Salon lottery winners settle dispute

Aug 22, 2013, 6:34 am (143 comments)

Indiana Lottery

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — "You'd think it should be an enjoyable time, winning the lottery," said Lucy Lewis-Johnston, "but it hasn't been the case at all."

Lewis-Johnston is one of eight Indianapolis hair stylists who fought over one winning ticket. They were all part of a lottery pool last February at Lou's Creative Styles, the salon Lewis-Johnston owns.

(See Hair stylists spar over $9.5M Hoosier Lotto jackpot, Lottery Post, Feb. 22, 2013.)

The woman who bought the ticket said the winner was one she bought for herself — not for the group.

"We were betrayed," said Lewis-Johnston.

Suddenly, people who Lewis-Johnston felt were "salon sisters" were divided.

"We have been living on a yo-yo string, basically. Up and down. Up and down," she said

Seven stylists went to court against the eighth to fight for what they perceived as their share of a $9.5 million Hoosier Lottery jackpot.

Wednesday afternoon, Lewis-Johnston said the case had been settled. But, the agreement forbids her from revealing the distribution. All she could say was, "it wasn't what we deserve. You know, we deserved to get our equal share and we did not." They find happiness knowing that "a couple women that are ill are going to be able to stop working, possibly stop working, or cut their hours back and not work as hard as they've had to work."

The case reminds her that money isn't everything, as the saying goes.

"You can buy anything you want with money," she said. "But you can't buy love and you can't buy family members back, you know."

Lewis-Johnston said the woman who bought the ticket no longer works at the east side salon. They've seen each other only when their case required it.

The remaining salon sisters still play the lottery.

Lewis-Johnston said they still don't have a written agreement about how they play it because they still trust each other. And, after this "nightmare," she's inclined to believe no agreement is necessary. "I don't think it could happen, twice, to the same people."

WISH

Comments

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Wednesday afternoon, Lewis-Johnston said the case had been settled. But, the agreement forbids her from revealing the distribution. All she could say was, "it wasn't what we deserve. You know, we deserved to get our equal share and we did not."

It serves them right for not knowing which tickets were part of the pool and which were not. I feel that if you're gonna be lazy and not take interest in anything you are doing then you cannot complain of unfairness when things don't turn out your way. They should have got nothing.

dr65's avatardr65

Just buy your own tickets and drain the pool. I wonder how many tickets were purchased that day
for the pool players and how many she purchased for herself on 'the side'.
Greed strikes in places you'd least expect it to, you just can't trust anyone. Even family. There have
been countless times where someone stabbed someone else in the back over money. My gosh when
are people going to learn anything?
It's all fun and games until someone wins a jackpot. That's when things get dirty.

schmuckatelly's avatarschmuckatelly

And yet they still don't have an agreement and dont think it can happen twice to the same people and they still trust each other.

Didn't this happen because they thought there was trust?

Didn't this happen because there was no agreement?

If you are still playing in a pool, it could happen again. 

hearsetrax's avatarhearsetrax

Twitchfurther proof the only good pool has water in it

 

 ole swimming hole

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Quote: Originally posted by schmuckatelly on Aug 22, 2013

And yet they still don't have an agreement and dont think it can happen twice to the same people and they still trust each other.

Didn't this happen because they thought there was trust?

Didn't this happen because there was no agreement?

If you are still playing in a pool, it could happen again. 

I Agree!

CLETU$

Quote: Originally posted by schmuckatelly on Aug 22, 2013

And yet they still don't have an agreement and dont think it can happen twice to the same people and they still trust each other.

Didn't this happen because they thought there was trust?

Didn't this happen because there was no agreement?

If you are still playing in a pool, it could happen again. 

STUPID is as STUPID does!

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Aug 22, 2013

Wednesday afternoon, Lewis-Johnston said the case had been settled. But, the agreement forbids her from revealing the distribution. All she could say was, "it wasn't what we deserve. You know, we deserved to get our equal share and we did not."

It serves them right for not knowing which tickets were part of the pool and which were not. I feel that if you're gonna be lazy and not take interest in anything you are doing then you cannot complain of unfairness when things don't turn out your way. They should have got nothing.

"I make copies at work and pass them out at work," 

According to the one who bought the ticket, they did know which tickets were part of the pool. All the circumstances surrounding this story are weird and it includes the settlement.

"Had that woman brought her winning ticket to the Hoosier Lottery headquarters, she would have claimed her money no questions asked.  Instead, she went to the salon first and told them their pool didn't win, but she did.  That's when they decided to file a court order to freeze that money."

Had the seven others really believed and had real evidence the ticket was part of the pool, why did they settle for much less?

Since we don't know the size of the settlement, it's possible the person with the ticket offered a much smaller amount to stop them from dragging it out in court and collectively the seven decided their case wasn't that strong. And based on what Lewis-Johnston said, I guessing the seven split $1 million or less. When PB and MM have huge jackpots, there are probably millions of verbal agreements between player and it's possible verbal agreements were made by this group in the past and why there is a settlement for much less.

Stack47

Quote: Originally posted by schmuckatelly on Aug 22, 2013

And yet they still don't have an agreement and dont think it can happen twice to the same people and they still trust each other.

Didn't this happen because they thought there was trust?

Didn't this happen because there was no agreement?

If you are still playing in a pool, it could happen again. 

"Didn't this happen because there was no agreement?"

I'm guessing verbal agreements were made in the past and having every member of a pool sign a 20 page legal waiver takes the fun out of forming a pool. If someone asked me to contribute $2 a drawing to join their pool, but I had to first sign a legal document in front of Notary, I'd probably say "no thanks" because nothing in the document would benefit me.

"If you are still playing in a pool, it could happen again."

I was in a pool of 30 players and two of the players formed another pool between themselves, won, and they split a $20 million jackpot. Since neither of them ran the 30 player pool, there was no controversy from 27 of the other players, but 20 years later one guy still says he was cheated because him and one of the two winners had agreed to give the other a large share if either won a jackpot.

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

TRUST AND VERIFY

...always get a copy of all the tickets purchased for the pool.

...always get the names of everyone participating in the pool.

...always get the amount contributed by each member.

...always get and document the number of shares puchased by each member.

Failure to follow these guidelines, will potentially elevate you to the status of SUCKER OF THE CENTURY, if your pool happens to win.

Those who fail to learn from history, are bound to repeat it.

miracleplay5's avatarmiracleplay5

Quote: Originally posted by hearsetrax on Aug 22, 2013

Twitchfurther proof the only good pool has water in it

 

 ole swimming hole

ROFLThe cons of having a lottery pool.no pun intended.there are more stories like this.what I dont understand is that they are still playing, but doubt they will win again "because they cant see it happening to the same people twice".What?

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by dr65 on Aug 22, 2013

Just buy your own tickets and drain the pool. I wonder how many tickets were purchased that day
for the pool players and how many she purchased for herself on 'the side'.
Greed strikes in places you'd least expect it to, you just can't trust anyone. Even family. There have
been countless times where someone stabbed someone else in the back over money. My gosh when
are people going to learn anything?
It's all fun and games until someone wins a jackpot. That's when things get dirty.

you just can't trust anyone

  I Agree!I Agree!

schmuckatelly's avatarschmuckatelly

Quote: Originally posted by miracleplay5 on Aug 22, 2013

ROFLThe cons of having a lottery pool.no pun intended.there are more stories like this.what I dont understand is that they are still playing, but doubt they will win again "because they cant see it happening to the same people twice".What?


Actually I think she means another controversy..but if she did mean winning again, then why is she playing????

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by CLETU$ on Aug 22, 2013

STUPID is as STUPID does!

Agree with stupid         Thumbs Up

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by helpmewin on Aug 22, 2013

you just can't trust anyone

  I Agree!I Agree!

I can trust everyone if I want to. 

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