Fowler v. Perry
Court of Appeals of Indiana
830 N.E.2d 97 (2005)
Fowler (plaintiff) and Perry (defendant) had a child together while unmarried, and Fowler gave Perry a $5,499 engagement ring. About a year later, Perry moved to another state with their child while Fowler stayed behind to finish school; before he could join them, Perry ended the relationship. Fowler never asked for the ring back at the time; Perry later had it stolen while trying to pawn it and collected $5,000 in insurance proceeds. Fowler sued to recover the ring's value, and the trial court ruled for Perry.
Whether, when a man gives a woman an engagement ring and she ends the relationship before marriage occurs, the man is entitled to recover the ring's value regardless of who was at fault for the breakup.