Woman prepares for 9 months before claiming $8.8M lottery jackpot

Aug 22, 2008, 10:18 pm (22 comments)

Connecticut Lottery

Backcountry resident Lynn Hagerbrant knew she'd hit the jackpot just a day after she bought her winning lottery ticket — yet she waited nearly nine months to cash in on the $8.8 million prize.

After checking her Quick Pick numbers online on Nov. 24, 2007, Hagerbrant said she realized the CT Lottery Classic Lotto ticket she'd bought at a Putnam Avenue Exxon the previous day was a winner — the single winning ticket, in fact.

Her winning numbers were:  4, 7, 10, 23, 28, and 38.

But instead of rushing to claim her prize, Hagerbrant decided to call her lawyers — mainly, she said, for assistance making long-term plans for her family's estate, as well as to ensure "added security" for her children.

"We're very careful people," Hagerbrant, a retired nurse, said. "We wanted to take more time, as a family, to figure it all out."

While the Hagerbrants were planning how they would spend the money, state lottery officials were beginning to wonder whether the prize would go unclaimed, as has been the fate of about a dozen other jackpots during the game's 25-year history.

With nobody stepping forward and less than three months remaining before the ticket would become invalid under state rules, lottery officials on Monday held a meeting to plan a statewide media blitz urging the winner to file a claim.

"Nine months is a long time," Lotto spokeswoman Diane Patterson said. "We were at a point where we decided we needed to begin searching."

But as luck would have it, the winner decided to show up and present her ticket to lottery officials just hours after they'd met, Patterson said. Hagerbrant opted to take the one-time cash lump sum value of $5,430,424, which, after tax deductions, totaled $3,801,297.

Now nearly $4 million richer, Hagerbrant said she and her family plan to invest the money wisely.  No blowout parties or month-long vacations — "We're being prudent," she said, adding that "most of it is going into a nest egg." She declined to elaborate.

Hagerbrant, a volunteer for the Greenwich Coalition to Combat Underage Drinking, said she was pleased that her winning lottery ticket also will provide cash infusions for state education and health programs.

A portion of lottery proceeds goes to the state's "general fund" — which receives 34 cents on every dollar spent on a ticket — for programs in education, conservation, Medicaid and public health services, Patterson said. In fiscal year 2008, the Lottery transferred $283 million to the state's "general fund," with about $64.3 million directed to libraries, higher education and the state's Department of Education.

"My family and I, we're very involved in all sorts of charities," Hagerbrant said. "We're thrilled the money is going to some very good causes in educational social services."

The chance of winning the jackpot was roughly one in 7.1 million, though the chances of winning a prize in Classic Lotto is one in 39.3.

Thanks to mulamula for the tip.

Greenwich Time

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sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

9 months is a long time for a lot to go wrong, I would never wait that long. However I did all my preparing already unlike most jackpot winners who are taken by surprise. She knew she would win? Yeah OK. That is what everyone says about every ticket they buy, then it is quite easy to say that when it finally happens...luckily.

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

In Florida you only have 60 days from the date of the drawing to choose a lump sum, so waiting isn't an option unless the winner wants to take the annuity.

However, I would never wait that long.  I always say I'd be calm and take time to think about what I want to do, etc., but that little piece of paper isn't worth much to the winner until it's validated.  Just thinking about it sitting in a safe deposit box or hiding under my bed would be nerve-racking, so I have to give this lady credit for her patience.  I understand that people want to be careful, but a month or 2 should be plenty of time to make plans.  There's no rule saying you can't decide what to do with your life after you pickup the check. 

In any case, congratulations to the family. 

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

I wouldn't wait that long either, but she won and not me and people do what they feel is best for them. Congrats to her!

Texas MadMan's avatarTexas MadMan

I think it would probably take me 2 to 3 months to figure everything out before claiming the jackpot.  It would be VERY hard not to rush into it, but I think you could save yourself a TON of money in taxes if you took the time to consult some advisors.  It would be worth the wait.  Congrats to her!

DC81's avatarDC81

Congrats to her but nine months? Really? I know it wasn't Powerball or Megamillions size jackpot but you'd think her lawyer would have suggested claiming it in a trust or partnership just to keep her and her family out of the press release, which is a legal way to do it in CT from what little bit I read. I guess that security was only in a financial sense, speaking of which, how much potential interest and dividends did she lose waiting almost a year? How much is the lawyer(s) getting for apparently working with them for nine months? Maybe I'm crazy (okay, no maybes) but that just seems waaaaay to long of time to get everything in order and then just claiming it and outing yourself. Even MM/PB winners who've won 20 times that much (and even some who won the base JP) claimed in a fraction of the time as part of a trust and kept their names out of the news.

sirbrad's avatarsirbrad

It also depends on how knowledgeable you are about investing. Sure advisors and lawyers want you to wait, they want to get their cut. For me a few weeks would be plenty as I already have my plans mapped out. It also depends on the size of the jackpot as to whether I seek further investment advice. Also I am sure they "have no plans changing much." LOL

Nino224's avatarNino224

Nine months??? Prudent is one thing, but this is absurd. Think of all the things that could've happened to that ticket or even her in that time. And like somebody said, how much in dividends has she lost already by not investing it? It sounds to me like they don't really need the money. It's just added security.

I've been dreaming about winning for so long I have the whole thing mapped out, down to what I'm naming the Trust and where I'll invest. And believe me, it won't take me 9 months to get that gravy train rolling. Puh-lease!

Gracie Girl

I am not a math wizard...but  I would like to know what amount of money was lost in interest over the 9 months...I mean the interest on 4 million over 9 months would have been a couple hundred thousand right? If you are truly prudent,you do not let that kind of money run through your hands..Not to mention that if you are truly prudent ,generally you do not spend money on lottery to begin with...My fears would have also been with the disappearance of the ticket,rather intentional,accidental or whatever....fires,floods they happen.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

This is an incredible story. I agree with the posters here saying nine months is a looonnnngggg time to sit on a winner like that.

Remember a few years ago when a woman had bought a ticket some months prior to Christmas, and waited til Christmas to give it to her husband gift-wrapped in a box, and she said, "This was the best I could do this year".

Elizabeth03's avatarElizabeth03

The woman is foolish, I wouldn't wait 9 months to claim a winning ticket! I don't like the neighborhood I live in so I'd want to go the lottery corporation as fast as I could, and then happily move away!

Hurray!Group Hug

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

i looked at ing direct pays 3.7% interest that sounds about right

 

so 3.8 mill x .037 =  0.1406 or 140k a year

 

div by 12  x 9 for how much in 9 months

or about 105k

 

still it sounds like they'll be getting 105k  every 9 months for the rest of forever, i dont think missing out on the 1st payment is going to matter all that much in the grand scheme of things.

Nino224's avatarNino224

The woman is foolish, I wouldn't wait 9 months to claim a winning ticket! I don't like the neighborhood I live in so I'd want to go the lottery corporation as fast as I could, and then happily move away!

 

LMFAO!!!!!!

Elizabeth03's avatarElizabeth03

what does LMFAO mean"?Coffee

lottocalgal's avatarlottocalgal

Quote: Originally posted by Coin Toss on Aug 23, 2008

This is an incredible story. I agree with the posters here saying nine months is a looonnnngggg time to sit on a winner like that.

Remember a few years ago when a woman had bought a ticket some months prior to Christmas, and waited til Christmas to give it to her husband gift-wrapped in a box, and she said, "This was the best I could do this year".

Priceless!

I think that was a beautiful thing to do.  Talk about a merry xmas.  A few merry xmases and birthdays and anniversaries!  Still OMHO, that is a heckuva looooong time to wait.  I think it would take me only a few weeks. I will start looking for and interviewing representation the very next day and will go to claim my prize the day after all paperwork with those firms are finalized. Of course I talk that talk now,  but I pray that I would have the patience to do it  WHEN then time comes.Banana

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