NJ lottery winner has 2 weeks to claim $19M jackpot

Apr 11, 2007, 8:57 am (9 comments)

New Jersey Lottery

Someone has a New Jersey Lottery ticket worth $19 million, and just 2 weeks to claim the prize.

There was one winning ticket for last year's April 24 Pick 6 drawing, but the year deadline to claim the prize is approaching quickly and no one has stepped forward, lottery officials said.

"Somewhere out there is one very lucky lottery player, and we'd really like to meet them," New Jersey Lottery's acting executive director William T. Jourdain said in a statement.

The Pick 6 Lotto ticket, with winning numbers 05-24-27-28-33-37, was sold at 24 Seven in Newark. The store received $2,000 for selling the winning ticket, according to NJ Lottery spokesman Dominick DeMarco.

If no one comes forward with the winning ticket before April 24, most of the money would be used to benefit education and institutions, with the rest of it going to support special Lottery prize offerings, officials said.

"Check your closets, check your dressers and junk drawers, check the visors in your car — check all the little places in and around the house where you might have left a lottery ticket," Jourdain said.

DeMarco said he can't remember a prize this large going unclaimed in recent history, but it came close to happening six years ago.

In 2001, Melvin Milligan mailed in a ticket worth $46 million just two days before the deadline to claim the prize. He had remembered he bought a ticket for the drawing after watching a news report about the unclaimed Big Game ticket.

The mystery winner isn't the only lucky person in New Jersey. Just last month, Elaine and Harold Messner of Cape May County won half of a record $390 million Mega Millions jackpot.

AP

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fja's avatarfja

"Cash Only" probably has the ticket and doesn't want to claim it because it would have to be annutiy payments....

MissNYC's avatarMissNYC

Quote: Originally posted by fja on Apr 11, 2007

"Cash Only" probably has the ticket and doesn't want to claim it because it would have to be annutiy payments....

Umm...yeah, if it was a choice between annuity payments or nothing, I think I'd settle for the payments. Odds are though that this ticket will go unclaimed. It was probably thrown away a long time ago.

LckyLary

The ticket was bought in Newark; I have sadly not been there since 2001 and can't remember ever playing there. A friend of mine may have played in Newark last year but even that would be a huge longshot. Just today, I was in the Supermarket getting my Pickits and on the floor, face down, a stray ticket. I picked it up and it was a Mega Millions QP that read "FRI APR 13" (today's the 11th). I handed it to the clerk and said it had fallen on the floor. A similar thing may have happened in Newark but I was not there to pick it up. The reason the person who has it might claim it close to the deadline because in the few days before there will be more media coverage and hopefully they'll be listening. I had a 5 of 5 a few years ago myself and didn't discover it until 2 weeks later.

MegaWinner's avatarMegaWinner

Quote: Originally posted by LckyLary on Apr 11, 2007

The ticket was bought in Newark; I have sadly not been there since 2001 and can't remember ever playing there. A friend of mine may have played in Newark last year but even that would be a huge longshot. Just today, I was in the Supermarket getting my Pickits and on the floor, face down, a stray ticket. I picked it up and it was a Mega Millions QP that read "FRI APR 13" (today's the 11th). I handed it to the clerk and said it had fallen on the floor. A similar thing may have happened in Newark but I was not there to pick it up. The reason the person who has it might claim it close to the deadline because in the few days before there will be more media coverage and hopefully they'll be listening. I had a 5 of 5 a few years ago myself and didn't discover it until 2 weeks later.

Why did you give it back??????  Your a better man than me because there is no way I would give up a ticket that I found on the floor.  No way.  Do you remember the numbers on it?

LckyLary

I had only a few seconds to look at it but the bonus ball was 19. I played 2 today with BB 19 on both.

God works in not-so-mysterious ways sometimes. I kid you not, I won today: back pair on midday, 3 of 6 on Pick 6 and box on the evening 4. That's 3 wins in one day!

I didn't pay for the dropped ticket. If it were to win big, had I kept it, whoever dropped it would be dragging me off to Court. They'd have a security tape of me picking it up and the player dropping it. Even if that's not the case and I could have claimed it scot-free, I'd not be happy knowing that I denied someone a life-changing win that they paid for, and now, if this ticket should win, I'd feel happy that I played a role.

mylollipop's avatarmylollipop

Just claim it Somebody, claim it!Party

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Hopefully the Lottery Players that buy their Lottery Tickets at this Store are checking to see if they have the missing Winning Ticket.

10 days to go and counting!

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

Quote: Originally posted by fja on Apr 11, 2007

"Cash Only" probably has the ticket and doesn't want to claim it because it would have to be annutiy payments....

                LOL

 

This he/she got frustrated and took a break from LP or changed his user ID.  Funny thing is that all the discussions about it changed my mind and convinced me to take the annuity if I ever win several million!  LOL

 I used to post all the time about how these stories aggravate the heck out of me, but I don't care any more.  It doesn't have any effect on my bank account, so I just hope the person who bought the ticket realizes he/she has it and comes forward in time.  There was once a story about a man (think it was New York) who mailed his winning ticket by regular mail and it arrived late, but was postmarked before the deadline.  You just never know what people will do.  Imagine mailing millions of dollars in an envelope and putting a stamp on it! 

Raven62's avatarRaven62

Quote: Originally posted by Raven62 on Apr 14, 2007

Hopefully the Lottery Players that buy their Lottery Tickets at this Store are checking to see if they have the missing Winning Ticket.

10 days to go and counting!

Time is running out!

4 days to go and counting!

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