Story v. Stor

27 N.E. 573, 1 Ind. App. 284, 1891 Ind. App. LEXIS 60
CourtIndiana Court of Appeals
DecidedMay 2, 1891
DocketNo. 104
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 27 N.E. 573 (Story v. Stor) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Indiana Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Story v. Stor, 27 N.E. 573, 1 Ind. App. 284, 1891 Ind. App. LEXIS 60 (Ind. Ct. App. 1891).

Opinion

Reinhard, J.

This action was brought by the appellee against the appellant, who is her father, for services rendered him by the appellee in doing household and kitchen work, and work on farm, from November, 1879, to November,. 1888, at $3 per week.

The appellant answered, in six paragraphs, as follows :

1st. General denial.

2d. Plea of payment.

3d. Special matter, averring that appellee was living as [285]*285a member of appellant’s family, without express contract as to wages.

4th and 5th. Set-off.

6th. Statute of limitations.

Reply in general denial.

Upon these issues the cause was submitted to a jury for trial, and a general verdict was returned in favor of the appellee. With this general verdict there were also returned by the jury answers to certain interrogatories which had been submitted to them by the court.

At the proper time the appellant requested the court to give the jury certain special instructions prepared by his counsel, but the court denied the request, and the appellant reserved the question by proper exceptions.

In order to determine whether or not the court properly refused these special instructions it is proper to set them out here, together with all the instructions given by the court.

The instructions given were as follows :

“ 3d. If you should find in this cause that the plaintiff is the daughter of the defendant, and that she, at or about the time alleged in the complaint, went to live with her father, under an agreement and understanding that she should live with her father as a member of his family, and for her services she should have her board and lodging, and also that of her child, and that she should have, in addition, what she could make out of the surplus eggs, and butter, and other truck raised on the farm and no other compensation, and that plaintiff went on under such an agreement and performed the services alleged in the complaint, receiving the surplus eggs and butter and other truck or the proceeds thereof, then and in that case the plaintiff could not recover, receiving her board and lodging and that of her child.
1st. The court charges the jury that while the instructions of the court are binding on the jury as to all propositions of law in the case under consideration, the jury are the exclusive judges of all questions of fact, and proof, of [286]*286t-lie weight of evidence and the inference to be drawn therefrom.
2d. If the plaintiff is the daughter of the defendant, and that fact seems to be undisputed, and if while doing the work, you find she did the work, for which she is claiming pay, she lived and made her home with her father after arriving at the age of majority, and as a member of her father’s family, the plaintiff is not entitled to recover anything for such work, unless the evidence in the case shows an agreement or understanding between her and her father that she should have pay therefor. Ordinarily, when one person does work for another, who knowingly permits the work to be done and receives the benefit, the law raises and implies a contract for a fair compensation, but there is no such implied contract between father and daughter while living together as members of one family and one does work for the other. And if such was the relation between these parties while the work was being done, the defendant is not liable, unless there was an agreement or understanding between the parties that compensation, should be made. It was and is not enough that this plaintiff herself expected or intended to be paid; the understanding must have been mutual. But by this it is not meant that words must have been uttered or passed between, the parties expressing this intention, but besides the mere doing of the work by the daughter for the father, under her father’s direction, if it was so done, there must be proof tending to show, and enough to satisfy your minds of the fact, that there was an understanding between the parties, an expectation of payment by the daughter and an intention to pay on the part of the father.
‘‘ 3d. If the father at the time his daughter, after arriving at majority, was working for him, knew that his daughter was expecting payment for the work so done, and allowed her to continue to work in the belief, without notice that [287]*287he did not intend to pay, he would be bound to pay. And in this case it is a question of fact for you, in light of all the facts and circumstances in proof, to say whether there was any understanding or agreement between the parties.
4th. It is a presumption of law that a father is not bound to pay a daughter, though of age, for work done by her while living at home and as a member of the family; but this presumption may be overcome by proof of an agreement or understanding for compensation, and such understanding may be inferred from the circumstances shown in evidence if the jury deem the inference warranted.
5th. If there was an understanding between the parties that the work should be paid for, and no agreement as to the amount, you should allow such sum as under the evidence is shown to have been the ordinary and reasonable compensation for such work.
“ 8th. If the jury are satisfied by a preponderance of the evidence in the case that the work and labor sued for was done under an agreement or understanding that the same was to be paid for, as explained in these instructions, and that said work and labor was continued to be performed until within six years before the commencement of this suit, the suit would not be barred by the statute of limitation.”

The instructions requested by counsel for appellant, and refused by the court, are in these words :

1st. Gentlemen — If you find from the evidence that the plaintiff, Melissa Story, is the daughter of the defendant, Lawson Story, and that she went to live with him as a member of his family in the year 1879, and continued to live with him as a member of his family until she left some time in the year 1888, and that during the time she so lived with the defendant the services alleged in the complaint were rendered, then, and in that case, I charge you that the law is that the plaintiff can not recover for the services thus rendered, unless she proves by a preponderance of the evidence that there was [288]*288an express contract between her and the defendant to pay her for the services rendered.
2d. In a case where an adult daughter goes to live in the family of her father’s family as a member thereof, and while so living in the father’s family, she performs services for her father, she can not recover for the services thus rendered unless the daughter proves that the services were rendered under an express contract made with the father, wherein he agreed to pay her for the services so performed.
“ 4th.

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Bluebook (online)
27 N.E. 573, 1 Ind. App. 284, 1891 Ind. App. LEXIS 60, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/story-v-stor-indctapp-1891.