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111 Pa. 66

Gould v. McFall

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania

Decided January 4, 1886

Supreme Court of Pennsylvania · decided 1886-01-04

2, of Allegheny county: Of October and November Term, 1885, No. 52. This was an action on a book account for groceries brought by Robert McFall against William L. Gould and Caroline Gould, his wife, before an alderman. The alderman gave judgment for the plaintiff for $25.26. Caroline Gould appealed. There was nothing in the alderman’s transcript to show a liability on part of the wife.

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently January 1902

1 state decisions

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1886-01-04

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Mr. Justice Gordon

¶1delivered the opinion of the court, January 4th, 1886.

¶2The 8th section of the Act of the 11th of April, 1848, provides : “ That judgment shall not be rendered against the wife in such joint action unless it shall have been proved that the debt sued for in such action was contracted, or incurred, for articles necessary for the support of the family of the said husband and wife.” As, according to the cases of Murray v. Keyes (11 Ca. 384), and Parke v. Kleeber (1 Wr. 251), the word “ or,” as found in the above recited section, must read “and,” there can be no judgment against a feme covert except on proof that the debt was contracted by the wife, “ and incurred for articles necessary for the support of the family of *68said husband and wife.” Now, as the judgment in the ease before us was rendered in the Common Pleas, on a motion for want of appearance, clearly the statutory proof was wanting, and the court had no warrant for its action. But more than this, the proceedings before the alderman were coram non judice, since her liability, as defined by the Act, nowhere appears on the face of his transcript. It follows that his judgment as to her was not merely .voidable, but absolutely void: Hecker v. Haak, 7 Nor. 238. There was, therefore, nothing in the Common Pleas which gave it jurisdiction over the person or estate of the married woman, defendant; for the appeal, being from a void judgment, it brought into that court nothing upon which it could act.

¶3The judgment of the Court of Common Pleas, so far as it affects Mrs. Gould, is now reversed and set aside.

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