Kleimola v. Kauppi

201 N.W. 206, 229 Mich. 213, 1924 Mich. LEXIS 875
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 10, 1924
DocketDocket No. 131.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 201 N.W. 206 (Kleimola v. Kauppi) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Kleimola v. Kauppi, 201 N.W. 206, 229 Mich. 213, 1924 Mich. LEXIS 875 (Mich. 1924).

Opinion

Moore, J.

In 1915 the plaintiff was a widow 54 or 55 years old, living in Finland. There was civil war in Finland at that time. The wife of the defendant, who lived in Ironwood, Michigan, was the daughter of the plaintiff. There was some correspondence between the plaintiff and some member of the Kauppi family which does not appear in the record. A ticket was sent Mrs. Kleimola, which paid her fare from Finland to Ironwood, where she arrived about Easter, 1916. She at once became an inmate of the family of defendant, and did work therein for five years and some months. While still an inmate of the family of Mr. Kauppi she got married. Afterwards claiming that defendant owed her for work done, she brought this suit. After her testimony was in and also after all of the testimony was in defendant moved for a directed verdict. The trial judge was of the opinion that, while there was no express contract, the circumstances surrounding the case, taken in connection with the testimony, presented a question of fact for the jury as to whether an implied contract was shown, and overruled the motion. The jury returned a verdict of $671.33 in favor of the plaintiff. A motion was made for a new trial which was overruled. The case was brought here by a writ of error.

The defendant claims the case is controlled by a line of cases such as Wright v. Senn’s Estate, 85 Mich. 191; Harris v. Harris, 106 Mich. 246; Decker v. Kanous’ Estate, 129 Mich. 146; In re Myron’s Estate, *215 165 Mich. 63; Vandecar v. Nowland’s Estate, 188 Mich. 429.

On the part of the plaintiff it is claimed there was no error, citing In re Young’s Estate, 39 Mich. 429; Sammon v. Wood, 107 Mich. 506; Van Slambrook v. Little’s Estate, 127 Mich. 61; In re Hoffman’s Estate, 200 Mich. 464; In re Moon’s Estate, 219 Mich. 104; In re Knox’s Estate, 220 Mich. 469.

The testimony of the plaintiff presents her side of the case as favorably as any part of the record, and we quote from it freely as follows:

“Q. You are the plaintiff in this case?
“A. Yes.
“Q. In the spring of 1916, Mrs. Kleimola, you came to this country. Tell the court and jury your purpose in coming here?
“A. A ticket was sent to me. * * *
“Q. Who sent you this ticket, Mrs. Kleimola?
“A. Mr. Kauppi. Mr. Kauppi, the defendant in this case sent me the ticket. There was no letter accompanying the ticket.
“Q. Wasn’t there a letter on Mr. Kauppi’s stationery that accompanied that ticket?
“A. No, it came before. * * *
“Q. And what was in that letter, Mrs. Kleimola; what did he say?
“A. I don’t remember. The ticket says to come; that’s all I remember.
“The destination of the ticket was from Finland to Ironwood and that was the home of Otto Kauppi. Otto Kauppi is married to my daughter. They have been married over ten years. They were married in this country.
“Q. When did you arrive in Ironwood? * * * Easter time of 1916?
“A. Yes.
“Q. You went to work in the home of the defendant as soon as you got here, Mrs. Kleimola?
“A. Yes, right away.
“Q. How many children did they have at that time?
“A. They had two, and then right after twins came.'
“Q. How old were the two older children?
*216 “A. One was 20 months and the other was 7 years old, I think.
“Q. What was the condition of Mrs. Kauppi’s health when you arrived there?
“A. In poor condition.
“Q. What were your duties in the house there; what did you do?
“A. I took care of the children and I did all of the housework, and when the children came I . took care of the children nights, too. * * *
“Q. And you continued in the employ of the defendant from Easter of 1916 continually down to Thanksgiving day of 1921 ?
“A. Yes, 5 years and 8 months.
“Q. About a month after you started to work you went to them and asked for money; what did they tell you — to Mr. Kauppi?
“A. Sometimes he give me 50 cents, sometimes 25 cents, sometimes a dollar.
“Q. How many times did you ask him for money?
“A. I have asked him often but he hasn’t given me all the time when I asked.
“Q. What did he tell you when he gave you 50 cents or 25 cents out of his pocket?
“A. He told me to ask the Mrs.
“Q. How much money did you get from the Mrs.?
“A. He told me to ask the Mrs. She used to give me some, but I asked more from Kauppi.
“Q. During all the time that you worked there during the 5 years and 8 months that you were in the employ of the defendant, how much money did you get from him?
“A. I don’t know. I thought that they would pay me when I would go away.
“Q. You thought they would pay you when you left their employ?
“A. Yes. The total that I got in small amounts might be $30, that’s all, but then he gave me $20 when I left,
“Q. That made a total of about $50 that you received during the 5 years and 8 months that you were in his employ?
“A. Yes. I did not have to buy my own shoes and clothing out of this $50 that I got. They did not give *217 me additional money to buy some shoes and clothing. They went to buy it themselves. * * *
“Q.

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Bluebook (online)
201 N.W. 206, 229 Mich. 213, 1924 Mich. LEXIS 875, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kleimola-v-kauppi-mich-1924.