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Legg v. LeggLegg v. Legg

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Sep 15, 1811
Reporters:
By the Court.

We cannot judicially take notice of the laws of Vermont. By our own law, marriage ‍​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍is an absolute gift to the husband of all the wife’s personal chattels in possession ; and so it is also of choses in action, if he reduces them into ‍​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍possession by receiving or recovering them at law. But on the dissolution of the marriage, either by the death of the husband, or by a divorce a vinculo, choses in ‍​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍action, not reduced to possession during the coverture, remain the property of the wife. We must presume the laws of Vermont to be similar to ours on this subject, unless the ‍​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍contrary is regularly shown. Parole evidence respecting the grounds of the judgment of the court, in awarding alimony to the plaintiff, was very properly rejected by the judge ‍​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‍at the trial: his direction was correct, and the verdict must stand.

Judgment on the verdict.

Case Details

Case Name: Legg v. Legg
Court Name: Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
Date Published: Sep 15, 1811
Citation: 8 Mass. 99
Court Abbreviation: Mass.
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