Minnesota couple claim $11.7M Hot Lotto jackpot

Comment #35

Drenick1 — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:37:39 GMT

I totally agree! very valid points.

Comment #34

Scratch$ — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:59:25 GMT

I don't think they were wise to publicly give out all the personal information they did. If I hit a big JP, I wouldn't do any interviews whatsoever, nor allow any photos. Many lotteries don't guarantee anonymity, but I wouldn't give them any additional info beyond what's required to claim the money.

Comment #33

RedStang — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 04:57:14 GMT

You would probably be reading about some guy raking leaves and finding the ticket.

Comment #32

Scratch$ — Thu, 11 Sep 2014 04:46:55 GMT

Good points

Comment #31

Saylorgirl — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 22:04:13 GMT

Its always a good idea to secure your ticket. And not just from burglaries/robberies you can also have fire and flood

Comment #30

maringoman — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:05:07 GMT

You know it . Good luck if you're playing tonite.

Comment #29

LottoLucy — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:51:40 GMT

For me the decision on when to claim would be based on two things..1) do I feel I need legal advice (do I need or could I hide behind a trust) and 2) what the lottery requires as far as publicity. If I won in a state that guarantees anonymity I would probably turn the ticket in right away. If it is a state where a natural person needs to claim (no trusts or LLC) I would probably wait and get my ducks in a row. I have read that winners are often overwhelmed with people seeking handouts and I prob... [ More ]

Comment #28

LottoLucy — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:40:48 GMT

I'm not so sure that the state will pay more taxes above and beyond that 32.5 percent. On the Minnesota Lottery's website it says that they pay the initial withholding and any withholding beyond that is the winner's responsibility. I was recently in MN and played Hot Lotto and I calculated out I would need an additional 16% to pay the rest of the tax liability for an 11 million dollar jackpot. Not that I would have complained at all!

In the good old days before multi state games most states h... [ More ]

Comment #27

Scratch$ — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:13:42 GMT

For whatever reason, some people will wait weeks to cash a winning lottery ticket or scratcher. Burglaries/robberies happen, if you own a safe it makes sense to secure it. That's what safes are for - securing valuables, and I personally consider an $11.7M lottery ticket to be valuable

Comment #26

shadowlady — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 16:06:46 GMT

Strangely enough, I have a small safe that I have owned for a couple of decades. I don't put much in it, but it is there in case I would need it.

But congratulations to the lucky couple.

Comment #25

Goteki54 — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:51:12 GMT

From that perspective, that does make sense to secure the ticket. Here in Maryland a winner can claim their jackpot anonymously. So if it was me, I wouldn't' think to much about someone breaking into my house to steal my ticket, but if I lived in a state where I had to go public, then securing the ticket would be priority number one.

Comment #24

Goteki54 — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:46:23 GMT

I'm sure that everybody who wins the lottery doesn't have a safe to put their winning ticket in, just saying. I have read stories about winners who were nervous wrecks about holding on to their jackpot tickets until they were able to come forward. That is why my comment was what it was.

Comment #23

Scratch$ — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 15:32:41 GMT

Nothing paranoid about keeping the ticket in a safe until time to go collect the winnings. However, I wouldn't have told anybody about the safe. Criminals read newspapers and websites too - so now some undoubtedly know:

The couple are multi-millionaires They live in a nice house in a fairly isolated area Where the wife works They have a safe full of guns Etc.

I wouldn't have given out as much personal info as this couple did, but to each his own.

Comment #22

HaveABall — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 14:45:01 GMT

Or, Goteki54, he had read on one of the lottery websites the suggestion to place the winning ticket in a safe. It makes instent sense (no negative thinking involved) that he put his ticket in the safe available to him.

Comment #21

Goteki54 — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 13:42:44 GMT

Funny how he went from joy one second to paranoia the next by stashing it in his gun safe. Looks like money has already changed him yet he didn't notice it. Anyways, the old saying is true. You got to play to win.

Comment #20

helpmewin — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:55:34 GMT

gun safe.

Comment #19

helpmewin — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:52:40 GMT

Congratulations Mr Mrs Joe Rhonda Meath Spend Wisely

Comment #18

Gleno — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 02:30:25 GMT

Big congratulations to the Meath's. Hope they get some guard dogs in addition to the 3 dogs they have already.Also hope they have some other protection out there in Minnesota heart-land.

Comment #17

noise-gate — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 00:42:02 GMT

Oh the Horror...

Comment #16

noise-gate — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 00:39:04 GMT

Looks like his daughter? I think not Artist77- she carries her age well but she does have laughlines and lines on her neck. Looks pretty good nonetheless.

Comment #15

Drenick1 — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 00:04:04 GMT

I had the same thought until I clicked on the picture.

Comment #14

Drenick1 — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 00:02:24 GMT

The story mentioned that the lottery in this particular case picks up both the federal and state tax. I realize the 32.5% is just the initial fed/state withholding but I think the Minnesota lottery will pay the balance due on April, 2015 as well.

I wish this were the case with all lottery games here in the states.

Comment #13

Saylorgirl — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 21:57:50 GMT

Great story, congratulations

Comment #12

HaveABall — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 21:12:49 GMT

Congratulations jackpot winner!

Expensive habit, finally moved from the reds into the black results lottery ticket! Finally able to deduct the majority loser tickets from remaining Federal Income Taxes he pays come April

Comment #11

Artist77 — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 20:56:10 GMT

A nice couple who also was active in the community. But she looks more like his daughter than his wife.lol

Comment #10

maringoman — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 20:42:15 GMT

Oh yeah, the Long Island guy with a second home in Vermont.

Comment #9

dallascowboyfan — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 20:15:40 GMT

Congratulation to Mr./Mrs. Meath class act on giving the cashier $15,000 for college.

Comment #8

Get paid — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 19:54:26 GMT

PERSISTENT payed off the guy said he plays every day. Congrats to the winners.

Comment #7

sully16 — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 19:54:15 GMT

Congrats to the lucky couple, enjoy

Comment #6

david1691 — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 18:11:45 GMT

Can you imagine if the ticket on his back seat would've blown out the window somehow. We'd then be reading about another unclaimed ticket due to expire.

Congratulations to the Meath's on their BIG win

Comment #5

IPlayWeekly — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 17:38:44 GMT

Despite what they think, their life will change. I would like to hear the 6mth story to see if she's still a waitress. They may live in the same area but will do different things, people change. Congrats.

Comment #4

noise-gate — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 16:50:25 GMT

Not all have been claiming their jackpots that soon Mr M- some folks have forgotten their tickets in their trucks cars for months, recently we had a guy finding his on his backseat after months of driving around unaware of his winnings.

This guy retired due to a back injury, perhaps his medical bills are stacking up- whatever the reason.. l say congrats to both of them.

Comment #3

ThatScaryChick — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 16:05:18 GMT

Wow, that was quick but I could see myself doing the same thing. Congrats to them

Comment #2

leon11 — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 14:52:29 GMT

Congrats guys enjoy ur cash

Comment #1

maringoman — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 14:11:13 GMT

Is it just me seeing it this way or are more winners lately claiming their jackpots within a week of winning? There was time when we'd even have forgot about a JP by the time it got claimed.

Congratulation Mr and Mrs Meath

Minnesota couple claim $11.7M Hot Lotto jackpot

Lottery Post — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 13:45:02 GMT

Generous couple gives store clerk college money

Rhonda Meath waits tables for a living. Her husband, Joe, is a retired turbine operator who still does some snowplowing at a nearby gas station. They live on a quiet 10 acres in northern Anoka County.

None of that is likely to change, the Bethel couple say, now that they're $11.71 million richer, thanks to a winning lottery ticket Joe bought at that gas station.

As the Meaths drove to Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Rosevilleon Monday mo... [ More ]