Credit Bureau Enterprises, Inc. v. Pelo

Pelo (defendant) purchased a shotgun and threatened self-harm to his wife by phone; police brought him to a hospital, and a magistrate found him seriously mentally impaired and likely to harm himself, entering a 48-hour emergency hospitalization order under which he received care from January 8-13. Pelo refused to pay or authorize insurance payment for the resulting medical charges, and the hospital's assigned claim, pursued by Credit Bureau Enterprises (plaintiff), was upheld by the small claims court and district court; Pelo appealed.