I Do...Not.

An acquaintance of mine recently found herself loathing the man to whom she was betrothed, and, in planning to break off the engagement, she wondered whether she would have to return the gorgeous ring he had given her. Today, while I was researching something entirely different at work, I came across her answer.

In Crippen v. Campbell, the facts were the following: Man proposed to Woman, at which time he placed an engagement ring on Woman's finger. At some point the engagement came to an end (the opinion does not reflect who broke it off), and Man requested that Woman return the ring. When she refused, he filed a lawsuit to recover it.

Both parties filed motions for summary judgment (basically asking the trial court to dispose of the case in their favor without holding a trial, because the facts are such that no jury could find for the other party), and the trial court granted Woman's motion, noting that the "gift" from Man to Woman was final upon Woman's acceptance, regardless of what happened thereafter.

Man appealed. The Tennessee Court of Appeals reversed and granted summary judgment in his favor, finding that an engagement ring is an impliedly conditional gift and is completed only upon marriage. Thus, if a marriage does not ensue, Man (or whoever gave the other person a ring) is entitled to the return of the ring.

Conclusion: Woman had to give it back.

So, Guys, if you've been dumped by your fiance (or even if you've dumped her, I suppose) and she's refusing to give back the ring, you do have legal recourse. Ladies, if you're hoping to sell the ring or make it into a lovely necklace, you had better hope that your ex doesn't know the law.*



*Disclaimer/C.Y.A.: Any opinions expressed herein are those of the author and should not be relied on without further assistance of counsel.