Includes video report
SANFORD, Fla. — A retired Florida school teacher is back in court this week, fighting to keep her $1 million dollar lottery win.
Her live-in boyfriend at the time, Howard Browning, says the couple had a more than 10 year oral agreement that if either won the lottery, they would split the money. This case went to trial back in 2012, and teacher Lynne Poirer won that case, but the Supreme Court of Florida sent the case back for retrial.
In front of Judge Melanie Chase, Browning took the stand to describe that oral agreement between the two. He even testified that he paid the cash for the winning ticket at an Oviedo convenience store.
"It was her idea that we start buying tickets together, and we would split the winnings together, and we was going to use to fix the place up... I handed Lynn 20 dollars to buy the first ticket."
Browning told the jury after the drawing just before July 4th, Lynne Poirer disappeared for days. Browning quizzed her when she finally returned.
"She said, 'did you hear?' I said 'about what? You mean about our lottery ticket?' I think that's what I said, 'about our lottery ticket'? And I said, 'you know that's half mine.' And I asked her and I said 'where is my half of the money?' And she just smiled."
Browning spent the afternoon answering questions about why he did not split the proceeds from a raffle ticket he bought that won him a new Mustang. The trial is expected to last a week.
VIDEO: Watch the news report
Thanks to maximumfun for the tip.
Shaking up together is fraught with dangers. Legal and financial problems. Be careful.
Lottery players who are in this type of relationship should pay attention to this case.
If you live with someone for 10 years in a bf/gf relationship, why wouldn't you want to split the money with them? Good enough to share your bed, but not your success? I hope she loses.
Well, he didn't split his raffle win with her. I might balk too depending on what the relationship was like.
ok 10 years you should have been married by now she wasn't good enough to share your name so you get what you get she don't owe you a thing
Believe me, you can live with someone for 10 years and still not trust them or even LIKE them. Since we don't know the situation regarding their relationship in this 'He Said/She Said' battle, I'm going to reserve any bets on a winner...except the lawyers.
Since I,m A betting person,the dude won,t get anything.
Money and relationships sometimes don't mix.
If they had it in writing, they wouldn't have the problem they're facing now.
She's wrong for not splitting the jackpot with him, and he didn't split the value of the car he won.
I wonder if they were on the outs when she won or if had she not won, would they have not split-up.
On a side note : l still think Val Kilmer should have won an Oscar for his portrayal as Doc Holliday. *.Best supporting!
Yeah now that she won it's our ticket. How can you take any oral agreement at face value? Anybody can say anything about whatever, where is the hard evidence?
I couldn't have said this better myself!!!
This dude wants it both ways. I'm sorry sir it doesn't work that way.
But a good cautionary tale about what could happen if you shack up with someone
True this!! lol
He needs to give her half the value of what he won (at the time he won it--cars depreciate as we all know). Once he does that she should give him half of what she won because they were both buying tickets. Or it can be deducted from his half of her winnings.
He should not get the car AND half of her winnings.
"he did not split the proceeds from a raffle ticket he bought that won him a new Mustang."
Oopsie. Obviously you can't give somebody half of a car, but you can chip in for their car payments, pay a bigger share of household expenses, or pay for a vacation. It would be interesting to know what he said about not sharing with her.
Great point