Tennessee Court's Common Sense Ruling

I think this sort of thing used to be a given in society...if a woman agreed to marry a man and accepted the engagement ring - than later broke it off, she returned the ring.

But my have the times changed...here's a story from The Tennessean:

Court: engagement rings must go back to giver

By SHEILA BURKE
Staff Writer

Don’t hock that engagement ring just yet.

If you don’t get married, you’re not entitled to keep the ring, the Tennessee Court of Appeals said Monday.

In a ruling that appears to be the first appellate decision of its kind in the state, the court said that if the wedding is canceled, the person who gave the engagement ring is entitled to get it back.

“In summary, we hold that an engagement ring is given in contemplation of marriage, and as such, is impliedly a conditional gift,” the unanimous opinion, written by Judge Charles D. Susano, said.

If the marriage doesn’t take place, “the engagement ring goes back to the one who gave it.”

The decision stems from a legal battle over an engagement ring that began in a Knox County court. The ruling involves a woman who is a reporter for WSMV in Nashville.

On Christmas Day 2005, Jason Crippen placed an engagement ring on Catharyn Campbell’s finger and proposed marriage.

After the couple broke up, Crippen asked for the ring back; Campbell would not give it to him.

I can't believe this guy actually had to go to court and pay through the nose to get his ex-fiance to return a ring when she no longer wanted to marry him.

Regardless, he should be glad they broke up now, instead of marrying this obvious gold digger...because she could have taken him for A LOT more than just a few grand for a diamond engagement ring.