Whoever said the ring didn’t mean a thing wasn’t fresh off a public breakup like Lindsay Hubbard. The Summer House star and Carl Radke had a whirlwind romance. It started off a friendship, mixed in some Fireball, and finally crashed and burned. In my opinion, the two never seemed like the best match. Mainly because Carl lived a sober life and Lindsay still partook in the drink. They were opposite in so many ways with very little common ground, except constantly calling one another “babe.”
During the series’ latest installment, the cast went out for a nice dinner, with Linds giving a toast. Lindsay lifted her espresso martini, lamenting, “But on the real real, I’m really enjoying, like, this camaraderie with the group. I think the boys bringing in boy energy is great.” At that moment, all the boys barked. Lindsay noted, “I don’t want to hear Carl’s bark because I might give the ring back.” The roomie’s expression shocked everyone as she looked around. No one knew she would be asked to hand over the diamond in real life.
Carl snagged the ring
On Watch What Happens Live, Summer House fans learned the ring’s fate, and it turns out that Carl demanded the gift back. New York State law requires the recipient to return the ring to the person who gave it to them. This honestly sounds nuts, and I’m sure there are ways around it. But Carl took charge, acknowledging that the law was on his side, telling Andy Cohen, “It’s New York state law; it’s my property. I wrote her an email one-on-one and asked for the ring back.” Ugg, this gave me the ick for Carl.
But Carl wasn’t done explaining, sharing, “It is the law in New York state if I purchased the ring and gave it on the condition of an engagement …we did not move forward with the wedding, the ring is then returned to me, and that’s just the law. I’m just following the law.” The whole concept seems cheap to me, and I can only assume the Hubb House owner was less than pleased.
What could Lindsay have done?
As I’m learning, in New York State, an engagement ring is considered a conditional gift, where the condition is that the marriage takes place. This means that if the wedding does not take place and the bachelor asks for the ring back like Carl did, then the potential bride will most likely have to return the engagement ring. Lindsay could have and, in my opinion, should have argued that the ring was an outright gift.
Some states like Montana, argue that if the giver called off the wedding like Carl did, then Lindsay could have kept the ring. One of the only times New York State will reconsider its rule is if the ring is given as a gift for Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or a birthday. The couple got engaged in August, and Lindsay’s birthday is on August 11th, so I wonder if she could have used that angle to hang on to the 4.02-carat Nicole Rose diamond ring? So, do I think Lindsay should have kept the ring? Yes! But I understand having to follow the letter of the law, even if it is the most annoying thing I’ve heard.
Lindsay is making Carl pay
Even though Lindsay can’t legally hold on to the ring she is still sticking it to Carl where she can. During her appearance on WWHL, Lindsay noted that Carl was still on the hook for their $13,000-a-month apartment. She said, “Yes, we resigned our lease a month before we broke up. So I mean listen, that’s something that should’ve been thought through, and it wasn’t, and that’s not a me problem.” Ever the shrewd influencer, Lindsay also cited the law, noting Carl was still very much on the lease, meaning he is legally bound by contract to pay half the rent. I love it when the law works both ways.
Summer House continues each Thursday on Bravo.
TELL US – WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE NY LAW AND CARL TAKING THE RING BACK?
