I'd be willing to bet that she'll give in


The New Hampshire woman who won the $559.7 million Powerball jackpot last month is refusing to claim her prize, saying in court documents that she first wants assurances she can remain anonymous when she collects her winnings.

But state officials say the woman may face even longer odds in her legal battle, because New Hampshire open-records laws mandate that lotto winners publicly disclose their name, town, and amount won.

“While we respect this player's desire to remain anonymous, state statutes and lottery rules clearly dictate protocols,” New Hampshire lottery Executive Director Charlie McIntyre said in a statement.

New Hampshire is one of a handful of states that permits lottery winners to form anonymous trusts to shield their newfound riches. But the woman already signed her name to the winning ticket and cannot alter her signature and hide her identity without voiding the ticket.

Writing her name, as opposed to the name of a trust, was a "huge mistake" based on her interpretation of rules posted on the lottery website, the woman said in her complaint in Hillsborough Superior Court in Nashua.

Her resulting dilemma – forgo forever either a once-in-a-lifetime payday, or her anonymity – is legally impermissible, according to her attorney.

"She is a longtime resident of New Hampshire and is an engaged community member," the woman’s attorney wrote in 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."

Publicity brings significant apparent risk to lottery winners. Two years ago, a Georgia forklift operator who won $434,272 in a lottery was executed in his home by several masked robbers as he pleaded for his life.

In 2012, a 46-year-old Chicago man was poisoned with cyanide the day after he won a $1,000,000 lottery prize. While family members were suspected in the death, none have ever been charged, and the case remains unsolved.

And in 2005, an Illinois jackpot winner who claimed an approximately $20,000,000 prize was murdered by his sister-in-law and her boyfriend.


http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018...s-for-anonymity.html

You know that is a LOT of money but I fully understand her wishes.
I always appreciated the benefits of NOT being famous.
Sure there are many rewards but your privacy is a valuable commodity and once you pass that line it is > GONE.

She needs to take the money and run.

Yep, live as an ex-pat someplace.

Oh poor baby

I sort of understand where she's coming from but the other, not so obvious, reason for publishing the winner's name and location is to allow creditors to hunt the winner down for what is duly owed.

Happened to a friend who won a tidy sum where creditors, leeches, and other vermin came out of the woodwork claiming to sue him for debts owed. With a semi-common name, and only having one debt, his mortgage, he did have quite a headache for a while.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
You know that is a LOT of money but I fully understand her wishes.
I always appreciated the benefits of NOT being famous.
Sure there are many rewards but your privacy is a valuable commodity and once you pass that line it is > GONE.

Yep. She sounds like she's mostly happy with her life, and doesn't want to completely alter it.

She bought her ticket, she knew what she was getting into...

It says she has a lawyer, but either too late or they must not be a very good one because she signed the ticket in her own name which nullifies her ability to form an anonymous trust to grab the money. Lesson learned I guess!

When she bought the ticket, she knew the rules. Then she signed the ticket as herself, before getting advice that she could have formed a trust or entity to be the winner, thereby preserving her personal anonymity. She planned poorly, and is now stuck with the consequences of acting in ignorance.

See, always consult your lawyer before making a mess that is hard to get out of.

i'll take it off her hands

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
See, always consult your lawyer before making a mess that is hard to get out of.

This is one of those cases that I'm going to agree with the expert

I have little sympathy. Not because of her concerns, but because she should have known better. It's not as if the downsides of winning a metric ass-load of money have not been well and repeatedly covered.

There was this kid won a big lottery just w/in the last couple weeks. Immediately ran to claim his winnings. Told my wife "Yeah... He may come to regret that. If we ever win big money the ticket's going in a safe deposit box and we're calling our lawyer."

We don't often play, so it's not a big concern.

A few more murdered lottery winners and a couple lawsuits and maybe this ridiculous situation will be forced to change.

In addition to those few mentioned, there were at least two more lottery-related murders here. A mother and son, who shared a lottery of less than $1 million, were murdered in Sycamore, IL twenty years after they won. Imagine the risk of winning $560 million!

The New Hampshire woman's mistake was procedural, not significant, and I hope she prevails. The first thing one hears after a big lottery win is lottery officials telling the winner to sign the back of the ticket, which she did, and now they're trying to trick her into going public for the sake of some cheap and brief carnival-atmosphere publicity.

I wonder if Erik Prince still has contact with some of his boys from the Blackwater International days. If I win and have to disclose, I'd hire them and deduct the cost from my taxes as a business risk.

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:
The first thing one hears after a big lottery win is lottery officials telling the winner to sign the back of the ticket, which she did, and now they're trying to trick her into going public for the sake of some cheap and brief carnival-atmosphere publicity.

Perhaps you don't grasp the whole point of these public lotteries?

Proper prior planning prevents piss poor performance

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:
<snip> If I win and have to disclose, I'd hire (Eric Prince's dudes) and deduct the cost from my taxes as a business risk.

But obviously after you consult with Dewey Fleecum and Howe LLC Your new Tax attorney, right?

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:
In addition to those few mentioned, there were at least two more lottery-related murders here. A mother and son, who shared a lottery of less than $1 million, were murdered in Sycamore, IL twenty years after they won. Imagine the risk of winning $560 million!

True. But you can afford lots of security, food tasters, etc., and still have plenty left over for endless hookers and blow.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Perhaps you don't grasp the whole point of these public lotteries?

You mean the "Live fast, die quick, leave a bloody corpse" part? I sure do!

quote:

Originally posted by rusbro:

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:
...Imagine the risk of winning $560 million!

True. But you can afford lots of security, food tasters, etc., and still have plenty left over for endless hookers and blow.

I think I'd become the real-life Raymond Reddington if that's the case.

Ah. Yet more evidence that my sneaky policy of not buying tickets is working...

Imbecile