Lesson: sign your tickets right after receiving them to indicate you are the rightful owner of that ticket. If it ends up in the garbage, you may still have a case. RickG

Rick, when I first posted several months ago I remember being advised (by Todd I think) not to sign my tickets before I see an attorney and create a Trust.  I wonder if the person who bought the ticket signs it if he/she can then collect the money in other name?  Probably the Lottery Commission would make an exception if the Trust owner or executor agreed and nothing was contested. I'm not sure, but every state website says to sign your ticket right away in case it's lost or stolen.

Great story, Jeffrey!  I just finished an email about work today and was talking about this subject. I have to remember that it's not "do unto others the way they do unto you" but "do unto others the way you would have them do to you"  Puts things into perspective. You're right.

....one would have to wonder what the motives of that store clerk was. He calls Mr. Donovan to inform him that someone picked his discarded scratch-off out of the garbage, realized it was a winner, signed it and then turned it in. .....my guess, the store clerk was really not sure if that ticket actually belonged to Mr. Donovan or not, unless his store only averages 1 lottery player a day and that player being Mr. Donovan, NOT! Most stores that sell lottery tickets on an average to more than 100-250 people per day or more and probably the reason the Lottery Commission sided with the guy who found it, signed it and then turned it in. My guess, that store clerk probably wanted a cut of the money. That store clerk was the one that started all the strife in that he actually found a sucker, a one Mr. Donovan, then actually managed to talk him into going along with his foolish scheme in trying to get that ticket back from the guy that found it, so that Mr. Donovan would cash it in, because if taxes are involved, it would fall on Mr. Donovan to pay them and not the store clerk, meaning tax-free money for the store clerk, not to mention the store clerk had all the personal information as to how to find the guy being that he filled out a claim form, etc. at that store. Well, i'm glad it backfired and that the Lottery Commission saw that for what it was and truthfully stood by their first decision. CONGRATS TO THE WINNER!!!!!

P.S. Rick G. you are so humorous - I've never laughed so hard in my LIFE!!!!!

The most I found in the trash was one where someone missed a matching number for 10 dollars. If I ever found one worth anything significant I'd take it 100 miles away and validate it there. (except see below)

NOTE:  If I knew for sure who lost the ticket I would get it back to that person. One time someone left behind some Pick-It's at a register and I figured out who bought them and they got them back - too bad none won anything.