Posted on 02/05/2018 5:05:55 PM PST by NRx
The winning numbers triple-checked and the lottery ticket signed, the New Hampshire woman knew her life was about to change in a very positive way — except for one petrifying thing.
As the winner of last month’s $560 million Powerball, she would soon be the world’s newest owner of a nine-digit bank account.
But because of lottery rules, everyone in the world would know about it — neighbors, old high school friends, con artists, criminals.
Now the woman is asking a judge to let her keep the cash — and remain anonymous. In court documents obtained by NewHampshire.com, she is fittingly identified only as Jane Doe.
“She is a longtime resident of New Hampshire and is an engaged community member,” the woman’s attorney, Steven Gordon, wrote in the court documents. “She wishes to continue this work and the freedom to walk into a grocery store or attend public events without being known or targeted as the winner of a half-billion dollars.”
On one side of the case are lottery officials who say the integrity of the games depends on the public identification of its winners as a protection against fraud and malfeasance. A local woman holding up a giant check while cameras flash and reporters scrawl also happens to be a powerful marketing tool.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
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Aren’t you her long-lost mother? The one who had to put her up for adoption, due to Harvey Weinstein?
Wear a costume dressed as Hillary Clinton.....
Create an LLC under an alias company name and have money deposited there. I’m sure Hillary can tell you how to do this.
Is she an illegal immigrant?
“Sell it to someone for 5 million, let them collect, take the heat, and then get the 555:million from them afterward.”
They person “buying” the ticket would have to pay income tax on it. Then transferring that money to anyone else would be taxable again, under the federal and possibly state gift taxes. The IRS likes your idea...
She should go to her tax attorney. Have them create a revocable trust with the proper terms/conditions for beneficaries fund withdrawals, turn the ticket over to the Trustee for that Trust and take the full amount of the winnings to be placed into the Trust. She, then, is just a beneficiary of the Trust. It’s the Trust’s name that would get publicized.
I like that solution! As there is no requirement to take off the burka for airport security, etc. so presumably that would be okay. Though the PC police will be on her like flies.
Alas she is probably on the hook for her name, until she changes it.
You play the game, you agree to the rules, you pay the taxes.
In January 2016, a man in Fitzgerald, Georgia, was murdered during a home invasion after winning a $434,272 lottery jackpot. Authorities said three masked men broke into Craigory Burch Jr.’s home, demanded money and fatally shot Burch. Seven people were later charged in connection with the murder. Three were convicted of murder and other charges last year and a fourth pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
A handful of states, including Delaware, Kansas and North Dakota, currently allow winners to remain anonymous.
The Kansas Lottery website reads: “Most states require the lottery to release the name and city of residence to anyone who asks. Kansas is one of a handful of states that does not have this requirement. If you win a prize in Kansas, you may request that your identity not be released publicly.”
Maryland takes perhaps the most creative approach, allowing winners to use made up names and hide their faces behind oversized checks in official photos. A recent winner who won $1 million on a scratch off ticket is pictured on the Maryland Lottery website hiding their face behind a large check made out to “Montgomery County Millionaire.”
Other states, including New Hampshire, allow for loopholes where winners can remain anonymous by claiming prizes through a trust.
One of the early winners of the Texas Lotto took the commission to court when they wanted to release his name. He won the right to remain anonymous, even though the lotto rules said his name would be published.
Most states don’t allow that. They require the actual beneficiaries of any trust claiming lottery prizes to be names.
If afternbuting they held the ticket for a year would the pay capital gains?
I’ve always wondered if someone changes their name if it can be looked up in public documents. I guess it’s worth a stab, but this lady is already creating hassle and worry for herself, when she could have already claimed the money and hired some security or moved to a gated community.
Although I’m pretty sure she’s my long-lost aunt.
She should make the state an offer: they give her the winnings anonymously, or, if they insist on publicizing her name, she gives half the money (after taxes) to a charitable foundation she sets up who’s only charge is to advertise against the state lottery by publicizing it for what it truly is: a tax on the stupid.
Sign z papers old woman
If its a tax on the stupid how did she win ?
Don’t answer the phone, or the doorbell. Problem solved. Hell, I do that now and never even won the lottery.
I expect she fears it will cause her family & relatives to turn on her.....not everyone can be the Waltons:)
If only there was some way for a billionaire to get rid of debt collectors.
The few times I’ve bought lottery tickets, in the fine print it says basically that you agree to let the state use you and/or your name for advertisement.
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