loaned respondent $500 ; that the money was her separate property; that the respondent had repaid, of this sum, $350' cash, and $20 borrowed by her from him. On cross examination she testified that she was married about eleven years agoj that she and her husband removed to this state a year later; that she had $1,000 of her own when she was married ; that she brought that in her own pocket to the state, with $1,000 of her husband’s money; that her husband took the money on their arrival here, and either deposited it or used it; that he paid back $200 of it some three years later, and the remainder, $800, about January, 1899, when he sold a saloon in Seattle; that shortly thereafter respondent applied to her for a loan, and she told him “he could have that $500 of mine.” She did not tell respondent that her husband had given her that money to keep for the husband. On redirect examination plaintiff testified that when her husband sold the saloon he gave her $1,200 of the proceeds, and told her “to keep out of that her own money;” that he owed her at that time $800; that respondent came to her and said, “Mrs. Sheadock, have you got any money?” that she replied,-“I will give you $500;” that he said that would be enough; that he wanted the money to put up a bond; that she afterwards asked respondent for the money; that he said he would pay it back as soon as he withdrew the bond. Respondent said at that time that he would give her her money as soon as he could withdraw his bond, and her husband then said to him, “You can give her her money before you give me a cent.” The respondent replied, “She is all the time
As to the second cause of action, appellant testified that she and her husband had an agreement that when she worked whatever she earned was to be her separate property, and that the agreement was always observed between them; that this agreement was made seven years- ago, and
The judgment of the court in granting a nonsuit to the second cause is sustained. The judgment of the court is reversed as to the first cause, with instructions to set aside the nonsuit to the same, and this case is remanded for further proceedings in accord with this opinion; the appellant to recover her costs on this appeal.
Reavis, C. J., and ITadley, Mount, Fullerton and Anders, JJ., concur.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Bridget Sherlock v. Bernard Denny
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- HUSBAND AND WIFE-SEP ABATE PROPERTY-ACTION BY WIFE TO RECOVER MONEY LOANED-NON-SUIT. In an action by a wife to recover money loaned a non-suit, either on the ground that the money was community property, or that the money borrowed was paid to plaintiff’s husband, was erroneous, where the evidence showed that when the wife first came to the state ten years before she owned as separate property $1,000 in cash which she let her husband use in the transaction of business for the benefit of the community; that $200 of this sum was repaid to her some three years subsequently, and that about five years subsequent to such repayment, the husband handed her $1,200, which he had received on a sale, and told her to keep out what was coming to her; that she took $800, and of this sum loaned $500 as her separate property to defendant with her husband’s knowledge and consent, $370 of which had been repaid by defendant; that $2,350 was paid by defendant to her husband for the husband’s interest in certain milk business, and that the bill of sale included a release for work, wages and money loaned, but that the wife refused to sign same, although the balance of the money claimed by her from defendant was left in his attorney’s hands to repay her if she would sign the bill of sale. SAME-COMMUNITY PROPERTY-EARNINGS OE WIEE-ACTION TO RECOVER- — HUSBAND NECESSARY PARTY. The earnings of the wife being community property whose management and control is vested in her husband, under the statutes of this state, a mere general agreement that the wife’s earnings shall be her separate property is not sufficient to constitute a gift, and hence in such a case the husband must be joined as plaintiff in an action by the wife to recover.