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No Fault Rule

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Facts: The plaintiff purchased an engagement ring given to the defendant as a proposal of marriage. The plaintiff broke off the engagement and asked for the ring back which the defendant refused to do. The district court ruled in favor of the plaintiff which the defendant appeals; affirmed.
Rule: When an engagement is broken, the donor is entitled to the return of the engagement ring, and the fault of who broke off the engagement is not relevant.
Issue: Whether an engagement ring is a conditional gift given in contemplation of marriage, and should the fault or no-fault rule be determined as to which parties’ is entitled to the engagement ring when the engagement is terminated?
Holding: Yes, an engagement ring is established as a conditional …show more content…

The engagement ring is established as a conditional gift and not as an Inter Vivos gift because an engagement ring is considered by its very nature a plan for marriage. The court states it is logical what an engagement ring intends to do. When the engagement is broken, the condition of the ring which is to marry is broken as well since the wedding did not happen. The fault or no-fault rule is determined as to who is entitled to the ring between the plaintiff and the defendant. The fault rule is if the plaintiff broke off the engagement unjustifiably, the ring cannot be returned to him. The no-fault rule which is the more modern trend that most courts follow is that fault is not relevant as to who broke off the engagement or why. Once the engagement is off, the ring must be returned to the donor which is the plaintiff in this case. The court determined that there is no need for justification as to why an engagement ended because there can be an endless list of possibility as to why that relationship failed. These factors can include a couple’s differences in hobbies, political views, untidy habits, religious differences, problems with in-laws and more which does not justify why that relationship ended, none of which is relevant to the no-fault rule. The court opinion towards a broken engagement states that it hurt pride, anger, and wounded egos which are agreeable but not the main persuasive factor to the court’s

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