Chap. 1139.—An ACT in relation to the property rights of married women,
declaring how they may acquire and dispose of property; make contracts,
sue and be sued; and to amend sections 2291, 2293, 2294, and 2296, chapter
103 of the code of Virginia; and to repeal sections 2284, 2285, 2286, 2287,
oe hance i 2292, and 2295 as amended by acts of 1895 and 1896 on page

thereof.

Approved March 7, 1900.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That a married
woman shall have the right to acquire, hold, use, control, and dispose
of property, as if she were unmarried, and such power of use, control,
and disposition shall apply to all property of a married woman hereto-
fore or hereafter acquired: provided, however, that her husband shall be
entitled to curtesy in her real estate when the common law requisites
therefor exist, and he shall not be deprived thereof by her sole act; but
the right to curtesy shall not entitle him to the possession or use, or to
the rents, issues, and profits of said real estate during the coverture;
nor shall the property of the wife be subject to the debts or liabilities
of the husband.

2. A marricd woman may contract and be contracted with, sue and be
sued, in the same manner and with the same consequences as if she were
unmarried, whether the right or liability asserted by or against her shall
have accrued before or after the passage of this act.

3. A husband shall not be responsible for any contract, lability, or

tort of his wife, whether the contract or liability was incurred or the tort
was cominitted before or after marriage.
§ 2291. When a woman is a minor at the time of her marriage, and
is then entitled to any estate, or during her coverture, and while a
minor, becomes entitled to any estate, she shall not during coverture, and
while a minor, have the control and management of such estate: but
the circuit court of the county, or the circuit or corporation court of
the corporation whercin she resides, or the said real estate, or any part
thereof is, or the judge of the said court in vacation, shall, on the
petition of her next friend, commit her said estate to a receiver, who shall
give bond before the court or Judge, and shall hold and manage the said
estate, and pay out the rents, issues, profits, and income thereof to her
use under the direction of the court, or apply the estate, or anv part
thereof, if the court so order, to her use during coverture, and while she
is a minor; and upon her attaining the age of twenty-one years, all such
estates and the rents, issues, income, and profits thereof, not before paid
out or applied as aforesaid, shall be delivered into her possession; or, if
she die before attaining that age, the same shall be delivered at her
death to those entitled thereto.

The scisin requisite for the hushand’s curtesy in the wife’s real estate,
committed to a receiver shall, for the purpose of curtesy, be presumed,
if there could have been such seisin, had not the real estate been so com-
mitted.

$2293. When a married woman, having title to any estate, dics
intestate, as to the said estate, or any part thereof, it, or such part, shall
pass according to the provisions of chapter one hundred and thirteen,
subject to her debts, and to the curtesy of her husband, should he
survive her.

§ 2294. Nothing contained in the preceding'sections of this act shall
be construed to prevent the creation of equitable separate estates, and
they shall be held according to the provisions of the instrument by
which they are respectively created.

§ 2296. If a husband wilfully deserts or abandons his wife, and such
desertion or abandonment continues until her death, he shall be barred
of all interest in her estate as tenant by the curtesy, distributee, or
otherwise.

4. Sections twenty-two hundred and eighty-four, twenty-two hundred
and eighty-five, twenty-two hundred and eighty-six, twenty-two hundred
and eighty-seven, twenty-two hundred and eighty-cight, twenty-two
hundred and eighty-nine, twenty-two hundred and ninety, twenty-two
hundred and ninety-two, and twenty-two hundred and ninety-five, as
amended by the act of eighteen hundred and ninety-five and six, be, and
the same are hereby, repealed.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.