Case ID: ohio-law-abs_5/html/0402-01.html
Source: Caselaw Access Project
Author: {"author": "MARSHALL, C. J.", "license": "Public Domain", "url": "https://static.case.law/"}
Date Created: 2024-08-24T03:29:51.129683

No. 468
    No. 20360
    Zora E. Johnson v. Rose J. Wolford.
    Error to the Court of Appeals of Stark county.
    748. MARRIAGE — Where F. in good faith marries J. the marriage being void because J. is lawfully married to M. at the time, the-later death of M. and the continued cohabitation of F. and J. after the death of M. establishes a valid common law marriage between F. and J. even though the death of M. was not known to F. and J.
   MARSHALL, C. J.

Where F., innocently and in good faith enters into a ceremonial marriage with J., which is vbid when contracted because J. has at the time a valid and subsisting contract of marriage with .M., the removal of the impediment to such marriage by the death of M., and the continued cohabitation between F. and J. after the death of M., operate as a ratification and a validation of such marriage as to F. from the date of the death of M., though the death of M. may not have been known to F. and J.; the intent and actual agreement to be married which inhered in the ceremonial marriage innocently contracted by F. will be imputed by the law to the cohabitation after the death of M. so as to establish a valid marriage at common law.

Judgment reversed and judgment for plaintiff in error.

Day, Allen, Jones and Matthias, JJ., concur.