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Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is the law of this state that a man
when he enters into the marriage relation takes upon himself the duty of
supplying his wife with necessaries and if through his own fault he does not,
the wife by reason of the marriage relation has the implied authority as his
agent to procure such necessaries and the husband is responsible for what is
so supplied. If the husband refuses to furnish necessaries to his wife, she
may secure them elsewhere and he is liable under the law.
However, one who sells goods to a wife can recover from the husband only
upon proof that the husband authorized the purchase or that he refused or
neglected to provide a suitable support for his wife and that the goods sold
were, in fact, necessaries. The term necessaries in this regard is not
limited to articles of food and clothing required to preserve life or
personal decency, but includes such articles of utility or ornament as are
suitable to maintain the wife according to her husband's station in life.
Now the plaintiff claims that the goods furnished were for necessaries
and that same has not been paid for. When a person renders services or
furnishes money or goods to another with the ladder's knowledge and consent,
the law presumes that the person for whom such service is worked performed or
goods and money furnished intends to pay for the same. When a person claims
that such goods and money were furnished voluntarily the burden of proof less
upon such person to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that such goods
and money were furnished without expectations of compensation or that the
same were not to be paid for and even though there was no contract of sale,
the presumption is that payment was intended.
Knowledge to the wife in this case would be knowledge to the husband if
the transactions with the plaintiff were for necessaries of life in as much
as the wife is by implication of law, the agent of the husband in procuring
necessaries for herself. The plaintiff cannot recover in this case except
for the funeral expenses which are admitted, unless he expected to be paid
for the goods and monies furnished by him. So, if you find he gave these
allege necessaries to defendant's wife and expected no compensation, then he
could not recover except the funeral expenses.
The burden of proof rests upon the plaintiff in this case to prove by the
preponderance of the evidence what goods and money he actually furnished to
the defendant's wife and that such goods and money were necessaries for said
wife, and used by her as such and what the value of said goods and money was,
and that defendant failed to supply necessaries to his wife. If you find
that the goods and money so furnished were necessaries and the defendant
failed to suitably provide for his wife, the amounts you find to be the value
of the goods and money so furnished will be the amount that the plaintiff
will be entitled to recover in this case.
Unless you find under the rules given you that the plaintiff did not
expect compensation. To briefly sum up the issues, if you find under the
rules given you from the evidence that the plaintiff furnished necessaries
to the defendant's wife as claimed by him, and that such necessaries were not
furnished gratuitously, and that defendant failed to suitably provide for his
wife then you will find a verdict in plaintiffs favor for the amount you find
him entitled to.
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