Legal Definitions - vouchee

The term vouchee refers to a person who is brought into a legal proceeding by another party, typically because the first party claims the vouchee is responsible for a warranty or title. This primary legal use of the term is largely historical and is rarely encountered in modern legal practice. More broadly, though less commonly in a strictly legal context, a vouchee can also refer to a person cited as an authority to support a particular fact or claim.

Historically, in a legal context, a vouchee was:

• A person formally summoned into court by a defendant, who claimed that the vouchee was obligated to defend the defendant's title to property or to fulfill a warranty related to goods.
• Less commonly, a person whose expertise or statement was cited as an authority to support a particular fact or claim made by another party.

Here are some examples illustrating the historical application of the term in legal proceedings:

• Example 1: Land Title Dispute

  Imagine a scenario in the 17th century where Mr. Henderson purchased a plot of land from Ms. Albright. Years later, a third party, Mr. Davies, initiates a lawsuit against Mr. Henderson, asserting that he is the rightful owner of a portion of that land. Mr. Henderson, relying on the warranty of title he received from Ms. Albright when he acquired the property, would formally "vouch" Ms. Albright into the lawsuit. In this situation, Ms. Albright would be the vouchee, as she is being brought into the court proceedings by Mr. Henderson to defend the title she originally conveyed.

• Example 2: Warranty of Goods

  Consider a case where a furniture maker, Mrs. Petrov, bought a large consignment of timber from a supplier, Mr. Chen, who provided a guarantee of its durability and quality. When Mrs. Petrov used the timber to construct furniture for a client, the wood proved to be defective, leading the client to sue Mrs. Petrov for damages. Mrs. Petrov, asserting that Mr. Chen is ultimately responsible for the faulty material due to his warranty, would "vouch" Mr. Chen into the legal action. Here, Mr. Chen would be the vouchee, as Mrs. Petrov is bringing him into the dispute to enforce his original guarantee regarding the goods.