What would motivate a person to forego winning $16.5 million?

Posted by Steve Lombardi on January 25, 2012

Migrant Mother Dorothea Lange 1936.jpg

There could be several reasons that would provide such motivation. Whatever it may be there has to be a reason that outweighs public exposure. Public exposure must in some way expose them to losing something of value that to them is of greater value than $16.5 million. In the case of the current Iowa lottery ticket holder I of course have no idea what that would be so by today’s blog I do not wish to cast any dispersions upon that person or persons. But many people are asking themselves how anyone could give up this large amount of money; what motivates them? So I thought it would be fun to day to venture into lottery cases where there has been more downside than upside.

Freedom – Remember the police sting in the City of Chicago that occurred in the early 2000’s? They did it again in September 2011. The Chicago Police Department ran a sting where they promised $500 gift coupons, plasma televisions and video games that they had supposedly won. Or course each prize winner had an outstanding warrant and was immediately arrested after identifying themselves as the supposed winner. Prize giveaway turns out to be a bust, Ronnie Reese, Chicago Tribune. Over 100 “winners” were arrested. In the case of Lotto winnings there could be a similar motivation not to step forward.

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Iowa Lottery says put up or shut up

Posted by Steve Lombardi on January 24, 2012

Will a trust shield a lottery ticket winner's privacy?

Yesterday’s post was about the Iowa Lottery’s $16.5 million winning ticket where the actual purchaser of the ticket appears not to want to be identified. Yesterday in The Attorney-Client Privilege – When silence is not so golden I explored the factual issues of whether the Iowa Lottery would honor paying the winning Lotto ticket if the person or persons behind the trust did not come forward and explain how they came into possession of the ticket. Apparently the Lottery Commission, Iowa’s Attorney Generals and the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation knocked heads all day yesterday and last night announced the beneficiaries of the Hexam Investment Trust have until this Friday to step forward from out behind the curtain, to identify themselves and explain how they came into possession of the ticket or else forego the winnings. It’s time to do or die. 

 

Read Iowa Lottery says Friday is deadline for Lotto winner to come forward.

Lottery: All who had mystery $16.5M ticket must be interviewed

The Attorney-Client Privilege - When silence is not so golden.

Posted by Steve Lombardi on January 23, 2012

Illinois Lottery.jpgPoint: Will the Attorney Client Privilege Void the Winning Iowa Lottery Ticket?

This is really turning into a good story, one that has plenty of intrigue to it. As lawyers we sometimes get thrust into the middle of controversy and because of the attorney-client privilege are bound to remain silent. I’ve seldom played the lottery, because I value my privacy more than I do money. As a lawyer I’ve even considered what steps I’d advise clients to take if they ever won big. The underlying theme being how to remain a private person who wins and can still know who his friends are and who is just being friendly.

Counter Point: Must the Lottery Winner be identified? Following the trail, video.

The $16.5 million Iowa Lottery story took another twist and turn this past week as more information is becoming known about the man who signed the ticket and had it delivered by FedEx to attorneys in Iowa who then turned in the ticket to the Iowa Lottery HQ. According to the Des Moines Register the ticket signer is a lawyer by the name of Crawford Shaw. The reported story is “Trustee in jackpot case is defendant in Delaware lawsuit” published on January 19, 2011 by Daniel P. Finney. The facts as set forth by the Des Moines Register include that Shaw, who is an attorney out of New York, represents Hexam Investment Trust, the alleged winner. But of course a trust is a fictious person and can’t walk into a convenience store in Iowa and buy a ticket. So who is the human that did? And this seems to be the question of the day?

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10 Steps to Claim a Winning Lottery Ticket

Posted by Steve Lombardi on January 20, 2012

You can’t win a lottery without turning in a ticket.

HotLotto-large.gifAs much as you may want to think this is about fairness, it’s not; it’s about playing by the rules you agreed to when you bought a lottery ticket that is later picked as having the winning numbers.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking you won the lottery when you can’t produce the winning ticket. To win the lottery you have to do several things.

  1. Be old enough to legally play the game.
  2. Buy the winning ticket.
  3. Buy the ticket during the time period when the game is active.
  4. Possess the winning ticket. (Can be by gift or other legitimate means. Just not stolen.)
  5. Sign the winning ticket.
  6. Turn the ticket in by the deadline for validation.
  7. Actually turn the ticket into the Iowa lottery.
  8. Have the ticket be validated by the lottery’s machinery.
  9. Don’t engage in fraud or theft to possess the winning ticket.

    10.  Don’t wait to turn in the winning ticket if the economy is in down market because the value of the winning prize will probably decline.

Recently, the Iowa Lottery held a drawing named Hot Lotto that was sold at a Des Moines convenience store with the winning number being drawn on December 29, 2010. That meant the winning number had to be turned in on or before December 29, 2011. It was, but barely. It was turned in with about two hours to spare. Two lawyers representing a trust showed up to turn in the signed ticket and to have the ticket validated. That raised eyebrows, but that wasn't what caught my attention. During the year of waiting, many people came forward convinced they had won. 

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