Who keeps the engagement ring after a breakup? Massachusetts Supreme Court to decide

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BOSTON - Who gets to keep the ring if the engagement is called off? The man who bought the ring? Or the woman who received it?

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has taken up the case, hoping to settle the dispute with a former couple.

According to court documents obtained by FOX Television Stations, Bruce Johnson sued his former fiancé, Caroline Settino, in January 2018 to recover an engagement ring and two wedding bands.

The jewelry was bought from Tiffany's costing more than $70,000.

The proposal and the breakup

Johnson proposed to Settino in August 2017 and planned to have a wedding in September 2018.

However, Johnson claimed to have second thoughts after noticing Settino's behavior.

"He became cognizant of perceived verbal abuse by her," court documents revealed. "Defendant would verbally abuse the plaintiff in public—to the point where a waitress once came over to Johnson and told him, 'You know, you don’t have to put
up with that.'"

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"Defendant would call him a 'moron' and treat him like a child," court documents further revealed.

Johnson said he then looked through Settino's phone and found text messages she sent to another man, suggesting she was having an affair, according to court documents.

Settino denied she was having an affair.

Nevertheless, the engagement was called off.

Trial judge rules one way, appellate court overturns

A trial judge ruled that Settino could keep the ring given that Johnson ended the engagement on the false claim that she was having an affair. The judge also allowed Settino to keep the wedding band with her initials engraved on it, and Johnson was allowed to keep the wedding band with his initials engraved on it.

Johnson then appealed the ruling, overturning the trial judge's ruling and allowing the engagement ring and the wedding band to be returned to Johnson.

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Settino then appealed, bringing the case before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Massachusetts' top court enters the chat

Last week, the supreme justices heard the case.

According to Reuters, the case could scrap a precedent of a 1950s law and the notion that courts do not get involved in messy breakups.

The high court previously ruled that the giver of an engagement ring is entitled to its return so long as that person was not "at fault" for calling off the nuptials, according to the outlet.

Settino's attorney argued that the state supreme court should follow a Montana law that has a no-take-backs approach when it comes to couples and their gifts.

Johnson's lawyer argued if the court gets involved, they should treat the ring as a conditional gift, and it should be returned to the buyer, no matter who was at fault.

According to Reuters, Justice Dalila Wendlandt questioned if the ring was different from any other gifts couples give to each other.

"Why is it the ring?" the justice asked.

No word yet on when the supreme justices will rule.