When Colette DiPierro called off her wedding last September, she returned everything to her fiance, 25-year-old Christopher Reinhold -- everything, that is, except her $17,500 diamond engagement ring, shown in the photo at left.Since the Staten Island, N.Y., native is clinging to her bling, now her ex is taking her to court.
Reinhold filed a lawsuit against the 28-year-old physician's assistant, claiming that no walk down the aisle means the ring, or its cost plus damages -- which totals about $18,000 -- should revert to him. And, in the eyes of the law, engagement rings are viewed as a binding contract: If the terms of the contract (in this case, marriage) aren't fulfilled, ladies are supposed to return the item.
But DiPierro is fighting back, on the grounds that Reinhold proposed on her birthday. (Hint: If the ring is an outright gift, there's no legal recourse.)
DiPierro has broken off an engagement before, but did give that ring back, she says, and the two remain friends. Reinhold, she maintains, skipped out on paying rent and bills while the two were living together, and the band is simply reimbursement.
"If I get what's owed to me, then I'd give the ring back because it doesn't mean anything to me," she told PIX 11.
All right, ladies, get out your brass knuckles and let's discuss: Who gets to keep the sparkler?
More ill-fated weddings on Lemondrop:
+ "I Called Off My Wedding" -- Three Women's Real-Life Stories
+ Couple Spends Wedding Night in Jail After Bride Tries to Rub Out Ex
+ Britain's Unluckiest Bride and Groom Tie the Knot
+ Lost Wedding Rings Are Found in Some of the Weirdest Places
+ Swedish Royal Wedding Called Off on Account of Cheating Fiance
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Comments:
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Monday 03 May
By Drew
Wow. They both sound like whackjobs. How about they sell the ring, pay off the debts they owe, and the guy keeps whatever's leftover. Neither should profit.
Reply
Tuesday 04 May
By James
So if I stole $17,000 from you, but I then gave the money back, that $17,000 is profit?" You really didnt think too long before you posted, did you?
Tuesday 04 May
By We shoulda known better
Anyone who thinks YOU don't have to give the ring back is WRONG. Myself and daughter are in the middle of the samething right now. When a ring is given, its given with the intent of getting married. Unless of course the ring is given on a special occaision such as B-day or Christmas etc. We are holding onto the ring untill "OTHER" matters are taken care of. The engagement was broken 6 weeks prior to the wedding by her ex. Our own lawyer and others i have spoken too have all agreed that the ring must be returned...For ANYONE that is about to get engaged, they NOW have Insurance you can purchase to protect BOTH sides should something go wrong and chances are good that something WIll go wrong. So for anyone ABOUT to get engaged see what you are libal for and Please look into purchasing INSURANCE...Its well worth the few hundred bucks when you think of what a wedding these days can cost..
Tuesday 04 May
By ashleigh
I think that's a reasonable solution, Drew...
Usually, though, broken engagement etiquette says that if the GROOM calls off the wedding, then the bride-to-be gets to keep the ring as a consolation, but, if the BRIDE calls off the wedding, then she must return it to the groom-to-be, so he can sell it to pay off the bill for it...
But I agree with you, that if he has debts he owed her, then the ring should be sold, she should get paid for whatever he owed her out of that sale, and then he can keep the rest of the money to pay off the bill that is probably on his credit card for that ring, so his heart doesn't have to break even more!
Tuesday 04 May
By Cappy Lills Kid
your 100% correct - what a couple of deadbeats
When he presented the ring to her on her birthday, did he say?
happy birthday ?
or will u marry me?
Logic tells me it's the latter -- he gets the ring & i hope they pay off their debts.
Tuesday 04 May
By frenchy
its his ring stupid....
Tuesday 04 May
By Kathy
Good solution. But if they went on Judge Judy and she made it, neither would end up in debt.
Tuesday 04 May
By Simzee
He's only staying "friends" with her for the ring.
Tuesday 04 May
By Sieben
How about suing her GREEDY ass and getting the ring back. A engagement ring by law must be returned if the wedding doesn't take place ,its a CONTRACT
Tuesday 04 May
By Kathy
The $17K ring is probably WHY he couldn't afford rent and bills. Give it back to him and let each learn a lesson: If you can't afford something, don't buy it. If you don't want to share your life, don't even think of getting married.
Monday 03 May
By k
1) rings are not contracts. It was GIVEN to her, it's hers.
2) I can't imagine why she'd want to keep it and it's more lady-like to give it back.
so, shame on him for suing for it, very tacky. Shame on her for trying to keep it.
Reply
Tuesday 04 May
By Fuck AOL
Didn't you read the article: Engagement rings are contracts!
Tuesday 04 May
By KIm
come on I'm a woman and I dont even believe that, u greedy B*****
Tuesday 04 May
By Steve
You are messed up. The ring, when given comes with the "will you marry darling"? The ring is accepted with the woman crying and saying "yes"! Contract ... get it? The contract gets fulfilled when the woman who said yes actually completes the act by getting married. The day of marriage correlates to her happiest day yet, as she is done giving bl------bs!
Tuesday 04 May
By chris
an engagement ring is a conditional gift. getting a marriage proposal on your birthday does not make the ring a gift. ring = marriage. no marriage no ring
Tuesday 04 May
By ashleigh
It was given to her as a symbol of the PROMISE TO MARRY!
HE did NOT reneg on that promise, SHE did, therefore, she needs to give it back! Now, if HE had broken the promise to marry her, she should be allowed to keep it, as her promise would still be intact...
In this case, SHE broke the promise, however, he owes her money for bills, so that ring should be sold, she should get what's owed her, and the rest should go to him...
This business of it being a birthday present, or a Christmas present, or a Groundhog's Day presesnt or whatever is beyond feeble! It IS a gift of sorts, but tied exclusively to the PROMISE OF MARRIAGE... She is Breaking her promise to marry him, therefore, she doesn't deserve to keep it at all! And like I said earlier, if HE broke the promise to marry her, then she could keep the ring...
Tuesday 04 May
By Brenda
It was ONLY given to her IF she married him. She wouldnt have gotten it IF she would have told him no RIGHT THEN would she? When she said NO...BEFORE the wedding...it NO LONGER was HERS...because SHE called off the wedding.
If HE would have called it off......then MAYBE she would have a gripe...(but most times NOT EVEN then) but he didnt.. SHE DID. Just becaue the proposal comes on a "special occasion" doesnt mean squat. He didn't propose a birthday event or a christmas event...he PROPOSED a WEDDING event!
With YOUR logic...women have a right to SAY yes...just to get the ring...and then call it off the next day JUST TO KEEP THE RING! Thats INSANE.
Women with THIS attitude are worthless gold diggers. He SHOULD be happy he found out NOW...and run for his life with an attitude of gratitude for not WASTING HIS TIME on THIS type of woman. ANY woman with ANY class AT ALL WOULD GIVE THE RING BACK NO MATTER WHAT!
Tuesday 04 May
By chilll31
Engagement off, give the damn ring back!!!!!
Only a selfish, vindictive bitch would try to keep the ring. If he owes you money, take his ass to court.
BTW, she will lose in court.
Tuesday 04 May
By Natosha
I was always told its who ever calls off the engagment as to who gets the ring. From a legal point of view if the woman calls it off she is supposed to give the ring back, if the man calls it off she is supposed to keep the ring. so goin by contract laws in this state she should give the ring back. and why would she want to keep it? probably to pawn it and she cant because she is stuck in a legal battle with it.
Tuesday 04 May
By Juana
Tacky to want something valued at 17K back when it wasn't a gift in the first place? Not.....When he asked her to marry him, the ring was given as a promise of marriage. She broke that promise when she called off the wedding.. Had he asked her on Valentines Day instead of her birthday, would she still say that it was a gift? She needs to give back the ring and keep it stepping. Apparently she is use to breaking off engagements. Perhaps she just needs to remain single until she matures.