Court Opinion

ID: 9664542
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 00:21:02.971756+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:15:07.125840
License: Public Domain

HAYDEN, Judge
(dissenting).
I respectfully dissent.
The additional factual background in this case is John had given Janan a pin that belonged to his grandmother. He told Jan-an explicitly the pin was to be returned to him if they ever broke up. Later when John gave her the ring he placed no conditions on it when she received it. The trial *673court weighed and considered this evidence. The trial court ruled John had ended the engagement and had placed no conditions on the ring as he had done on the heirloom pin.
The question before us in this case is was the ring a gift conditioned on marriage or was the ring an unconditional gift. The Iowa Supreme Court has stated what the appropriate burden of proof should be when it is claimed there is a conditional gift:
If an unqualified transfer to the donee is proved, one asserting the delivery was made on some condition or trust has the burden of establishing such condition or trust.
Frederick v. Shorman, 259 Iowa 1050, 1056, 147 N.W.2d 478, 482 (1966). Thus, if the gift elements are proven, John has the burden of proof to show the gift was conditioned on marriage.
The three essential elements for an inter vivos gift are donative intent, delivery and acceptance. Raim v. Stancel, 339 N.W.2d 621, 623 (Iowa App.1983); Gray v. Roth, 438 N.W.2d 25, 29 (Iowa App.1989). There is no question there has been a delivery and an acceptance. In this situation John actually handed the ring to Janan on November 25, 1987, and she accepted it and kept the ring in her possession. The remaining question is what was John’s intent at the time he gave Janan the ring.
The donative intent of the grantor is the controlling consideration. Raim, 339 N.W.2d at 623. The donor must make an actual transfer and pass all rights and dominion over the gift to the donee. Varvaris v. Varvaris, 255 Iowa 800, 803, 124 N.W.2d 163, 165 (1963). An inter vivos gift operates immediately and irrevocably. Id.
In this case the intention of John was evident from the testimony presented. Janan was responsible for the purchase and payment of the insurance on the ring. Also the ring was referred to by the parties at all times as “her ring.” Finally, a demand for the return of the ring was not made until nearly 30 days after John called off the engagement. Thus, it is evident the requirements for a gift were completed unless a condition was proved otherwise.
If John had imposed a condition of marriage on the gift of the ring, such a requirement must have been explicit and known. One court has noted in light of the intricacies of the parties in such situations, “it is not unduly harsh to require that such a reservation be expressed and clearly understood by donee at the time of delivery of the gift.” Coconis v. Christakis, 70 Ohio Misc. 29, 435 N.E.2d 100, 102 (W.D.Ohio 1981). Thus, if John had wanted such a condition on the gift, he should have made this known and clearly understood at the time he gave possession of the ring to Janan.
There is evidence John was aware of the need to clearly express such a condition when giving this type of a gift. John had made a condition of marriage a requirement for a previous gift of heirloom jewelry he had given to Janan. If the engagement was broken, the piece of heirloom jewelry would be returned. After the engagement was broken, the piece of heirloom jewelry was promptly returned. If John wanted the ring returned, he could have expressed such a condition as he did with the heirloom jewelry. Absent any such evidence of a condition, I determine the giving of the ring is a valid completed gift.
There is a prevalence of government rules and regulations in most areas of our social life. The matter of engagement gifts is uniquely suited to regulation and responsibility solely by the couple involved. This is their personal business. The court should not interject an exception to accepted legal standards into such a private situation absent compelling circumstances, which are not present here.
When a couple discusses marriage it is not ordinarily done in a public forum. Communications at these times are usually made in private by spoken word, rather than in writing or witnessed by others. Little evidence other than the parties’ own recollections is available. Either party could assert the existence or lack of conditions allowing a deviation from the majori*674ty’s proposed “no fault” rule. In such a case, essentially all that has been accomplished is a shifting of the burden of proof.
Courts are well versed in elicitation of parties’ intentions in such matters as construing contracts. This would allow each case to be decided upon its individual merits. The majority attempts to establish a bright line test to avoid unnecessary litigation. I observe this situation has arisen so infrequently, no prior Iowa cases appear on this issue.
I acknowledge parties are free to return engagement gifts. However, proper social etiquette does not demand their return, and neither should the courts as a matter of law.
I determine the giving of the ring by John to Janan is a valid, unconditional completed gift. I would affirm the trial court in all respects.