In a significant move aligning with trends in other jurisdictions, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has revised its long-standing approach to the disposition of engagement rings following a broken engagement. The court determined that a $70,000 engagement ring must be returned to the donor irrespective of who is at fault for the relationship’s end. This decision, seen in the recent case of Johnson v. Settino, departs from the previous legal precedent established by DeCicco v. Barker, where fault determined ownership of such gifts.
Associate Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt, writing for the court, emphasized the shift towards a “no fault” standard, which has already been adopted in many states including New York and Ohio. Justice Wendlandt noted that the previous approach of attributing blame contradicted the basic purpose of an engagement period and modern public policy considerations.
While the court upheld the notion that an engagement ring remains a conditional gift contingent upon marriage—an aspect some view as outdated—Massachusetts has now officially aligned itself with the majority rule that eliminates fault from the equation. For more details on the decision, see the article on Law.com here.