A $10 million lottery windfall brought an estranged Vancouver couple back together.
But eight years later, the marriage wound up in divorce court with a sticky issue to be resolved: What should be done with $2.2 million in an account the husband claimed was for his personal use?
In granting their divorce last week, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Heather Holmes ruled the $2.2 million must be split between Minh Kien Le, 58, and his ex-wife, Mai Huong Cao, 55.
The couple escaped with their two young children by boat from their native Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975.
They settled in Terrace and later moved to Vancouver and scraped together enough money to buy a house on Fraser Street.
Le was laid off in 1996 and did odd jobs for cash until he became a multimillionaire in the Dec. 23, 1999 Super 7 draw.
After his win, Le gifted his three children $1.5 million each.
Together, the couple built a new house on West 59th Avenue and put it in Cao's name.
Both sides agreed that interest from a joint account containing $2.2 million paid household expenses of about $115,000 a year and should be divided equally.
But Le considered $2.2 million in an account in his name alone to be his, although he used some of the money for family purposes.
That was enough to satisfy the law on splitting assets.
"Challenged about how he could have paid from the joint account all the family expenses set out in his financial statement, [Le] responded that he would withdraw amounts from the second fund and place them in his own checking account as necessary to pay family or other expenses," said the judge, noting that amounted to paying the expenses from the second fund.
Although my wife and I have made a pact that we will never consider divorce as an option in our relationship, this is exactly why men and women who play the lottery absent their spouses participation should keep any win secret. Just kidding. But actually I wouldn't tell my wife if I ever won the lottery...she doesn't condone me playing it, so since she doesn't know I still play it, she doesn't need to know when I win it either. Great logic don't you think?! Well, hopefully for this guy he is on good terms with his children....he might need a place to stay since the house is in her name...how smart was that now?!!!
I know Old School is joking, but it doesn't matter whether someone's spouse approves or disapproves of the lottery or what a person tells his/her spouse. Although the Law in each state is different, if 2 people are legally married when the ticket is purchased, then it usually is considered to be joint property. Sure it's very possible to hide assets, and many people do, but that means you are lying on a legal document about them. You can always get a cheap no-contest divorce, but it's still lying if you don't list the lottery ticket where it asks you to list your income, your property and its estimated value.
Money creates many options. Unfortunately, many couples stay together for financial reasons. Excess funds give people the option of looking for more personal happiness; hence, they divorce. It may be for the best.
I remember years ago when Ohio SuperLotto had $50M+ jackpots, a guy from Pennsylvania and his wife had drifted apart and was pretty much living their own lives happily with no problems until he won the Ohio lottery jackpot of $60M. His wife had shacked up with some guy and he claimed his girlfriend/co-worker was a co-owner of his winning ticket thinking he would avoid splitting his winnings with his estrange wife. His wife went to court and divorced him and also got half of his share of the winnings and the girlfriend decided to go her own way with her half and he ended up with just a quarter of the winnings which should have been all his.
I remember years ago when Ohio SuperLotto had $50M+ jackpots, a guy from Pennsylvania and his wife had drifted apart and was pretty much living their own lives happily with no problems until he won the Ohio lottery jackpot of $60M. His wife had shacked up with some guy and he claimed his girlfriend/co-worker was a co-owner of his winning ticket thinking he would avoid splitting his winnings with his estrange wife. His wife went to court and divorced him and also got half of his share of the winnings and the girlfriend decided to go her own way with her half and he ended up with just a quarter of the winnings which should have been all his.
This is why I wouldn't tell my wife...not that we would get a divorce...I do not fear that...rather it is the point that she doesn't believe that I am still playing the lottery...so if I told her I (we) had won, she would know that I had not stopped playing the lottery. In this case, this guy brought this all upon himself...sucker! But at least he is a 1/4 Ohio SuperLotto jackpot sucker...better that than a never have won the jackpot sucker!
Quote: Originally posted by justxploring on Apr 17, 2007
I know Old School is joking, but it doesn't matter whether someone's spouse approves or disapproves of the lottery or what a person tells his/her spouse. Although the Law in each state is different, if 2 people are legally married when the ticket is purchased, then it usually is considered to be joint property. Sure it's very possible to hide assets, and many people do, but that means you are lying on a legal document about them. You can always get a cheap no-contest divorce, but it's still lying if you don't list the lottery ticket where it asks you to list your income, your property and its estimated value.
I wouldn't be trying to hide assets...oh my wife would know that our investment account would be huge...she would just think that I found a nice line of wealthy clients and businesses in my line of work...she would never know were the proceeds came from...yes, I know I would have to file taxes and that the lottery commission would send me a W-2G with "Lottery Commission" clearly printed on the outside of the envelop...that is why I would direct all lottery commission mail to a newly opened Post Office Box at my local post office and when we have our taxes done by a tax pro, I would cover up the line for lottery/gambling winnings as we review it so that she never sees the source (that might be the weak link in all my plans to keep it secret from my wife). And no, she doesn't surf lottery websites...she's more into the fundamental christian websites.
I remember years ago when Ohio SuperLotto had $50M+ jackpots, a guy from Pennsylvania and his wife had drifted apart and was pretty much living their own lives happily with no problems until he won the Ohio lottery jackpot of $60M. His wife had shacked up with some guy and he claimed his girlfriend/co-worker was a co-owner of his winning ticket thinking he would avoid splitting his winnings with his estrange wife. His wife went to court and divorced him and also got half of his share of the winnings and the girlfriend decided to go her own way with her half and he ended up with just a quarter of the winnings which should have been all his.
that story is a nightmare because he had to give money to people who didnt want him anymore... but at least like the person above me said he has a quarter of the jackpot...
RJOH: you mean to tell me that Ohio had a SuperLotto similar to California's Superlotto...starting at $7 million and increasing with each rollover just slightly less so than MM or PB? What happened?! I see your current lotto is getting up there, but it can't compare with CA SuperLotto.
I remember years ago when Ohio SuperLotto had $50M+ jackpots, a guy from Pennsylvania and his wife had drifted apart and was pretty much living their own lives happily with no problems until he won the Ohio lottery jackpot of $60M. His wife had shacked up with some guy and he claimed his girlfriend/co-worker was a co-owner of his winning ticket thinking he would avoid splitting his winnings with his estrange wife. His wife went to court and divorced him and also got half of his share of the winnings and the girlfriend decided to go her own way with her half and he ended up with just a quarter of the winnings which should have been all his.
I disagree that it should have been all his. Legally, half belonged to his estranged wife. Then he had to go and try to cheat her out of her share by involving a person who would not have had a claim otherwise, and the fool ended up with only half of his share.
I think justice was served, and if I were his estranged/ex-wife wife, I'd be laughing my ass off everytime I enjoyed spending my full share.
Just one more reason to see a GOOD attorney before hopping off to cash the ticket.
Quote: Originally posted by OldSchoolPa on Apr 17, 2007
RJOH: you mean to tell me that Ohio had a SuperLotto similar to California's Superlotto...starting at $7 million and increasing with each rollover just slightly less so than MM or PB? What happened?! I see your current lotto is getting up there, but it can't compare with CA SuperLotto.
At the time Ohio had the best game in the area, its jackpot increased $4M or more after every drawings if no one won so people from all five surrounding states played and often won. Then Ohio decided that the maximum amount it would pay on a single ticket was $20M regardless of the jackpot size because some lawmakers thought more than $20M was more than a single player deserved and out of state players stopped playing. Before Ohio got rid of that rules the other states lotteries became more popular and Ohio never regain it popularity and it added MegaMillions after Ohioan started going out of state to play PowerBall and BigGame.
Quote: Originally posted by LuckyLilly on Apr 17, 2007
I disagree that it should have been all his. Legally, half belonged to his estranged wife. Then he had to go and try to cheat her out of her share by involving a person who would not have had a claim otherwise, and the fool ended up with only half of his share.
I think justice was served, and if I were his estranged/ex-wife wife, I'd be laughing my ass off everytime I enjoyed spending my full share.
Just one more reason to see a GOOD attorney before hopping off to cash the ticket.
When his wife became estranged and started shacking up with another guy he should have divorced her then but that's what happens when a person doesn't take care of those legal things in a timely manner.
If he wasn't planning on having a family with any those women then he would have been better off to have just played house and that way he could have just moved on when he won the lottery and kept it all.
lol bless his lil heart.....he tried
Although my wife and I have made a pact that we will never consider divorce as an option in our relationship, this is exactly why men and women who play the lottery absent their spouses participation should keep any win secret. Just kidding. But actually I wouldn't tell my wife if I ever won the lottery...she doesn't condone me playing it, so since she doesn't know I still play it, she doesn't need to know when I win it either. Great logic don't you think?! Well, hopefully for this guy he is on good terms with his children....he might need a place to stay since the house is in her name...how smart was that now?!!!
im single and i dont have any kids but it sounds like winning the lottery does put a strain on a few relationships.
OlsSchoolPa
"...she doesn't condone me playing it, so since she doesn't know I still play it,..."
If she's lurking on this board she knows now...
Sorry, but just couldn't resist
I know Old School is joking, but it doesn't matter whether someone's spouse approves or disapproves of the lottery or what a person tells his/her spouse. Although the Law in each state is different, if 2 people are legally married when the ticket is purchased, then it usually is considered to be joint property. Sure it's very possible to hide assets, and many people do, but that means you are lying on a legal document about them. You can always get a cheap no-contest divorce, but it's still lying if you don't list the lottery ticket where it asks you to list your income, your property and its estimated value.
Money creates many options. Unfortunately, many couples stay together for financial reasons. Excess funds give people the option of looking for more personal happiness; hence, they divorce. It may be for the best.
I remember years ago when Ohio SuperLotto had $50M+ jackpots, a guy from Pennsylvania and his wife had drifted apart and was pretty much living their own lives happily with no problems until he won the Ohio lottery jackpot of $60M. His wife had shacked up with some guy and he claimed his girlfriend/co-worker was a co-owner of his winning ticket thinking he would avoid splitting his winnings with his estrange wife. His wife went to court and divorced him and also got half of his share of the winnings and the girlfriend decided to go her own way with her half and he ended up with just a quarter of the winnings which should have been all his.
This is why I wouldn't tell my wife...not that we would get a divorce...I do not fear that...rather it is the point that she doesn't believe that I am still playing the lottery...so if I told her I (we) had won, she would know that I had not stopped playing the lottery. In this case, this guy brought this all upon himself...sucker! But at least he is a 1/4 Ohio SuperLotto jackpot sucker...better that than a never have won the jackpot sucker!
I wouldn't be trying to hide assets...oh my wife would know that our investment account would be huge...she would just think that I found a nice line of wealthy clients and businesses in my line of work...she would never know were the proceeds came from...yes, I know I would have to file taxes and that the lottery commission would send me a W-2G with "Lottery Commission" clearly printed on the outside of the envelop...that is why I would direct all lottery commission mail to a newly opened Post Office Box at my local post office and when we have our taxes done by a tax pro, I would cover up the line for lottery/gambling winnings as we review it so that she never sees the source (that might be the weak link in all my plans to keep it secret from my wife). And no, she doesn't surf lottery websites...she's more into the fundamental christian websites.
that story is a nightmare because he had to give money to people who didnt want him anymore... but at least like the person above me said he has a quarter of the jackpot...
RJOH: you mean to tell me that Ohio had a SuperLotto similar to California's Superlotto...starting at $7 million and increasing with each rollover just slightly less so than MM or PB? What happened?! I see your current lotto is getting up there, but it can't compare with CA SuperLotto.
I disagree that it should have been all his. Legally, half belonged to his estranged wife. Then he had to go and try to cheat her out of her share by involving a person who would not have had a claim otherwise, and the fool ended up with only half of his share.
I think justice was served, and if I were his estranged/ex-wife wife, I'd be laughing my ass off everytime I enjoyed spending my full share.
Just one more reason to see a GOOD attorney before hopping off to cash the ticket.
At the time Ohio had the best game in the area, its jackpot increased $4M or more after every drawings if no one won so people from all five surrounding states played and often won. Then Ohio decided that the maximum amount it would pay on a single ticket was $20M regardless of the jackpot size because some lawmakers thought more than $20M was more than a single player deserved and out of state players stopped playing. Before Ohio got rid of that rules the other states lotteries became more popular and Ohio never regain it popularity and it added MegaMillions after Ohioan started going out of state to play PowerBall and BigGame.
When his wife became estranged and started shacking up with another guy he should have divorced her then but that's what happens when a person doesn't take care of those legal things in a timely manner.
If he wasn't planning on having a family with any those women then he would have been better off to have just played house and that way he could have just moved on when he won the lottery and kept it all.