Valid $179 Million Lost Lottery Ticket Turned In- Battle Looms Over 'Lost Property'

Detroit Free Press ^ | 1/6/04

[11th Earl of Mar]

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Someone turned in a valid ticket for the $162 million Mega Millions multistate lottery jackpot, the Ohio Lottery said Tuesday, a day after a Cleveland woman claimed she lost the winning ticket outside the convenience store where it was sold.

[Bikers4Bush]

You're reading my post incorrectly. The TRUE winner is the one who picked the numbers two years ago and has been playing them since. She started playing them in the regular Ohio Lotery before we even had the mega-millions.

[TankerKC]

What is a "bet ticket"? </ignorance>

[FR_addict]

It was the recognized winner who said she had been playing the same numbers for over two years. I haven't heard how often the other one claimed to play the numbers.

I think the one who claims she lost the ticket has some holes in her story. She just bought her ticket and didn't find it when she dropped her purse. I find this a little hard to believe. She supposedly just purchased the ticket and didn't check her purse and the surrounding area hard enough to find the ticket. She could have gone back in and repurchased a new ticket if she couldn't find the old ticket.

[NYC Republican]

Thanks for clearing that up... Trying to follow this thread from work, sorry for the mixup.

I still say she's a lying scammer and should get NOTHING except time in jail.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

My rationale is that the $5 spent on a huge multimillion dollar jackpot provides a certain entertainment value just in the "daydream enhancement" alone.

[Naspino]

The judge should hold up the ticket and tell them if they can not decide among themselves, he will tear the ticket in two and award each of them a half.

No Judge don't destroy the whole the winnings!! I cannot bear seeing it split -- give it to her!

[mwyounce]

That's the slip that you fill in the little bubbles on to show what numbers you want to pick for the ticket.

[Bikers4Bush]

Well it all depends on how they are interpreting what she told them but you can either buy tickets in advance (which is not what she did) or you can fill out a card with your combination selections (up to 10) and just keep using that whenever you play. I believe that this is what she did.

Oddly enough I've even seen plastic sleeves given away as promotional items that you can use to house the bet ticket (or card) to keep it from getting messed up and becoming unreadable by the machines.

[Bikers4Bush]

Jail time and a good mocking from the public.

[agrace]

12-18-21-32-46-49

My daughter's age x2 = 12, my grandfather turns 81 next year (reverse of 18), my sister turns 21 in April, my brother's favorite Steeler is Franco Harris (jersey # 32), 46 are the last two digits of our second phone line reversed, and Nickelodeon is channel 49 on our lineup.

What do I win? :)

[Protagoras]

I think ill rank mine $5 needless spending lower on the stupid scale compared to other things.

I didn't say where it ranked, only that it was stupid. It is. We all do stupid things in search of hope.

You have a significantly greater chance of getting hit by lightining inside your home in the next 1/2 hour than you do of winning the powerball lottery.

[Naspino]

...I'd be at Lottery headquarters at the crack of dawn to claim it. During all that time, I wouldn't let the ticket out of my sight. But then, I need not worry about that scenario because I don't play the Lottery.

I'd be finding an attorney and a someone to handle the finances to make sure I didn't lose out on anything before I claimed it.

[smith288]

You have a significantly greater chance of getting hit by lightining inside your home in the next 1/2 hour than you do of winning the powerball lottery.

Hope isn't what I'm searching for. I am searching for some financial alleviations to pursue things of my interest. Hope is always there as long as I put my faith in God. Money is just details.

Having said that...Why would I want to prevent my chance of EVER winning a lottery for fear of being labeled "stupid"? You spend $5 your way, Ill spend mine my way.

[smith288]

I'd be finding an attorney and a someone to handle the finances to make sure I didn't lose out on anything before I claimed it.

First and foremost, I would put it in a fireproof safe, burying it in my back yard, plant an oak tree on it under the cover of night...then go get me a lawyer.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Wanna get away?

[Bikers4Bush]

Years ago a friends father won the lottery here, took home a little over 4 million after taxes etc.

He always said that if he had it to do over again he'd set up a blind trust and use that to claim the money. Every nutjob in the world was calling him (until he changed the number) and knocking on his door (until he moved) once his name was out.

[Naspino]

Wouldn't you feel good giving away a ton of dough, knowing that 30 mil will set you and your heirs up for life?

No I wouldn't. I'd feel good knowing a scam artist wasn't rewarded for their behavior and giving the money to honest hard working people.

[Dr.Deth]

ROTFL! Or, even better, he'll go after the Lottery commissioner -if he/she's white.

"These games are disenfranchising millions of African Americans. Reparations are in order."

"Enjoy our new instant-win scratch off game, Reparations! Line up three whips, three chains, or three mint juleps and you win instantly! Top prize, forty acres and a mule."

[MississippiMan]

Not me. I'd spend $20 MM of it to see that she never saw so much as her dollar investment back.

MM

[Protagoras]

I am searching for some financial alleviations to pursue things of my interest.

I'd be happy to show you how to manage your money in ways that will move you toward your goal, buying worthless paper wouldn't be one of them.

You spend $5 your way, Ill spend mine my way.

Put down your boxing gloves, I already admitted up front that I buy them sometimes. I do stupid things too, but at least I know why I'm doing it. It's for fantasy, not a chance to win. Your chances are statistically nil.