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 ...
Easy decision for me. Put my phone on voicemail and my email on ‘on vacation’. Collect my winnings and arrange for some security for a few weeks, by a nice evidently used RV and some fishing poles and hit the coastal communities.
I would help her, we can get married and her name would be changed and then in a couple years, we’ll get divorced and I’ll settle for a measly 50 million as my divorce settlement.
It happened to me. I didn't win the lottery but I became much wealthier than the rest of the family. I had to move out of state.
I would get a new number and tell my attorney to handle all calls, deny anybody asking for money and I’d have a very small list of people I would take calls from. I would have my attorney tell any charity that called, that if they contact me directly, they will never get a penny from me, but that if they left me alone I might donate, but if they ask I would not.
I would give a lot of it away to family, friends and people who really need it who would use it wisely.
Sadly that happens. I’ve seen it too. It’s a gut-wrenching experience & I’m sorry to hear that you had to suffer such an occurrence This women is likely just a small town NH resident that goes about her business, goes to church & bingo....she knows that this is the end of the life she has enjoyed.
The article says public disclosure is a Powerball rule, not state rule or law. She’s sought relief in a state court.
I thought people have claimed lotto prizes as a Trust or such, not having to give individual name.
If I ever won that kind of money, I’d take the dumb picture and then leave on a world cruise. By the time I would return most of the drama would be long gone.
Friend hell. Is she married?
Correct... the trust can sign the ticket...the issue is she already signed it.
What you do is set up a trust, and let the trust claim it. This isn’t the first time this kind of thing has come up.
You certainly can, dependent on the laws of your state. In NH she could have but she signed the ticket in her own name (something the lottery tells you to do immediately for you “own protection”).
All I can say is It’s a good problem to have.
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