diff --git a/ares/client.rb b/ares/client.rb
index 1f61423..993fff3 100644
--- a/ares/client.rb
+++ b/ares/client.rb
@@ -8,6 +8,14 @@ class Person < ActiveResource::Base
   def family
     Family.find(self.surname.downcase)
   end
+
+  def family=(family_surname)
+    self.surname = family_surname
+    Family.find(family_surname)
+  rescue StandardError => e
+    STDERR.puts("#{e.class.name}:#{e.message}\n#{e.backtrace.join("\n")}")
+    Family.create(surname: family_surname.downcase)
+  end
 end
 
 class Family < ActiveResource::Base
diff --git a/ares/server/helpers.py b/ares/server/helpers.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e9fa97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ares/server/helpers.py
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+import json
+
+def json_loads_from_request(request):
+    raw = request.body.s_iter.read(int(request.headers['Content-Length']))
+    return json.loads(raw)
diff --git a/ares/www/families.json b/ares/www/families.json
index bac3005..14caee7 100644
--- a/ares/www/families.json
+++ b/ares/www/families.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import json
 from server.families import Families
+from server.helpers import json_loads_from_request
 
 __families__ = Families()
 
@@ -8,9 +8,7 @@ __families__ = Families()
 if GET:
     response.body = __families__.getall()
 elif POST:
-    family = json.loads(
-        request.body.s_iter.read(int(request.headers['Content-Length']))
-    )['family']
+    family = json_loads_from_request(request)['family']
     family_id = __families__.add(family)
     response.headers['Location'] = '/families/{}.json'.format(family_id)
     family['id'] = family_id
diff --git a/ares/www/people.json b/ares/www/people.json
index b95c5df..e45c9a8 100644
--- a/ares/www/people.json
+++ b/ares/www/people.json
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-import json
 from server.people import People
-from aspen import Response
+from server.helpers import json_loads_from_request
 
 __people__ = People()
 
@@ -9,12 +8,11 @@ __people__ = People()
 if GET:
     response.body = __people__.getall()
 elif POST:
-    person = json.loads(
-        request.body.s_iter.read(int(request.headers['Content-Length']))
-    )['person']
+    person = json_loads_from_request(request)['person']
     person_id = __people__.add(person)
     response.headers['Location'] = '/people/{}.json'.format(person_id)
-    response.body = {}
-    raise Response(201)
+    person['id'] = person_id
+    response.body = person
+    response.code = 201
 
 # vim:filetype=python