Gallagher v. Mjelde

74 N.W. 340, 98 Wis. 509, 1898 Wisc. LEXIS 167
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1898
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 74 N.W. 340 (Gallagher v. Mjelde) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Gallagher v. Mjelde, 74 N.W. 340, 98 Wis. 509, 1898 Wisc. LEXIS 167 (Wis. 1898).

Opinion

Cassoday, C. J.

This action was commenced in March, 1896, against the defendant Mrs. Mjelde and her husband, ■EL J. Mjelde, to recover $500, with interest at six per cent, from April 16, 1893.

The original verified complaint alleged, in effect, that April 16, 1892, at the special instance and request of Mrs. Mjelde, the plaintiff loaned to her $500, said defendant to secure the same by a promissory note executed by herself and her husband as joint makers, payable three years from said date, with interest annually at six per cent, per annum; that a note was then drawn and executed, by Mr. Mjelde, ■and delivered to the plaintiff without the signature of Mrs. Mjelde, of which the following is a copy: *

“$500.00. April 16th, 1892.
: “ On or before three years after date I promise to pay to [510]*510the order of Katie Gallagher five hundred dollars, at 225 Main street, Waukesha, Wis., for value received, without defalcation or discount, with interest from April 16th, 1892, at the rate of (6) per cent, per annum until paid.
“No. 0. .
«H. J. Mjelde.”

The complaint also alleged that the plaintiff did not discover the omission for some time thereafter; that when she did she immediately requested Mrs. Mjelde to sign the same, as agreed; that she failed and neglected to do so, but promised that she would see that it was paid when due; that she was a sister of the plaintiff, who relied upon such promise, and retained the note as originally delivered to her, and always had relied upon Mrs. Mjelde for such payment, which she was personally liable for; that no part of the note had been paid, except the interest to April 16, 1893; that there was due and owing to the plaintiff from the defendants by reason of such premises $500, with interest thereon from April 16, 1893, at six per cent, per annum; that when the note became due and payable, April 16, 1895, payment thereof was duly demanded of the defendants, and the same was refused by them.

The complaint prayed judgment against both defendants for the amount of the principal and interest.

The defendants, by an answer verified by both of them, jointly, admitted and alleged, in effect, that they were then, and at all times in the complaint named, husband and wife,, and that the plaintiff was the sister of Mrs. Mjelde; that April 16, 1892, the plaintiff loaned to Mr. Mjelde $500, and took for such loan the note mentioned, and which was still due and unpaid, but for which Mrs. Mjelde was in no way bound or responsible; that they denied each and every allegation in the complaint contained not therein specifically admitted.

Upon the trial of the action, counsel for the plaintiff was-[511]*511allowed, against the objection and exception of the defendants, to dismiss the complaint so far as Mr. Mjelde was. concerned, and to amend the- complaint accordingly, and by surrendering the note into court. The complaint, so-amended, was substantially as stated. Thereupon the defendant, Mrs. Mjelde, for another and further verified answer and defense, alleged, in effect, that she was then, and at all times named in the complaint, a married woman, living with her husband,— one of the original defendants in this, action,— in this-state; that she had not, at the' times named in the complaint, a separate estate or property, and was not then, never had been, and was not at the time of such trial, engaged in any separate business of her own.

At the close of the trial the jury returned a verdict in favor of the plaintiff, and assessed her damages at $595.58. Erom the judgment entered thereon the defendant Mrs. Mjelde appeals.

The plaintiff testified to the effect that in pursuance of a prior conversation with the defendant at which she had agreed to loan her the money to be secured by a note signed by herself and her husband, she took the $500 to the defendant’s house, April 16,1892, and laid it on the table; that the defendant’s husband was present; that she supposed they picked it up, of course; that she did not remember which of the parties picked it up first, nor which of them picked it up; that the defendant then was married and lived with her husband; that she had not at that time a.ny separate estate, nor any property of any kind, and was not engaged in any business of any kind; that she understood that the defendant or her husband was going into business, and that the defendant was to give her husband the money to do it with; that they had told her that they Avere going into the hotel business, and that she loaned the money to the defendant for the purpose of enabling her to go into the hotel business, as she had thus stated; that the defendant’s husband [512]*512gave her the note a day or so afterwards; that she did not discover that it was not signed by the defendant until a year afterwards; that he paid the first year’s interest on it; that August 29, 1893, the father of the plaintiff and defendant died testate; that after his death the defendant was interested in his estate as heir at law, but not otherwise. Thus, it is admitted that, at the time of the alleged loan, the defendant had no estate nor property of any kind, and that she was not engaged in any kind of business. The most that plaintiff’s evidence tends to prove in her favor is that she made the loan to enable the defendant’s husband, or herself and husband, to go into the hotel business some time thereafter. The defendant testified to the effect that she never had any conversation with the plaintiff about borrowing money; that she heard a conversation between her husband and the plaintiff, in which he said he would like to raise $500 and go west; that the plaintiff offered to loan him the money; that he offered to secure her by a mortgage on their furniture, to which the defendant objected; that the plaintiff then said that she did not want any mortgage, and that was all she heard at the time; that she never received any of the estate of her father, and had no separate estate or property or any business at the time of the trial.

Yiewing such evidence in the most favorable light for the plaintiff, it seems to be insufficient to support the verdict, upon the principles of law applicable to the case. Besides, the court overruled a demurrer ore tenus to the complaint. That complaint contains no allegation or statement from which it can be inferred that, at the time of making the alleged loan, the defendant had any separate estate or property, or that she was in business or contemplated going into business. The most that is alleged is that, at the special instance and request of the defendant, the plaintiff loaned to her $500, to be secured by a note to be executed by herself and husband, but is entirely silent as to what was to be done [513]*513with the money. . Of course she would not be bound at common law, and the facts alleged do not bring her within any ■of the provisions of our statute enabling her to make a binding contract. True, our statute authorizes a married woman to receive property “ from any person other than her husband, and hold ” the same, to her sole and separate use,” and to dispose of the same. B. S. 1878, sec. 2342. So, she is entitled to her “ individual earnings ” in certain cases. Id. sec. 2343.

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Bluebook (online)
74 N.W. 340, 98 Wis. 509, 1898 Wisc. LEXIS 167, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gallagher-v-mjelde-wis-1898.