Pennsylvania law: Keeping the ring if you break up

[Madam Bijoux]

From today's Philadelphia Inquirer LINK

A precious lesson in Pa. law By Mario F. Cattabiani Inquirer Staff Writer

What she wants you to know is this: It's his ring until you're hitched, so says the law in Pennsylvania.

Grace, a 46-year-old construction manager from Philadelphia, is learning that the hard way, and she might pay dearly.
In December 2004, a mutual friend introduced Grace to Mario Mele, a former Montgomery County commissioner.

In the spring, he gave her a whopper of a ring - an eye-popping 2 1/3-carat, flawless princess-cut diamond set in hand-crafted platinum...>



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[AndyRosse]

Yup, I did a memo on this exact question last year. Many states have case law like PA, saying the ring is a conditional gift. Others say that it is a gift unless the man specifically lets the woman know that the ring is conditional upon marriage. I''m sure there are countless other variations too.

 

[moon river]

My law is PRY IT OFF MY DEAD STIFF HAND!!!!

 

[Mara]

sorry but she''s a big dumbass for giving away her ~20k in rings after he said that she could never wear another ring but his...that would have been a big red flag for me...here''s a ring, but you can NEVER wear another ring in your life? controlling much?

next!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 2/14/2006 2:39:48 PM
Author: Mara
sorry but she''s a big dumbass for giving away her ~20k in rings after he said that she could never wear another ring but his...that would have been a big red flag for me...here''s a ring, but you can NEVER wear another ring in your life? controlling much?

next!

I completely agree Mara. If ANY guy told me that my other rings had to go - so would he!

 

[fire&ice]

a prenup for the engagement ring?

 

[sylvesterii]

Date: 2/14/2006 1:26:01 PM
Author: Rascal49
Yup, I did a memo on this exact question last year. Many states have case law like PA, saying the ring is a conditional gift. Others say that it is a gift unless the man specifically lets the woman know that the ring is conditional upon marriage. I''m sure there are countless other variations too.

me too... except i had to write about ohio law, because it was split in the ohio courts of appeal. but pretty much every state says it is a conditional gift that must be returned sans the wedding.

 

[Momoftwo]

A lot of people still think whoever gets broke up with keeps the ring. There's apparently a lot of precedent out there to say it's conditional upon marriage. Now, after marriage, that's a different story. I have a friend who gave her 2 ct back after her divorce because it had been in her exes family for years. I thought that was appropriate for that, but not the norm.