Virginia man claims $200M Mega Millions lottery jackpotPrevious TopicNext Topic

yep they sure do..... if you play a Game in VA and win big or a top prize you have already agreed to their rules once you bought the ticket ......

In regards to anonymity, you should know the rules when you buy the ticket.  Don't buy the ticket if your not willing to play (or win) by the rules.

Actually, the only way to REALLY find out IS to win........form the trust......and collect!

and as far as winning...........I KNOW that I am.........it is just a matter of time.

Faith: Sees the invisible.......Feels the intangible......Achieves the impossible!

Anyone familiar with the cost of setting up a trust, just outta curiousity...for when I win, lol??

AMEN rdgrnr!!!!

As noted, claiming anonymously wasn't an option, but you don't need to start with anonymity if you've got half a clue, or good advice. That's one reason I don't think 5 months is necesarily a long time.  Everyone's situation will be different, but everyone who hasn't already worked at being invisible has some sort of public presence that needs to be eliminated as much as possible. It's not hard to disappear if you want to.  I'd start by waiting until I'd discreetly secured a new place to live, and secured cars that were owned by a corporation that wasn't easily traced back to me. I'd also be waiting until any web references had been eliminated, and disappeared from the search engines.  If I had any legal issues, such as a lawsuit against me I might have to get it settled before the plaintiff knew I was about to be rich.  There are all sorts of reasons why it could take a while to get things in order. Alternatively, with a name like Steve Williams he could have moved to a large city, made some simple financial arrangements, and finished the details later on.

As for the financial issues from waiting several months, I can't see that as being a real concern. If a client with that potential to remain a valuable asset walked through my door and asked me to invest some of my time (but no money), and wait several months to be paid I'd be a moron to say no, unless I was already busier than I wanted to be. As a client with that kind of pull, I'd be a moron to hire advisors who can't wait a few months to be paid.

"Could you imagine knowing your gonna have all this money but in the meantime live your life as is?"

How much does life have to suk that you can't continue "as is" for a few months knowing you'll be getting that kind of windfall? If he needed it, it' a safe bet that his advisors were able to get him a loan, and plenty of people could put 25 to 50 grand on their credit cards. I can't imagine paying the interest  under normal circumstances,  but it would be well worth it if I need some time before colecting thatmuch money.

"What if he had died of a heart attack"

Do you suppose that maybe he or his advisors considered that? It's possible that some of the unclaimed prizes result from people dying without ever telling somebody they have a winning ticket, but it's far more likely that the winners just dont know.

"Wonder if they make non-residents follow these rules if they buy the ticket in the state."

If the othe rposts weren't cler about why you use their rules, it's because it's their game. The game is played in many states, but  it's run individualy by each state lottery. You're buying a Virginia lottery ticket from the Virginia lottery, and if you win you'll be claiming the prize from the Virginia lottery while you're in Virginia.

"Nope. He is unintelligent by doing the media interview and selectingthe cash option.   How long he took to claim the prize has nothing todo with what kind of person he is - I can see right through it, it'smere ego.   He might have been able to do amazing things with themoney..but only if he took the annuity and refused the media interview."

Welcome to LP, shorty. I can see that your contributions will be valuable. Like others, my first thought was that you're a comlete moron, but your position on cash vs annuity changed my mind. Your obvious recognition that you're incapable of handling the cash shows that your moronism is only mostly complete. I'd also like to congratulate you on your humility in so carefully offering us your thoughts on somebody you don't even know.

Rules are made by man and can be changed. 

Protest, force them to change their oppressive rules!

Freedom!! 

Original Post by Perfecttiming2:

and as far as winning...........I KNOW that I am.........it is just a matter of time.

LOL.  OK, I believe you.  It's just that you might be an old man before you win, such as the VA lotto winner. 

I believe the cost is dependent on the number of hours your lawyer requires.  In the Los Angeles area, the total cost of a trust is about $1,000.  I was told this by my lawyer's paralegal.  At about $333/hour for an attorney, I estimate it requires a total of about 2-3 hours of work for a lawyer to set it up.  This is a very general figure.  You should call your local trust attorney's law office and ask since costs are different nationwide and vary for each lawyer.  Some lawyers will want to make as much as possible off you, while others will be very reasonable.

Agreed.  But I'm also realistic.

I just simply vote with my money.  I buy my MM/PB tickets in a state that allow winners to remain anonymous.

iGlenn:

Same here with crossing state lines.  Even though I would have to pay alot more in taxes by buying an out of state lottery, it is a small price to pay in the short term for safety and security in the long term for my family and me.

That's about what I thought, although here in the midwest where I'm at the per-hour fee should be less than LA, I would think.

Doesn't really matter where you are, I suppose, it's certainly worth it if you win the Mega, Powerball, or high-end state lottos, even if overcharged.

Hmmm...let's see....who would I choose to administer my trust, or is that the law firm's job, in which case you're billed multiple times, right?

Of course, then there's the fees for your financial guy(s) and tax guy(s), but, again, a problem I'd love to have.

Original Post by KY Floyd:

"Could you imagine knowing you're gonna have all this money but in the meantime live your life as is?

How much does life have to suk that you can't continue "as is" for a few months knowing you'll be getting that kind of windfall?

(I love the quote KY Floyd!.....Thanks for sharing!!!)

Also,

"If he needed it, it's a safe bet that his advisors were able to get him a loan..."

KY Floyd:

There are a few lotto winners who have actually done that..........

One woman who won in Ohio explained that when her bank took too long in preparing the transfering of the funds, she cancelled it, went to another bank and (with her advisors in tow) presented her documents to that bank. 

They forwarded her $50K (she said that she wanted the advance because she and her husband just wanted to get out of the neighborhood...) 

I would not be surprised if that bank ended up getting her business....windfall and all....

On one hand it would be totally sweet to win this kind of money...on the other...it would be a head-ache.

*Reaches for the Tylenol* 

This is why I'm happy NC has MM now. I always played driving through VA, but got nervous when I discovered you couldn't be anonymous when you claimed it.

Hmmm....maybe that's why I didn't win....YET!