It is well established that making a counteroffer negates the original offer for purposes of offer and acceptance. But courts can take a wide variety of things to be a counteroffer. For example, in the case of Ardente v. Horan (117 R.I. 254, 366 A.2d 162 (R.I. 1976)), in a land deal, the buyer's attorney sent back a written acceptance to buy the land, along with a deposit. But, he also added a third letter inquiring if some items (drapes etc.) were included. The sellers reneged on the deal and the buyer sued. The Court found for the seller, finding that the inquiry about the drapes constituted a counteroffer, and therefore it invalidated the original offer and the buyer's acceptance.