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Ehrich v. Bucki

57 N.Y. St. Rep. 540 Court N.Y.C.P. Decision date 1894-02-05 English

Delivered by Bischoff, J.

Contents

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p. 540
Samuel W. Ehrich et al., Resp’ts, v. Charles L. Bucki, App’lt.
(New York Common Pleas, General Term,
Filed February 5, 1894.)

Headnote

Husband and Wife—Liability.
To entitle a tradesman to recover against the husband for necessaries supplied to the wife, it must appear that the goods were supplied to her upon his cre.dit.
1 Appeal from a judgment for plaintiffs, rendered by the district court in the city of Hew York for the seventh judicial district.
Action by a firm of tradesmen to recover for necessaries alleged to have been supplied to the wife upon her husband’s credit.
Julius Lehman, for resp’ts ; John T. Walker, for app’lt.

Unquestionably a wife who resid.es ¡with her husband has implied authority to pledge his credit for the payment of .necessaries supplied for her use and that of her family ; and the same authority arises, whether the wife be living with her husband, or not, if it appears that he has inadequately provided for her support, or not at all; and let it be conceded that the several articles supplied to the wife, and for which plaintiffs’ seek to recover, were necessaries in the sense in which that word has

p. 541
been defined. Bloomingdale v. Brinckerhoff, 2 Misc. R. 49 ; 49 St. Rep. 142 . Still it does not follow that plaintiff's were entitled to recover.

To entitle the tradesman to recover as against the husband it must appear that the goods were supplied to the wife upon the husband’s credit. The presumption that the wife was acting as her husband’s agent is overcome by the fact that credit was given to her. Stammers v. Macomb, 2 Wend. 454 ; Mitchell v. Treanor, 56 Am. Dec. 421 ; Schoulder's Husband and Wife, § 109 and cases cited in notes 5, 6, 7 and 8. The record from which we are to determine this appeal not only fails to disclose even a scintilla of evidence to the effect that the goods sued for were supplied upon the husband’s credit but affirmatively shows that credit was given therefor to the wife. Accordingly the recovery was without adequate support by facts in evidence and the judgment should be reversed.

Judgment reversed and new trial ordered with costs to defendant to abide the event.

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