Sick mother accuses daughter of stealing $1 million lottery prize

May 27, 2015, 7:53 am (36 comments)

New York Lottery

A "dollar and a dream" has turned into a $1 million legal nightmare — with a Brooklyn, New York, woman accusing her daughter of running off with her jackpot.

In papers filed in Brooklyn Supreme Court, Barbara Quiles says her daughter, Linza Ford, has absconded with her winnings.

"It's heartbreaking what she's done," Quiles, 51, said Tuesday night. "God is on my side. God doesn't like ugly and this is ugly."

The mother says she suffers from lupus, bulging discs, spinal stenosis and has had two hip replacement surgeries.

"I'm a retired nurse. I live month to month on disability," Quiles said. "This stress sets off my lupus."

But Ford maintains the ticket and the $1 million jackpot are and always were hers.

"This was my ticket," Ford told The News. "She's not entitled to any of it."

The 21-year-old said her mother is mentally ill, "which is why I left" her home nine months ago.

Quiles' bombshell suit says she became ill after she purchased the winning New York Lottery scratch-off ticket on Nov. 27, 2012, at the Prabjhu Grocery Store near her Bensonhurst home.

Quiles tried to be "a good mother" and said she trusted Ford to claim the winnings on her behalf and have the money deposited into her bank account — $50,000 a year over a 20-year term.

"I love my kids," said Quiles, who denied ever being diagnosed with a mental illness. "If I didn't have so much confidence and faith in her, I wouldn't have trusted her. She took it all."

The lawsuit, made public on Tuesday, explains that Quiles did not want Ford and her other two children — Alexa, 8, and Stephanie, 29 — to have to deal with any legal inheritance issues if she died.

"I'm the winner of the Million Dollar Scratch-off, however I let my daughter claim my winnings because of my illness," said Quiles.

"With the possibility of serious medical events, Quiles did not want for (Ford) to have any legal inheritance issues" regarding the lottery winnings, says the suit, which was made public Tuesday. Quiles was unaware that her greedy daughter was featured in a December 2012 article in the Daily News and another publication, touting her luck in winning the money from the Million Dollar Scratch ticket.

Ford, 21 of Horseheads, N.Y., also had an emotional account about her father's recent disability and the possibility of putting college on hold to save money — nothing about her mother, which violated their "lottery agreement," the suit says. 

Over the course of the next two years, Quiles said she trusted Ford to open a safety deposit box at Santander Bank on 86th St. and was granted power of attorney in order to access the box.

Things turned sour around last November when Quiles' bank account was flushed out and she was denied access to the deposit box that contains $50,000 of her "irreplaceable" and "sentimental" valuables, including her late husband's jewelry, the suit says.

Quiles said she was in the hospital last April and that Ford did not visit her. She said they had a falling out and that she told her daughter her boyfriend was no longer welcomed in her home.

Ford moved out of her house soon after, Quiles said.

"When she left, she even stole my dog, Daisy," Quiles said of her beloved Rat Terrier puppy. "I've done everything for this child. She even left me stuck with her student loans from Hofstra (University)."

Ford counters that she's the one who bought the ticket, and the bank account was hers.

She said she let her mom withdraw money from the account, but the withdrawals were getting bigger and bigger.

"She started withdrawing everything," Ford said, leading her to transfer the account and move out of her Brooklyn home.

Ford, who according to her Facebook page was married in a backyard ceremony last week, said she had "no idea" her mom had filed suit.

"She's not well," she said.

Quiles' suit charges Ford violated their "lottery agreement" and is "intentionally exploiting" her.

The suit says she "fears" Ford would take her "future winnings and leave the state or maybe even the country,"according to the court documents.

The mother is suing her daughter for violating their "lottery agreement," acting "illegally, maliciously, and recklessly with the purpose of intentionally exploiting" her, according to the court documents.

"She loves her daughter very much and it's unfortunate any of this is going on," said a woman who identified herself as Quiles' other daughter, Stephanie.

A woman who identified herself over the phone as Quiles' sister said, "This is causing her a lot of stress, This whole situation is making her very nervous, she's not doing well."

Asked if she still plays the lottery, Quiles said, "I still pick up a ticket or two, but now I go in with a dream but no dollar."

A rep for the state lottery declined comment.

Thanks to w794728 for the tip.

Lottery Post Staff

Comments

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

To do that to your sick Mom, makes you a lowlife. If it's true of course.

nina09

I don't know why but the mothers story doesn't sound completely true to me. Maybe is because I had  friends with family members who suffer from mental illness or were just pure evil and they always used their illness and  problems to justify their abusive behavior , once the person was able to leave they had to always to endure the accusations of being bad children from their parents.  They would always talk about all the stuff they did for them which most of the time were lies or exaggeration.

The mothers story just sounds too similar for me to just say the daughter is guilty.

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

With stories like this, you can't really tell who's telling the truth and who's lying.

But, it is sad to see a relationship like this. If Mom is really that bad off, the daughter should help some. But, it looks clear that isn't happening, because that relationship went sour a long time ago.

Jani Norman's avatarJani Norman

NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiShawn Inglima

Linza Ford showed off her oversized check after claiming the $1 million jackpot in 2012.

But Ford maintains the ticket and the $1 million jackpot are and always were hers.

“This was my ticket,” Ford told The News. “She’s not entitled to any of it.”

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

Ticket claimed, and filed under adults name.( he who claims it, gets it). Three years later, files suit?

I have to agree, the Mother may not be all together accurate.

To many fallacies by the mother for it to be entirely true.

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

I have to wonder why the mother didn't entrust it to the oldest daughter...a 21 year old is not the best money manager,

I know I wasn't .

 

She could at least pay off her student loan, higher education is not an entitlement.

 

And give the dog back !

IPlayWeekly's avatarIPlayWeekly

Very sad how can you do that to your mom.  Even if the daughter is right, her mother could use the help.

ElinaSammy2081's avatarElinaSammy2081

I am from NYC this is a very sad story between mother and daughter, even though the mother claims its her ticket its to late now the ticket has been cashed and there was no legal agreement between both of them just word of mouth and people can change their story to benefit themselves. In my opinion Linza Ford is the owner of the ticket because she cashed the ticket, and she gave all her information to NY Lottery commission and paid her taxes under her social and used her bank account the mother should just let it go she is spending money on lawyers when she lives month to month with a disability check if she didn't want to be in financial distress she should of cashed the ticket herself  and not live month to month on a disability check and none of this would of ever happen, the mother was thinking about her death and inheritance issues and she is not even dead instead of thinking about living the moment now the daughter is having fun with her winnings and the mother is mad because that could of been her enjoying the money. I hope in the end mother and daughter can get past this ordeal.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

Quote: Originally posted by TheGameGrl on May 27, 2015

Ticket claimed, and filed under adults name.( he who claims it, gets it). Three years later, files suit?

I have to agree, the Mother may not be all together accurate.

To many fallacies by the mother for it to be entirely true.

Yeah I kind of agree. Why the long wait to file the lawsuit? If you believed the ticket was yours and your daughter took all the money when she cashed in the ticket, wouldn't you pursue getting it back a lot sooner?

I'm thinking maybe the daughter actually won and for whatever reason cut the mother out of any winnings and then the mom decided to file a lawsuit when she realized she wasn't going to get any of it.

casino crawler's avatarcasino crawler

Regardless of who you believe, the mother or the daughter...one thing sticks out to me.  The daughter was living at home during the win and her comment that the ticket was hers, always was and the mom "is not entitled" to a bit of it....  Maybe your mom is not "entitled" but she is your mom who fed and housed you all your life...You mom "deserves" some help (physically or mentally ill) and this daughter is a "LOSER" even if it was her ticket.

noise-gate

Someone is lying big time - l don't know who but it's going to get a whole lot uglier before calm sets in. 

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

Quote: Originally posted by Jani Norman on May 27, 2015

NYC PAPERS OUT. Social media use restricted to low res file max 184 x 128 pixels and 72 dpiShawn Inglima

Linza Ford showed off her oversized check after claiming the $1 million jackpot in 2012.

But Ford maintains the ticket and the $1 million jackpot are and always were hers.

“This was my ticket,” Ford told The News. “She’s not entitled to any of it.”

 “She’s not entitled to any of it.”  Is that how you payback your MOTHER?. I'll bet she goes crawling back to dear old mom, when the money runs out, if it hasn't run out already. Some peoples' kids, ghetto-fabulous and no brains. Just give your Mom half, after taxes.

noise-gate

Quote: Originally posted by mypiemaster on May 27, 2015

 “She’s not entitled to any of it.”  Is that how you payback your MOTHER?. I'll bet she goes crawling back to dear old mom, when the money runs out, if it hasn't run out already. Some peoples' kids, ghetto-fabulous and no brains. Just give your Mom half, after taxes.

I Agree!...Her Mother carried her for 9 months, clothed her, breastfed her and this woman says "She  is not entitled to any of it?".

First of all: addressing her Mother as " she" is a disgrace. There is a Higher Power that is watching this and will hold her accountable. 

* Whatever happened to Honor thy Father & Mother while on the earth so that all may go well with you?

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by noise-gate on May 27, 2015

I Agree!...Her Mother carried her for 9 months, clothed her, breastfed her and this woman says "She  is not entitled to any of it?".

First of all: addressing her Mother as " she" is a disgrace. There is a Higher Power that is watching this and will hold her accountable. 

* Whatever happened to Honor thy Father & Mother while on the earth so that all may go well with you?

Or, perhaps, her mother had breasts infections (or a different major problem) and couldn't breastfeed this middle daughter.  LOL!

Regardless, a sad story both ways.  May Barbara Quiles reclaim her better health, and if she is suffering from undiagnosed mental problems these past few years, may she receive aid and relief sooner than later.

Subscribe to this news story