This is the end of several years of procrastination in Massachusetts. The Supreme Court of this state in the northeastern United States ruled and determined this Friday, November 8, that an engagement ring must be returned by the future bride in the event of separation before the union, reports Reuters.
Since 2018, the case has been between Bruce Johnson and Caroline Settino, two Americans who broke up before getting married. They were engaged, and the man had offered a ring from the famous jewelry store Tiffany & Co during his proposal, worth 70,000 dollars (around 65,000 euros). The ex-spouses asked the courts to decide on the fate of the jewelry, which the man wanted to recover.
The ex-fiancé ended their relationship in 2017 after coming across text messages between the young woman and another man. Bruce Johnson suspected his fiancée of having an affair with this person, which she always denied throughout the proceedings. She mentions “a long-time friend”.
At first instance, the courts determined that the young man was mistaken in assuming adultery and then held him responsible for the separation, which led to his requests being dismissed. But on appeal, an opposite decision was rendered, which led to referral to the Supreme Court.
In rendering its decision, the highest court of Massachusetts declared that it was reviewing its jurisprudence regarding the return of rings: it now joins the “modern trend” of states which today consider an engagement ring as a gift which must be returned to the person who offered it, summarizes Reuters. Although this case has been running for 6 years, it puts an end to 65 years of contradictory decisions on the subject in Massachusetts.
The ex-fiancee's lawyer, Nicholas Rosenberg, expressed disappointment in a statement that “the idea of an engagement ring as a gift that must be returned is based on outdated notions.”
