Man sues ex-fiancée for $30,000 engagement ring

Cathy.C

Wondering what people's thoughts on this story are.

My fiancée dumped me and won’t return $30K ring

A Manhattan man is suing his ex-fiancée because she ended their engagement but won’t return the pricey, custom-made ring.

Philip Langer, 45, proposed to leggy blonde Ashley Jae Chesler, 43, just three months after they met in a Manhattan bar.

He thought he sealed the deal with a stunning sparkler that featured a 2.52 carat diamond surrounded by 34 rubies and another 55 smaller diamonds, according to court papers. Langer spent $30,000 to have it made.

Months have gone by — but Chesler allegedly still hasn’t returned the fancy piece of finger candy.

State law requires her to return the ring.

My own feelings would be that if it's the girl that ended the relationship, then she should return the ring (assuming the guy paid for it of course) but if the guy is the one that breaks it off, hard cheese, he should just hope that's it ends up being thrown at him

Sheep Lover

What a Langer

Avatar MIA

Langer :pac:

mittimitti

engagement is a legal contract if she breaks the contract she has to return the ring

that's how the law works

smash

Cathy.C wrote: »

My own feelings would be that if it's the girl that ended the relationship, then she should return the ring (assuming the guy paid for it of course) but if the guy is the one that breaks it off, hard cheese, he should just hope that's it ends up being thrown at him

State law requires her to return the ring.

Well it's right there. She has to give it back.

valoren

$30k for a ring on someone you 'know' a mere three months??

A fool and his money eh.

HeidiHeidi

valoren wrote: »

$30k for a ring on someone you 'know' a mere three months??

A fool and his money eh.

Ah, but she was a "leggy blonde". What was he supposed to do?

Mr. Incognito

Give it back.

What a cnut

silverharp

it will cost her more in the long run , any employer or any future man that wants to date her that googles her will rate her as untrustworthy. Even if she gives it back now it will only be on the basis of social pressure. the guy had a lucky escape in reality, $30K is cheaper than finding out later if they had married.

Hans Bricks

I think I've said it here before. I just can't wrap my head around the value people place on shiny rocks dug from the ground by some half starved peasant in West Africa.

beach_walker

True love is a ring from a Halloween brack.

AnonoBoy

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Ah, but she was a "leggy blonde". What was he supposed to do?

He should probably just say goodbye..... leggy blonde.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCub8r1T5Rs

Flatzie_poo

It's a conditional gift, and any court will order it be given back.

It's up to her whether she wants to keep the ring and give him the value in cash - or vice versa.

It takes a lifetime to truly get to know someone - anyone who spends €30k on an engagement ring after 3 months should be committed.

(No pun intended) :pac:

El_Dangeroso

I've seen enough Judge Judy to know that an engagement ring is a gift given in contemplation of marriage. No marriage, no ring.

Estrellita

I will never understand why large amounts of money needs to be spent on engagement rings. It's supposed to be symbol or token of intention to marry, cost shouldn't matter.

If that's what she's like with the ring, he may have dodged a bullet there not marrying her. Irrespective of who broke it off, a ring that valuable should be returned.

CarrickMcJoe

Estrellita wrote: »

I will never understand why large amounts of money needs to be spent on engagement rings. It's supposed to be symbol or token of intention to marry, cost shouldn't matter.

If that's what she's like with the ring, he may have dodged a bullet there not marrying her. Irrespective of who broke it off, a ring that valuable should be returned.

You're a keeper.....

Cathy.C

El_Dangeroso wrote: »

I've seen enough Judge Judy to know that an engagement ring is a gift given in contemplation of marriage. No marriage, no ring.

Estrellita wrote: »

Irrespective of who broke it off, a ring that valuable should be returned.

Unless the man is clown enough to send a text message suggesting otherwise before taking the woman to court

Judge: Ex-Fiancee Can Keep $53,000 Diamond Ring

A text message to his jilted fiancee has cost a New York man $53,000.

Louis Billittier Jr. broke up with his bride-to-be in 2012, sending the bad news by text message. When his girlfriend, Christa Clark, replied angrily, "Your doing this through a text message???," he texted back, "Plus you get a $50,000 parting ring. Enough for a down payment on a house."

Those fateful words convinced a state Supreme Court judge that the ring was no longer involved in a marriage contract, but was now a "parting gift."

Billittier had sued Clark to get the ring back. But the Buffalo News reports that Judge Russell Buscaglia ruled last week that Clark was entitled to the white gold, 2.97-carat diamond ring or its fair market value.

Billittier, a restaurateur, and Clark, a nail technician, had been engaged 14 months, according to the paper. Billittier called off the wedding when Clark refused to sign a prenuptial agreement.

Estrellita

Cathy.C wrote: »

Unless the man is clown enough to send a text message suggesting otherwise before taking the woman to court

I see that he shot himself in the foot there though I don't know how she could keep it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself..

smash

CarrickMcJoe wrote: »

You're a keeper.....

They're a realist.

I don't get engagement rings. Surely its a scam.

K-9

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Ah, but she was a "leggy blonde". What was he supposed to do?

A
stunning sparkler as well, sorry that was the ring.

If it went to court I'd get them to auction it for charity. If I was Judge Judy that is.

HensVassal

Estrellita wrote: »

I see that he shot himself in the foot there though I don't know how she could keep it. I wouldn't be able to live with myself..

I would imagine she would sell/auction it and swan off with 50 grand.

ahnowbrowncow

HensVassal wrote: »

I would imagine she would sell/auction it and swan off with 50 grand.

She'd probably be lucky to get 5 grand back, engagement rings' value usually plummet once they've been bought.

Estrellita

HensVassal wrote: »

I would imagine she would sell/auction it and swan off with 50 grand.

Well in that case she better enjoy it while it lasts. Not any man with an ounce of sense would go near her . For anything more than sex, that is.

seamus

How do people this stupid get their hands on this kind of money?

pickarooney

seamus wrote: »

How do people this stupid get their hands on this kind of money?

Just have no scruples.

qo2cj1dsne8y4k

That's a ridiculous amount of money to spend on someone you know 3 months.
That said, it's a gift and I wouldn't personally expect a gift to be returned if it was given in good faith.

If myself and my partner break up I'm keeping the ring although it's nowhere near the value of the one in the OP.

osarusan

LexieOnRale wrote: »

That said, it's a gift and I wouldn't personally expect a gift to be returned if it was given in good faith.

If myself and my partner break up I'm keeping the ring although it's nowhere near the value of the one in the OP.

The law says otherwise though.

It's a gift with conditions, and needs to be returned (if requested) if the engagement is broken. This can be challenged though, probably in cases similar to the one mentioned earlier.

Samaris

I think the one in the OP should definitely return the ring (not to mention the law demands it), but that one linked on page 2 (Billitier and Clark), nah, he decontracted the ring when he said in the text that it was now a parting ring. I also don't think that that should have any effect on her future or what other people think of her. I dunno that I'd keep it myself even so, tbh. Take your damn ring and get thee hence!

Also, what sort of tool breaks off an engagement by text?

Recently got engaged there myself. No ring, we don't have money to waste on things like that and I'm an unsentimental sort anyway. But fiance did give me a recurve bow for a birthday present and we joke that it's an engagement bow. If we broke it off, I don't think I'd be returning that :P

osarusan wrote: »

The law says otherwise though.

It's a gift with conditions, and needs to be returned (if requested) if the engagement is broken. This can be challenged though, probably in cases similar to the one mentioned earlier.

It's the law in -that state- though. Dunno what the situation is here in Ireland.

KikiDee

When me and my partner split, I gave back the ring. There was no question of it. It was nowhere near 30K but the cost didn't matter. It was the sentiment and the sentiment was no longer there so it had to go back to it's rightful owner, the person who bought it.

osarusan

Samaris wrote: »

It's the law in -that state- though. Dunno what the situation is here in Ireland.

Same in Ireland.

When 2 people who are engaged give gifts (including an engagement ring) to each other, there is a presumption that they are given on the condition that the gifts will be returned (if requested to), should the engagement end. If one of the engaged couple dies, however, it is presumed the gifts the deceased gave were given without any conditions. So, the surviving fiancé(e) can keep the gifts. It is possible to contest either of these presumptions in court if there is evidence to the contrary.

Otherwise people could be deceiving 'partners' out of such gifts all the time.