$24.5M lotto win ruins friendships

[PMedMoe]

Just goes to show you that money can't buy happiness.

Article link

BARRIE -- A dream of riches for 27 workers at the Powco steel company who hit the jackpot on a Lotto 6/49 draw has slowly turned into a nightmare.

Fists are flying, long-time workers have quit, and men who have worked together for years like brothers have quit their jobs because of conflict over who gets to claim a share of the big prize.

These are the intersting parts:

A handful of other workers who apparently didn't play that week have also come forward to claim they should have a share in the winnings.

Mills said there is no way Rodriguez would have cheated any of the workers out of their fair share of the winnings.

"That guy is as honest as honest could be," he said. In the beginning, Rodriguez would even front some co-workers ticket money, but had to cut that out when people didn't pay up.

"He finally made a rule -- if you don't pay, you don't play," Mills, 47, said.

More on article link.

Guess this is why you need a contract.  I agree with the quote above, if you don't pay, you don't play.  You get these guys that play occasionally and then a week or two goes by and they don't play and that's when you win and they want their "share" of the money.  What a crock!!    We used to buy tickets on my 6A course, but we would all sign the ticket.

 

[Celticgirl]

I know one of the winners and I agree...no pay, no play. A couple of cliches that come to mind: (1) Nothing ventured, nothing gained. (2) The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. (Are we allowed to say Hell on army.ca? :-X)

 

[Loachman]

(Are we allowed to say Hell on army.ca? :-X)

We've made an exception just for you.

 

[medicineman]

In response to the title, I can think of three letters - D-U-H.

MM

 

[Celticgirl]

We've made an exception just for you.

Why, thank you.  ;D

I also meant to add that the steel worker I know who won is a female and her hubby is military. 

 

[ProPatria031]

It's human natur to be greedy. same reason why basic communism doesn't work

 

[helpup]

Wow.  I just read the article, not surprised by it just shaking my head of the greed and sense of entitlement.  I suppose it is a human trait yet in my experience it is one that has grown to be more wide spread the last decade or so.  I hope the lotto corp gets to the bottom of it soon and that those involved get what they deserve in the most Karmatic way.  It is too bad that the co workers are doing a rendition of lord of the flies over it. 

 

[geo]

There are players who plunk down their change every week, without having to be reminded and there are those who plunk it down when you ask them for it..... IMHO, all of the above should be given their share of the prize.

For those people who are always have to be badgered and coaxed in order to get them to pay up their ante...... too bad, so sad.....  You'll know better next time!

 

[1feral1]

If they did not play that week, too bad, they should not get a cent.

Why should they get a cut because they missed out??

Bitter and twisted!

I guess they should have paid/played.

 

[dapaterson]

See, all you folks are far too judgemental.  I just want to help these folks get their friendship back.

I'd be more than happy to take the $24.5 million from them so things can go back to the way they were...

 

[GAP]

See, all you folks are far too judgemental.  I just want to help these folks get their friendship back.

I'd be more than happy to take the $24.5 million from them so things can go back to the way they were...

Yeah, but then all your friends on Milnet.ca/Army.ca/fishy.ca/birdie.ca will want you to ante up and share with them.......

 

[Yrys]

Yeah, but then all your friends on Milnet.ca/Army.ca/fishy.ca/birdie.ca will want you to ante up and share with them.......

Plus friends you can't remember and cousins 5th degree that will say they always wanted to know you 

 

[Mike Baker]

If they did not play that week, too bad, they should not get a cent.

Why should they get a cut because they missed out??

Bitter and twisted!

I guess they should have paid/played.

The forever wise words of Wes

 

[Yrys]

The forever wise words of Wes

Want to have him as a guru ? 

 

[The_Falcon]

Plus friends you can't remember and cousins 5th degree that will say they always wanted to know you 

Thats why I like Quebec's laws that say you can't be identified if your a winner.  Although if I ever won (yeah right), I would wait to claim the ticket and set up my escape plan to somewhere nice, like Costa Rica, then claim the money and bugger off the same day.  ;D, Like that guy who one 30 million  a couple years back.  Went straight to the caribean after he won.

 

[Michael OLeary]

Thats why I like Quebec's laws that say you can't be identified if your a winner. 

I wonder how many ticket sellers there win large prizes without anyone ever knowing that might question they odds of it happening.

 

[geo]

Quebec law says that the winner can't be identified?  I think not - I see their faces flashed on TV Screeens & in the press every week or so..... IIRC, you can ask that your name be withheld / delayed for xx reason... but not for an indefinite period....

a winner refuses to comply to these rules, Loto-Québec reserves the right to suspend payment of the prize. The same rules apply to prizes claimed by mail.

see :  http://loteries.loto-quebec.com/web/jsp/MainPage.jsp?Params=Y.US.82023.0

 

[The_Falcon]

Quebec law says that the winner can't be identified?  I think not - I see their faces flashed on TV Screeens & in the press every week or so..... IIRC, you can ask that your name be withheld / delayed for xx reason... but not for an indefinite period....

see :  http://loteries.loto-quebec.com/web/jsp/MainPage.jsp?Params=Y.US.82023.0

Must have misinterpreted what I heard, but thats still better then the rest of the country, where you have no choice in being Id'ed.

 

[Yrys]

but not for an indefinite period....

No choice in Québec either. Loto Québec wants publicity, and readers like to read about new winners.

 

[jollyjacktar]

As far as I know it is only in the UK that the winner is given the option of publicity or not.  If they decline, the lottery just announces that the winning ticket was purchased in "X" city/town etc.  That's the way it should be here too.  The corp still gets the publicty they desire either way, and the winner gets some peace of mind for a bit.