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Couple Claims $4.6 Million Lottery Prize With Hour To Spare
Colorado Lottery: Couple Claims $4.6 Million Lottery Prize With Hour To Spare
An Arvada, Colo., couple decided to check their unclaimed lottery tickets after hearing that a June 8 Lotto drawing had a $4.6 million unclaimed prize.
Richard and Leslie Crosby went through their unchecked tickets and found the winning ticket. They verified the ticket at 11:17 p.m., less than an hour before the prize payout was set to expire.
"We are pretty dumbfounded," Leslie Crosby said Tuesday.
The couple plays the lottery every Wednesday and Saturday, according to lottery officials.
They chose the cash option of the prize, and walked away with a check for $1,628,204, which they plan to invest.
The 180-day waiting period was set to expire for the winning ticket and lottery officials were beginning to think it wouldn't be claimed.
"We were certainly surprised someone claimed it," said Kristen Shew, Colorado Lottery spokeswoman. "We thought someone had just forgotten about it."
The couple heard about the unclaimed prize on a television newscast and that's what prompted them to re-check their unclaimed tickets.
Rich, 46, works as a truck driver, and Leslie, 36, works at a real estate title company.
AP
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30 comments. Last comment 4 years ago by .
New Jersey United States Member #18150 June 28, 2005 14577 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 12:56 pm - IP Logged |
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Who said lightening (LUCK) doesn't strike twice in the same place?
It was LUCK that won them the $4.6 mil prize.
It was LUCK that got them to recheck their tickets and claim the prize before it expired.
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Sparta, NJ United States Member #18644 July 9, 2005 1977 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 1:23 pm - IP Logged |
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They play twice a week, every week, and don't check the numbers for a win? Sheesh. I need to lower my expectations of life. 
|||::> *'`*:-.,_,.-:*''*:--->>> Chewie <<<---.*''*:-.,_,.-:*''* <:::|||
I only trust myself - and that's a questionable choice
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United States Member #3331 January 7, 2004 147 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 2:47 pm - IP Logged |
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They may regret having needlessly worked hard for the last 6 months, but they are going to have very happy holidays! I don't understand why the lottery office was open at 11:16 pm? Most lottery offices are only open 9-5, etc. They are lucky they got some official person to validate their ticket so late at night. What a close call!
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Sparta, NJ United States Member #18644 July 9, 2005 1977 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 3:30 pm - IP Logged |
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They may regret having needlessly worked hard for the last 6 months, but they are going to have very happy holidays! I don't understand why the lottery office was open at 11:16 pm? Most lottery offices are only open 9-5, etc. They are lucky they got some official person to validate their ticket so late at night. What a close call!
They would have gotten a different reaction from the New Jersey Lottery, I've never had to ask the same question more then four times, or wait longer then two months for a response. They're right there for the consumer!
|||::> *'`*:-.,_,.-:*''*:--->>> Chewie <<<---.*''*:-.,_,.-:*''* <:::|||
I only trust myself - and that's a questionable choice
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United States Member #91 January 19, 2002 6299 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 3:37 pm - IP Logged |
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11:17 PM You just found out you won, no time to celebrate, plan, or decide......you have to start making calls. They probably felt like they hadn't taken a breath in those hours after they found the ticket.....Nice job...nice find....good catch.....great second effort.....way to make something happen....
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United States
Member #380
June 5, 2002
11297 Posts
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| Posted: December 9, 2005, 5:04 pm - IP Logged |
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In some states, the 60-day clock in which to choose cash starts with the drawing (eg Florida and Missouri.) They would have been stuck with annuity payments if CO did the same.
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United States Member #27989 December 4, 2005 88 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 5:04 pm - IP Logged |
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Do you think these two are dumb? I know a guy who throws Lottery tickets away without checking them because he claims, "What are the chances I won"?
I asked him,"why bother buying Lottery tickets"?
The answer," You gotta be in it to win it".
This is the truth, I kid you not.
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United States Member #91 January 19, 2002 6299 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 6:07 pm - IP Logged |
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Do you think these two are dumb? I know a guy who throws Lottery tickets away without checking them because he claims, "What are the chances I won"?
I asked him,"why bother buying Lottery tickets"?
The answer," You gotta be in it to win it".
This is the truth, I kid you not.
Tell him next time to pull out a $5 bill and toss it on the ground.
Its better to have played and lost, then to have never played at all. Unless you dont check your numbers. Then why bother.
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Englewood, Colorado United States Member #19425 July 25, 2005 51 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 7:16 pm - IP Logged |
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They may regret having needlessly worked hard for the last 6 months, but they are going to have very happy holidays! I don't understand why the lottery office was open at 11:16 pm? Most lottery offices are only open 9-5, etc. They are lucky they got some official person to validate their ticket so late at night. What a close call!
I live in Denver and this was featured prominently on the local news. The lottery office wasn't open at 11:16PM, but this couple called the local TV station who had publicized the story and told them to go to the nearest lottery outlet to get their ticket validated before midnight. They went to a local convenience store at 11:16PM and got the ticket validated at the lottery terminal.
The next day lottery officials told them that they were too late because they had to get the ticket to them by 5PM, but after a day of negotiating the Colorado Lottery agreed to award them the prize.
I think part of the decision was based on the bad image it would have given the lottery if they denied the jackpot to someone who had at least validated the ticket prior to the deadline. Technically I don't think the Colordo Lottery had to honor the ticket.
That's my view anyway.
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Sparta, NJ United States Member #18644 July 9, 2005 1977 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 8:09 pm - IP Logged |
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They may regret having needlessly worked hard for the last 6 months, but they are going to have very happy holidays! I don't understand why the lottery office was open at 11:16 pm? Most lottery offices are only open 9-5, etc. They are lucky they got some official person to validate their ticket so late at night. What a close call!
I live in Denver and this was featured prominently on the local news. The lottery office wasn't open at 11:16PM, but this couple called the local TV station who had publicized the story and told them to go to the nearest lottery outlet to get their ticket validated before midnight. They went to a local convenience store at 11:16PM and got the ticket validated at the lottery terminal.
The next day lottery officials told them that they were too late because they had to get the ticket to them by 5PM, but after a day of negotiating the Colorado Lottery agreed to award them the prize.
I think part of the decision was based on the bad image it would have given the lottery if they denied the jackpot to someone who had at least validated the ticket prior to the deadline. Technically I don't think the Colordo Lottery had to honor the ticket.
That's my view anyway.
Image would be a driver; so would the thought of a prolonged lawsuit. I'm standing there holding a validated ticket and they won't pay? The publicity would make them the bad guys no matter what happened. Then the legislatures would have gotten involved and heads would have rolled. Some one messing with the golden calf is a No-No! Better to pay them and keep your $150K plus job.
|||::> *'`*:-.,_,.-:*''*:--->>> Chewie <<<---.*''*:-.,_,.-:*''* <:::|||
I only trust myself - and that's a questionable choice
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PA United States Member #23322 October 6, 2005 1822 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 9:34 pm - IP Logged |
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I thought terminals were turned off also by 11pm?
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Dover, Delaware United States Member #19109 July 20, 2005 659 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 9, 2005, 10:32 pm - IP Logged |
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It all depends on the person behind the counter if they wish to turn the machine off at 10:00 PM, because they don't wish to hassle it any more for the night. We have a lot of the stores here close at midnight and I know of a few that shut it down as late as 11:30 PM. Like I said before it all depends on the person behind the counter. Keep dreaming the impossible dream, it just may come true! Please remember to support Your Lottery Post Community. 
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United States Member #436 June 30, 2002 675 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 10, 2005, 9:12 am - IP Logged |
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Do you think these two are dumb? I know a guy who throws Lottery tickets away without checking them because he claims, "What are the chances I won"?
I asked him,"why bother buying Lottery tickets"?
The answer," You gotta be in it to win it".
This is the truth, I kid you not.
I hope you have access to his trashcan.
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Coastal Georgia United States Member #2703 October 30, 2003 1868 Posts Offline |
| Posted: December 10, 2005, 9:28 am - IP Logged |
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I have a box containing my non-winning tickets for 2005. It's overflowing, but the good news is I get to start a new one soon.
I do this for tax purposes, but I gotta admit that when I add them up at tax time it is a dose of reality.....we never really miss the $ when we do it a little at a time, do we ?
But the real point here is that these tickets have been checked and double checked, so I will not be like the happy couple above- there's no winner hiding in the box.
I agree with Chewie- they play twice a week and don't check the tickets better than that ?
Heck- take a rainy Sunday afternoon and log onto the website and take your time checking them. Don't get caught with an expired winner.
They were lucky, but I would not want to tempt fate....
DD
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