Lottery Winner may turn down jackpot

[easysurfer]

In Georgia you aren't allowed to claim anonymously (no trust either). That might be changing soon as a new law is going through. In fact, according to one article, only 8 states allow you to claim winnings anonymously.

A new twist on the saying, "Your money or your life?".

 

[RunningBum]

edit: I wonder what the statute of limitations is to claim the prize or forfeit it if not claimed.

1 year. The drawing was a month ago.

 

[RunningBum]

This poor Lady has a Major Problem that requires a 2-step solution.

1-- Claim your Winnings.

2-- Move as far away from New Hampshire as your little heart desires.

And if her "little heart" doesn't want to move from NH? From the article, which you don't seem to have read very closely:

In the complaint, Gordon argues that privacy is deeply important to the longtime New Hampshire resident, who wants to use the trust to give a portion of her winnings to charity while remaining "a silent witness to these good works," reports The Union Leader.

Gordon calls her "an engaged community member" who "wishes to continue this work and [keep] 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."

 

[JustCurious]

My mom's cousin won a measly $5MM many years ago. He said that in hindsight it was the worst day of his life.

When people ask me why I don't play the lottery, I say it's because I'm afraid I might win. They think I'm joking.

 

[joeea]

I haven't studied the details, but I suspect creating some type of LLC to claim the winnings may be a possible way to go.

Too late. Once you sign the ticket with your name, it becomes public when claimed.

I wonder what the statute of limitations is to claim the prize or forfeit it if not claimed.

One year.

 

[RunningBum]

When people ask me why I don't play the lottery, I say it's because I'm afraid I might win. They think I'm joking.

Yep. I've played a few times for the sport of it, and I'm thankful I didn't hit the jackpot. I certainly don't need the money, and the extras I could spend it on aren't really worth it to me, certainly not with the headaches that would go along with it. Once I realized that, I stopped playing completely.

 

[ziggy29]

I understand the desire for anonymity but on the other hand I think transparency is also important. We want to know lotteries aren't rigged in favor of friends and relatives of lottery officials and public policy makers, for example.

 

[W2R]

I could see this happening to me.

Maybe I might buy a lottery ticket just for fun (haven't yet, but you never know).

But then, if it won, the REALITY of it would hit me like a ton of bricks. I don't think I could handle it. I like my life the way it is now, I feel no need for more money or to live a more expensive lifestyle, and can you imagine the con artists, the beggars, the tricksters, not to mention the taxes and hours with a CPA that would be lost to me forever?

Oh man, I'd probably even need a 24/7/365 body guard just to stay alive with all those people out to get my money by hook or by crook. And that's a life?

I know it sounds fake and according to society we are all supposed to be robotic clones who rabidly want more money always no matter what. But I would be freaking out and not at all happy if I was in her situation.

 

[easysurfer]

If I won, I'd definitely get my ducks in line before claiming the prize.

Too many Heelots or worse out there.

 

[Fishingmn]

My mom's cousin won a measly $5MM many years ago. He said that in hindsight it was the worst day of his life.

People accosting him on the street, hanging out in front of his house; a few becoming violent or threaten his kids when he'd ignore or turn them down. Just hundreds of requests, "sick children", sob stories and so on. I'd guess that $500MM would only magnify the mess.

I guess I don't understand why people feel that they should go after lottery winners in this way?

There are plenty of multi-millionaires that are easy to identify as business owners, celebrities and sports stars. Do people feel they should accost them and expect some sort of handout from them?

I guess people feel this windfall is different than other people who "earned" the money but I still don't understand why people feel compelled to treat lottery winners like that.

 

[easysurfer]

I guess I don't understand why people feel that they should go after lottery winners in this way?

There are plenty of multi-millionaires that are easy to identify as business owners, celebrities and sports stars. Do people feel they should accost them and expect some sort of handout from them?

I guess people feel this windfall is different than other people who "earned" the money but I still don't understand why people feel compelled to treat lottery winners like that.

I think you hit it on the head. Similar to an inheritance. Folks see that as not earned so money to splurge or give as handout. Maybe the see the jackpot as not deserving.

 

[Gumby]

If it were required that my name be made public but I had a year before I needed to claim the prize, I could do a pretty good job of disappearing. I would sell the house, rent an apartment in a distant land where nobody knows me and have all communications with the state or anyone else go through my lawyer. I would own nothing directly, only through layers of LLCs. I might even change my surname.

I understand she would like to stay where she is, but as someone who has lived in many different places, I know that community is what we make of it. There are many other fine places to live.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I understand the desire for anonymity but on the other hand I think transparency is also important. We want to know lotteries aren't rigged in favor of friends and relatives of lottery officials and public policy makers, for example.

This is what the proponents in Georgia are arguing (in making it anonymous). I think that there are plenty of ways to make sure that people aren't scamming without making the winner's name public.

Delaware is one of the anon states (and has been for many years) and I haven't heard of any malfeasance.

 

[omni550]

This is what the proponents in Georgia are arguing (in making it anonymous). I think that there are plenty of ways to make sure that people aren't scamming without making the winner's name public.

Delaware is one of the anon states (and has been for many years) and I haven't heard of any malfeasance.

I also think the lottery commission loves to use the publicity of the winners (short video of them receiving the giant check accompanied by a short story of their lives, family, situation, etc.) to market the lottery...so everyone can see their faces and hear their stories and thus identify with the winners....and buy more lottery tickets.

If, going forward, all lottery winners become anonymous, I think lotteries would lose much of their appeal.

omni

 

[Texas Proud]

I can almost guarantee that is someone I know won $500 million there is no way they could hide it...


First, if you are from a small town everybody will be looking to see who is buying a new car or something else that is above what they normally would buy... the list would narrow down and eventually a 'winner' would emerge...

That kind of money is just to hard to hide... $5 mill as someone else mentioned is not as hard...

 

[hgm735]

If I won the lottery I would sign the ticket and take the money without hesitation. I think the concerns are over exaggerated.

I would, too, because I wouldn't be able to live with the regret years later if life took a serious downturn "Damn why didn't I sign that ticket?!!!"

 

[marko]

Wow $5M is not that much IMHO. Did this sort of stalking behavior stop after a couple of months?

-gauss

Well, it was about 30 years ago so it was a bit more than it is now, but still. It wasn't like he won $30MM. We're not really close and haven't seen him in almost as many years so I don't know how long it lasted. Perhaps until the next local winner came along.

 

[tinlizzy]

This might just be a legal manuever for time.

A local group of employees won the lottery and they hired a lawyer who said he would sue to keep them anonymous which temporarily prevented the lottery commission from releasing the names. I forget but they had 30 or 60 days to file suit. The deadline eventually passed without the group filing a lawsuit, they collected their winnings and the names were released.

The whole point was to give them time to get their affairs in order, get advice, establish trusts, change phone numbers, etc. I thought it was pretty smart.

 

[CaliKid]

Just move to a place like LA, or NYC, and nobody will even care or notice you... plus, you'll need the money to buy a decent place to live.

 

[CaptTom]

Reading this, I was thinking of someone I know who is a very private person. If she won, she would be doing everything in her power to stay anonymous. She'd make sure nobody, even her closest friends (a very small group, of which I consider myself a member) knew. A very nice person, by the way. Just that she likes her privacy.

Come to think of it, she lives in NH.

Hmmmmmmm...

 

[Aerides]

She doesn't want to move, she wants to keep her life and be philanthropic "walk to the grocery store" etc.

Admirable goals. Maybe she has an ex or two that might resurface, maybe violently. Maybe a long abandoned friend who has a drug problem turns up on her door. Maybe a disgruntled former employee - there are many valid reasons to want to maintain privacy.

It varies by state, I remember reading a long list of things to do (don't sign the ticket, legally change your name FIRST, then claim it, then change after if you want, stuff like that). Some states also require you to show up and have a photo that they publicize, but you can add facial hair, glasses, wigs, etc. And n most states you have a good amount of time to figure out what you want to do. I'm always amazed when I see families giving press conferences just days after the drawing...

I see billboards from local casinos and stuff with people's names and faces saying "Joe Bob here won $75,000!" and you could NOT get me to agree to that. If that was the price of winning, I would not play!

 

[marko]

We want to know lotteries aren't rigged in favor of friends and relatives of lottery officials and public policy makers, for example.

You mean like when Whitey Bulger (notorious Boston gangster) 'won' the Mass State Lottery? The one who's brother was Mass Senate President at the time? The guy who's FBI handler tipped him off that the Feds were coming?

It allowed the IRA to back off a bit because suddenly he had an income he could prove.

 

[JustCurious]

Yep. I've played a few times for the sport of it, and I'm thankful I didn't hit the jackpot. I certainly don't need the money, and the extras I could spend it on aren't really worth it to me, certainly not with the headaches that would go along with it. Once I realized that, I stopped playing completely.

I agree. I haven't bought a lottery ticket in years, but I must admit that sometimes I am tempted to buy a ticket for one of the games with six figure prizes, I wouldn't mind winning six figures, no one would bat much of an eye at that and I doubt I would make the news.

 

[RunningBum]

Update: The winner took her money, and is anonymous--for now. It's in court to decide whether or not she can let her trust claim it and keep her name and address private, but she's decided to take it either way.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...y-collects-money-amid-fight-anonymity-n854611

She got $264M for a lump sum payment, after taxes, and plans to donate $25-50M over time to charity.

 

[Texas Proud]

Update: The winner took her money, and is anonymous--for now. It's in court to decide whether or not she can let her trust claim it and keep her name and address private, but she's decided to take it either way.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-new...y-collects-money-amid-fight-anonymity-n854611

She got $264M for a lump sum payment, after taxes, and plans to donate $25-50M over time to charity.

Everybody knew she was going to take it eventually.... nobody with any kind of mind would leave that much money on the table to keep their name out of the public....