NY man claims friend broke deal to split lottery prize, files lawsuit

Aug 4, 2015, 8:27 am (19 comments)

New York Lottery

A Queens, New York, man claims one of his best friends is bilking him out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, after improbably striking the jackpot on a lottery ticket the two had agreed to split — and refusing to share the million dollar bounty.

Terry Hollenquest, 52, a barber and business consultant, alleges that he and his neighbor and longtime buddy Leonard (John) Owens hatched the get-rich plan a year ago.

The two men would play the lotto every day, under the agreement that if either somehow won big — more than $100,000 — and they still lived next to each other, they would split it the take.

"If I were to leave and move to the Poconos, the agreement is void," Hollenquest explained. The barber says the two men shook on the compact in front of their houses in Ozone Park on July 6, 2014, an agreement he believes should never be broken.

"We're from the South," Hollenquest said about the friend he said was one of his closest. "All a man has is his word. Once you give a handshake, it's locked and sealed."

Hollenquest says he and Owens began spending about $20-50 a day each on lottery tickets and scratch-offs.

Miraculously, Owens got lucky, winning a $1 million payout on a $2 scratcher he purchased at a local bodega on June 27, a bounty confirmed by the New York State Gaming Commission — about $500,000 after taxes and fees.

"I almost fell off the bench," the retiree told the Gaming Commission about unveiling the prize. Owens claimed the prize on June 29, the Commission said.

But when he told Hollenquest about the haul, he said that he wasn't giving up a cent, Hollenquest claims.

Now Hollenquest, who owns a barbershop in Jamaica, has filed a lawsuit against Owens, asking for $300,000 in damages for the alleged breach of their agreement.

Hollenquest, who's acting as his own lawyer, says he prefers to take people to court rather than "handle it in the streets."

"Money is the root of all evil," Hollenquest acknowledged.

Over the years of working with friends and businesses in the neighborhood, he claims he's taken four people to court by himself, and gotten a favorable result every time.

Then again, Owens seems to be riding a streak of unfathomable good luck.

The state sells 23 million of the specific Win For Life scratcher that Owens hit on per year; in the nearly two years since it launched, there have only been 11 jackpot winners.

A man who answered the door at Owens' residence refused to answer a reporter's questions.

A worker at the Foch Grocery bodega, about a block away from Hollenquest and Owens' houses, said that the ticket winner was keeping a low profile.

"He didn't tell anybody," worker Luis Madrid said, pointing to a poster announcing the winning ticket mounted on the store's door. "But everybody knows."

Owens told the State Gaming Commission that he hadn't decided what he was going to do with the cash bonanza.

"I just want to enjoy myself and not have to worry about paying bills anymore," he said. "And I know my wife can retire now."

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

NY Daily News, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

mypiemaster's avatarmypiemaster

When are people gonna learn that these kinds of lottery relationships usually ends up in the toilet. He who has himself for a client.....

zephbe's avatarzephbe

If it is not in writing, it didn't happen.  Anyone else can say the winner made the same hand shake deal with them.  Congrats to the winner.

cbr$'s avatarcbr$

Congratulation to the winner. MAY BE !  They still live next door to each other. This could go south & get ugly before court.

MaximumMillions

"All a man has is his word. Once you give a handshake, it's locked and sealed."

 

A man also has his name, so get it in writing.

Can't believe these lotto scroungers clog up the courts with their idiotic cases.

music*'s avatarmusic*

Lottery pool rules apply here.  If you play with one or more other players then get it in writing. 

 You are so right MaximumMillions these cases clog up our courts. 

 Pool players say to themselves,"We trust each other and this money will not change us."

ALLboutMONEY

"for the love of money is at the root of all evil"

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

In these types of lawsuits I hope if the plaintiff loses then he has to reimburse the defendant for attorney fees incurred. It's only fair.

ElinaSammy2081's avatarElinaSammy2081

No proof no money.

dpoly1's avatardpoly1

Maybe we can send Owens a box of tissues

He can prove nothing

No Pity!

myturn's avatarmyturn

It was a verbal agreement, which is very difficult and expensive to enforce. I never get involved in lottery pools, I only play by subscription as an individual, never in a group.

noise-gate

Image result for breaking promises

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

Things like this are one of the reasons I play by myself and I don't make promises of splitting wins with anyone. If you're going to play with other people, it's best to have  a written contract of some sort made out.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by music* on Aug 4, 2015

Lottery pool rules apply here.  If you play with one or more other players then get it in writing. 

 You are so right MaximumMillions these cases clog up our courts. 

 Pool players say to themselves,"We trust each other and this money will not change us."

For there to be a contract all parties must contribute for the benefits of everyone.  In a pool when each member contribute money to buy the tickets that condition is met. 

Accord to this guy each guy was to buy any amount of tickets he wanted using his own and if either ever hit for a $100K or more they would split it between them.  There is no proof that each contributed equally to this venture or anything, as far as is known the only one to buy a ticket was the winner.

If courts allowed people to claim half of what their neighbors own by simply touching hands this country would be in chaos.  He don't have a case.

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Quote: Originally posted by ThatScaryChick on Aug 5, 2015

Things like this are one of the reasons I play by myself and I don't make promises of splitting wins with anyone. If you're going to play with other people, it's best to have  a written contract of some sort made out.

If people want to share your lottery winnings, they should contribute some money toward the cost of playing, a hand shake  won't buy a ticket.

rgse90

Money is the root of all evil.  Mother sues daughter, in-laws sue one another, husband and wife sue each other. Unless you get it in writing I would not trust anyone, not even if they said they were Jesus Christ himself, unless it was in writing period. I am sorry to say we do not live in a society that honors word of mouth of the hand shake agreements. This is not 50 years or 70 years ago when peoples word was their bond and people lived by that bond. Today no one has respect period. MY cousin won the Pennsylvania lottery in the late 70's early 80's. She worked for Kodak and had moved with them from Queens to Pa. She was in charge of getting the lottery tickets for her office. In those days no one thought of making copies of tickets. On a holiday weekend she realized they had hit./ Now now one would have been the wiser but because she was brought up in a different era she went into work and told her co-workers they won. They shared a 3 million dollar pot and got about 25-30 thousand for 26 years. It did not make them rich but her honor and hr dignity was in tack and she can sleep at night knowing she did the right thing. That is wonderful karma.

rgse90

The divorce letter,

Dear wife,
I'm writing you this letter to tell you that I'm leaving you forever. I've been a good man to you for 7 years & I have nothing to show for it. These last 2 weeks have been hell.......Your boss called to tell me that you quit your job today & that was the last straw. Last week, you came home & didn't notice I had a new haircut, had cooked your favorite meal & even wore a brand new pair of silk boxers. You ate in 2 minutes, & went straight to sleep after watching all of your soaps. You don't tell me you love me anymore: you don't want sex or anything that connects us as husband and wife. Either you're cheating on me or you don't love me anymore: whatever the case, I'm gone. Your ex-husband

P.S. Don't try to find me. Your SISTER and I are moving to West Virginia together! Have a great life!

Dear Ex-Husband,

Nothing has made my day more than receiving your letter. It's true you & ! have been married for 7 years, although a good man is a far cry from what you've been. I watch my soaps so much because they drown out your constant whining & griping, too bad that doesn't work. I DID notice when you got your haircut last week, but the 1st thing that came to my mind was "You look just like a girl." Since my mother raised me not to say anything if you can't say something nice, I didn't comment. And when you cooked my favorite meal, you must have gotten me confused with MY SISTER, because I stopped eating pork 7 years ago. About those new silk boxers: I turned away from you because the $49.99 price tag was still on them & I prayed it was a coincidence that my SISTER had just borrowed $50 from me this morning. After all of this I still loved you & felt we could work it out. So when I hit the lottery for 10 million dollars, I quit my job & bought us 2 tickets to Jamaica. But when I got home you were gone. Everything happens for a reason, I guess. I hope you have a fulfilling life you always wanted. My lawyer said that the letter you wrote ensures you won't get a dime from me. So take care.

Signed, Your Ex-wife, Rich as hell & FREE.

P.S. I don't know if I ever told you this, but my SISTER Carla was born Carl. I hope that's not a problem.

river26

when  i  win  i  dont  tell  anyone,  last  week  i  won  600  on  pick  3   a  lady said to  me  i  know   how  come  u  did  not  tell  me  what  number  u  played she  was  upset  i  won, never said  congradulations,,  so  i  never  tell  anyone

CSense's avatarCSense

Exactly, and someone needed to remind the man that it's the love of money that's the root of all evil not money being the root of all evil.  It's a shame such a long time friendship ended like this but like that phrase goes...if someone show you who they really are believe them. He must have missed some small red flag that his friend would go back on his words.

I do not make agreement with nobody to split a big lottery win. I buy tickets myself as well as pay for my own lottery games like Mega Million. If I win big, like in millions, I will give everybody in my family enough money like a trust funds so they can't spend it all off crazily.

savagegoose's avatarsavagegoose

yeas, the  " lets spend  money, and if anyone wins we'll share " is a broken deal from the get go.  there is no  obligation for either to spend any money,  yet an obligation to  give half the winnings?  THINK ABOUT THAT.   no, " we'll both spend X$ ea draw and  have the same number of tickets "

in my time i have had people tell me  how they will share their winnings, people i know almost never buy any lotto tickets! where as I buy  in every draw there is. where is the  equity in that sort of deal? there is none. after hearing it enough i started mentioning the fact they dont buy tickets and im  not interested in sharing their fantasy wins, where are they getting their winning ticket?will someone be leaving it in their mail box? ill keep my winnings and  they can keep theirs. I also  try and make suxk   challenges infront of  as large a  group of people as well, just so   people can get a real look at what sort of ass theyre dealing with....

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