Skehan v. Davidson Co, 30329

CourtMississippi Supreme Court
Writing for the CourtMcGowen, J.
Citation145 So. 247,164 Miss. 518
PartiesSKEHAN v. DAVIDSON CO
Decision Date09 January 1933
Docket Number30329

145 So. 247

164 Miss. 518

SKEHAN
v.
DAVIDSON CO

No. 30329

Supreme Court of Mississippi

January 9, 1933


Division A

1. HUSBAND AND WIFE.

Where evidence established that goods were furnished to wife under express contract between seller and wife, and solely on her credit, wife was personally liable (Code 1930, section 1940).

2. HUSBAND AND WIFE. Where husband fails to supply wife with necessities convenient and suitable to station in life, husband is liable therefor.

Husband is liable for necessaries furnished to the wife on his failure to supply them, because obligation assumed by husband on marriage, and failure to supply necessities, gives the wife an implied agency to create the debt therefor as against the husband.

3. HUSBAND AND WIFE.

Where goods were furnished to wife solely on her credit, and wife did not create debt impliedly as husband's agent, husband was not liable (Code 1930, section 1940).

4. HUSBAND AND WIFE.

Where it was not shown that husband's allowance to wife was not wholly adequate to her proper support, husband was not liable on wife's account for goods furnished (Code 1930, section 1940).

5. HUSBAND AND WIFE.

Husband does not become surety where wife defaults in performance of her contracts (Code 1930, section 1940).

HON. W. J. PACK, Judge.

APPEAL from circuit court of Forrest county, HON. W. J. PACK, Judge.

Action by the Davidson Company against J. A. Skehan and wife. From a judgment of the circuit court affirming [164 Miss. 519] a judgment of the county court in favor of the plaintiff against both of the defendants, the defendant named appeals. Judgment, in so far as appealed from, reversed, and judgment entered for the defendant named.

Reversed and judgment here for appellant.

E. F. Coleman, of Purvis, for appellant.

As the husband has a right primarily to say what are necessaries with respect to his wife, and who shall furnish them, he cannot ordinarily be held liable for articles purchased by his wife when he has not neglected or refused to furnish her with suitable support. So a person seeking to charge a man for necessaries supplied to the wife must show not only that the articles supplied were necessaries, but also that the husband has neglected to supply them, the presumption being that he is not liable.

13 R. C. L., page 1198, section 230.

Though there are decisions to the contrary, the better view seems to be that in order to render the husband liable for necessaries furnished the wife they must have been furnished on his credit. As has been said if a tradesman furnished goods to a wife, and gives the credit to her, the husband is not liable, though she was at the time living with him, and a fortiorari he is not liable if they were living apart. Whether credit in any case is given to the woman or her husband is a question of fact to be determined by the jury.

13 R. C. L., page 1200, section 233.

The evidence fails to show that the articles purchased were necessities.

If the articles were charged to the wife she is then responsible for them.

Galtney v. Wood, 115 So. 117.

The common-law liability of the husband for the necessaries furnished to...

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5 practice notes
  • Wright v. Standard Oil Company, Inc., No. 71-1534.
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit)
    • February 6, 1973
    ...v. Adams, 183 So.2d 925 (Miss., 1966); Montgomery Ward & Co. v. Nickens, 203 Miss. 195, 33 So.2d 815 (1948); Skehan v. Davidson Co., 164 Miss. 518, 145 So. 247 (1933). But our record is not clear whether Mrs. Wright agreed, either expressly or impliedly, to bind her separate estate for the ......
  • Gower v. Strain, 30339
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • January 9, 1933
    ...which are likely to bring it about, one may either ward it off or [169 Miss. 353] cease an activity capable of danger to himself [145 So. 247] or to others. There are few ordinary agencies so fraught with danger to life and property as an automobile proceeding upon the highway freed of the ......
  • Chapman v. Chase Nat Bank, 32627
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
    • April 12, 1937
    ...solely on the credit of the husband and for his use and benefit, as a tenant farming the lands owned by his wife. Skehan v. Davidson Co., 164 Miss. 518, 145 So. 247; Section 1940, Code of 1930; Gray v. Sullivan, 162 Miss. 610, 139 So. 855; Chase, National Bank v. Chapman, 160 So. 286. Even ......
  • Laurel Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. Hankins, No. 39361
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
    • November 22, 1954
    ...MISS 310] was an adult, and under Section 451, Code of 1942, could contract for the payment of such bills. Skehan v. Davidson Company, 164 Miss. 518, 145 So. 247; Montgomery Ward & Company v. Nickens, 203 Miss. 195, 33 So.2d 815. The evidence was sufficient to show her personal liability to......
  • Request a trial to view additional results
5 cases
  • Gower v. Strain, 30339
    • United States
    • Mississippi Supreme Court
    • January 9, 1933
    ...which are likely to bring it about, one may either ward it off or [169 Miss. 353] cease an activity capable of danger to himself [145 So. 247] or to others. There are few ordinary agencies so fraught with danger to life and property as an automobile proceeding upon the highway freed of the ......
  • Wright v. Standard Oil Company, Inc., No. 71-1534.
    • United States
    • United States Courts of Appeals. United States Court of Appeals (5th Circuit)
    • February 6, 1973
    ...v. Adams, 183 So.2d 925 (Miss., 1966); Montgomery Ward & Co. v. Nickens, 203 Miss. 195, 33 So.2d 815 (1948); Skehan v. Davidson Co., 164 Miss. 518, 145 So. 247 (1933). But our record is not clear whether Mrs. Wright agreed, either expressly or impliedly, to bind her separate estate for the ......
  • Chapman v. Chase Nat Bank, 32627
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
    • April 12, 1937
    ...solely on the credit of the husband and for his use and benefit, as a tenant farming the lands owned by his wife. Skehan v. Davidson Co., 164 Miss. 518, 145 So. 247; Section 1940, Code of 1930; Gray v. Sullivan, 162 Miss. 610, 139 So. 855; Chase, National Bank v. Chapman, 160 So. 286. Even ......
  • Laurel Coca-Cola Bottling Co. v. Hankins, No. 39361
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court of Mississippi
    • November 22, 1954
    ...MISS 310] was an adult, and under Section 451, Code of 1942, could contract for the payment of such bills. Skehan v. Davidson Company, 164 Miss. 518, 145 So. 247; Montgomery Ward & Company v. Nickens, 203 Miss. 195, 33 So.2d 815. The evidence was sufficient to show her personal liability to......
  • Request a trial to view additional results

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