Two years after discovering her husband hid the fact he won the Florida Lottery, Donna Campbell is being evicted
MIRAMAR, Fla. — Donna Campbell of Miramar wants to serve her husband with divorce papers. But she can't find the guy.
The two have been on tense terms since 2007 when the former Caribbean beauty queen made headlines after going public with their marital drama. Her husband, Arnim Ramdass, was a part of a pool of American Airlines mechanics in Miami who won a $19 million Florida Lotto jackpot.
He never mentioned it to her. She found out only after she grew suspicious and ran a Google search on him. So in 2008 Campbell, 49, sued Ramdass for a chunk of the change. The judge said no. Ramdass walked out on her and the bills they once shared.
And on Tuesday night, she will be evicted from their former home in the SilverLakes subdivision.
''I thought winning the Lotto was supposed to bring together a family, a husband and his wife,'' Campbell said Monday. ''But all I got was deception and lies.''
Campbell said she last saw her husband in July. He and a friend came to the house and started removing furniture.
Campbell, a runner-up in the 1979 Miss Trinidad & Tobago beauty pageant and a retired skin-care model, started renting out empty rooms in the house to cover her expenses.
Meanwhile, the mortgage was not being paid.
The house was auctioned off in July, but the owners let Campbell stay until now as she tried to untangle a complicated legal case that is still being fought in family court.
Campbell, who has no formal legal education, is representing herself. Her original lawyer withdrew from the case and the legal aid clinics she has visited say they do not accept ongoing cases. She wants to keep fighting.
''To give up on this case would be like if you witness a robbery and just walked away,'' Campbell said.
''You have to do something about it.''
Efforts to reach Ramdass on Monday were not successful. His family law attorney, Mitchell Haymes, did not respond to an e-mail or a telephone call Monday evening.
Ramdass and 16 other mechanics won the prize on June 20, 2007. They opted to take a lump-sum payment and divide the winnings.
Campbell's divorce petition states that her husband's net winnings were $449,511.95 after taxes.
In the summer of 2007, Campbell said she noticed her husband was acting strangely. He disconnected the phone lines and wanted the television turned off.
Knowing Ramdass liked to gamble, Campbell searched his name on Google. She discovered a press release announcing that he and his friends had won the Lotto jackpot.
She confronted him. He told her he bought the ticket for his daughter from a previous marriage, a story that she swears doesn't wash.
Since then, she said Monday, she has developed chronic lung disease and other ailments that she attributes to the stress of her ordeal.
Campbell thinks Ramdass is still in the area. But neither police nor a private investigator she has hired have located him.
The day before she was set to leave the house, boxes lay unfilled near the dining room. The patio table that she moved inside was still shrouded with legal documents, medical records and photos of her wedding day.
''This one, we took at the Hard Rock,'' she said, pointing to a picture of her and her husband in their wedding attire. ''We went gambling until 3 or 4 a.m. and we always said we'd share... If I won $40, I shared it with him.''
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i guess he finally got the ticket he wanted to get away from her, the winning lottery ticket!!!! and she got lung disease from the stress, give me a break...i wonder if she is a smoker? he had every right to leave and not share the money, why did she need to tell the public about the relationship problems prior to the win..she screwed herself over..
My heart goes out to the wife. I really-really hope everything works out for her. I doubt she will get anything from the husband. I would not be surprised if he's already lost all of the money.
Knowing Ramdass liked to gamble, Campbell searched his name on Google. She discovered a press release announcing that he and his friends had won the Lotto jackpot
``This one, we took at the Hard Rock,'' she said, pointing to a picture of her and her husband in their wedding attire. ``We went gambling until 3 or 4 a.m. and we always said we'd share . . . If I won $40, I shared it with him.''
I hate to say this, but the best thing she can do right now is move on with her life. It is said the best revenge is good living. I would not be surprised to hear that hubby is found in a casino somewhere with his azz whooped and his money took.
As we all know, karma has a way of levelling lifes playing field. I'd really like to see how this story ends.
Donna Campbell of Miramar, FL, you are in my prayers and I sincerely hope you find health-peace-& happiness!!!!
Makes you wonder if the person you're with is true.
Hey Miss Donna (Shouting Out)
You can come crash on my couch if you want, I'm not exactly rich, and my Floor furnice went out about 4 years ago, so its a little chilly, until I turn on the electric heater.
But at least you'd have a place to stay. I mean really,... she's in the public eye, I don't think she'll end up in a homeless shelter or anything.
Shame on Hubby for running out though.
is this the definition of until death do us part i don't think this is maybe that's the reason me and others are single. she need him now but don't worry what goes around comes around he will find himself in her shoes. she should be rewarded i rather be with a broke person than a person with money and they do right by me and i'm happy the money will come along with love involved... i have sympathy for her she is struggling and to be strong i know you men are going to dog me out and it's ok it's 2009 women are more independent and strong.....
The Party is Over (So is the Marriage): Time to find a Job and Return to Work!
I don't know much about various states marital law but it sure seems that she would be entitled to half of the winnings since they were married and the money was won during their marriage together Wouldn't that become an asset of their marriage??
I doubt we are getting the whole story. I would bet they had problems in their marrige before he bought the winning ticket.
Three sides to every story...Mine, yours and the truth...Seems like the judge probably got closer to the truth...Something tells me she was no where to be found before the money and came back in after it...
"My heart goes out to the wife."
Which one, the mother of his daughter or the beauty queen?
Apparently NOT:
To love, honor and obey may have been part of their marriage vows, but a South Florida man apparently felt sharing his lotto winnings wasn't part of the deal, and on Thursday, a Miami-Dade judge agreed.
Donna Campbell, 48, appeared before Circuit Judge Jennifer D. Bailey demanding half of her husband's lotto jackpot. "She has no identifiable legal rights at this time," the judge said. "Where does the law say you automatically have a right to participate in the proceeds?"
https://www.lotterypost.com/news/175174
"A $19 million jackpot went to a company called Ibis Corporation, listing the names of a group of her husband's coworkers. There was a Ramdass on the list, but it wasn't Campbell's husband � it was Janelle Ramdass, his daughter from a previous marriage. The company, [Campbell's Lawyer, Richard Lara] contends, was formed as way to hide the money from Campbell."
"Hey guys... let's form a corporation! Just so we can hide the profits from my wife!"
"Janelle Ramdass and the Ibis Corporation were named in the suit along with Arnim Ramdass. They are accused of fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud, conversion and violating Florida's fraudulent transfer act."
Really? The Fraudulent Transfer Act?
And then, the article ends with this classic:
"Richard Lara (Campbell's Attorney), who also represents a man whose wife cashed a $28 million lottery ticket the day after their divorce became final, said he hopes that the threat of his daughter facing penalties will bring Arnim Ramdass out of hiding."
Um, so this attorney (Richard Lara) has made a specialty of domestic disputes arising from lottery winnings?
This is a tough room. Very little sympathy for the Mrs.
The only part of this story I find shocking is that the judge threw out the case. If they're married then she's entitled to half. Luckily there's no kids involved.
I'm surprised American Airlines has nothing to say. Many companies have certain expectations of their employees even outside work. I know mine does.
Sounds like to me he made it all legal by claiming as a winner in his daughter's name. Lottery tickets don't have names on them until you put them there.
Employees can't be held to their company expectations off the job unless it's written in their contract.
Sounds like a pretty slick move on his part by giving it to his daughter.
Originally my sympathies were with the wife but who knows what a living hell it might be living with an aging beauty queen?
And what law precludes a man giving a gift to his daughter? As shady as that may seem, it's probably still legal and the reason the judge threw it out.
After looking at her top photo and checking out her hands, I'm waiting for the next revelation to be that she's really a man.
Tenaj, you seemed to grasp the news report. Thanks for sharing your view point!
This story was posted when it orginally came to surface, glad to know the husband did things legally. If she has a right to the winnings , so do the rest of the players who plopped down money! Gee willikers, she still has skills to pay the bills, obviously and to her advantage she may even fair well in the legal field. Its not easy to defend your own case files.
I have no ill will towards her, but because I read this story when it first broke out, she isnt the injured party as most conclude. They were separated more then they were married.
Two years? He's not the reason she is about to be put out of her home. She is the reason for that. Geez...what about her? Has she been working these two years? Did she think to live in a cheaper home or apartment after he split? She's just sitting back hoping to collect...she needs to learn to move on. Borrowing money from friends & family to find this no good jerk (according to her).....she should have spent that money on her rent!
She can get a divorce without him. She doesn't need him for anything but money. In Florida being married doesn't necessarily mean you get "half" of everything. Judges are more willing to look into the whole picture of the marriage. He was smart to put the prize in his daughter's name just in case. She must have burned the marriage license before he hit the jackpot. It seems like the hard bed she is laying in..she made it herself.
Be forewarned I am not taking up for this lady by no means, but she may well get her day in court. And not for what ya would think.
The IRS states that if One spouse files Income tax entirely separate from other spouse, they must inform the other spouse with said document so no duplicate deductions are made. Soo there may actually be another means for this Lady to at least be heard. This of course would need the IRS to get involved....
THe dude could be called out of the woodwork with this tactic....simply so she can gain evidence how the tax was claimed on the prize. Odd that the Judge didnt grant her that much....
Florida is what they call an "at will" state, which means your employer can sack you for wearing the wrong color shirt or having a bad haircut. I know, I checked.
if its a gift to the daugter of another marrige, then if that daugter isnt legal age of majority then its her guardians money to spend as they see fit. im guessing that would be another ex. so he gives it to either his daughter, or his daughters guardian?
theres gotta be a legal way to mnake sure the money cctully ends up there.
He put the prize in the daughter's name so the IRS really doesn't have to get involved. He doesn't file the winnings, the daughter does. Old girl just needs to get off her duff and start supporting herself. Maybe she can find a sympathetic "sugar daddy" to help her out until she gets on her feet.
One would think such a task would be relatively easy in sunny Florida.
"If they're married then she's entitled to half."
Not at all. Depending on state law somebody may be entitled to half of the marital assets if they get divorced, but while you're still married you're not entilted to half of your spouse's income, and they're not entitled to half of yours. Most couples may share equally, but there's not a legal requirement to do so. I would assume that's the reason the judge dismissed the original lawsuit.
I'm just surprised a judge, a female one at that, didn't rule against the husband. Husbands always lose in family court. Everybody knows that.
KY- Thanks for that clarification. True marital mates are not required under law to split any winnings. Divorce is indeed a different set of rules.
I was mentioning the IRS side of the matter, because if she cant find him, that is one way to bring him out of the wood work ...IRS concurs that whether spouses are filing separetely or together, they both are accountable to inform or give the information to the other spouse for correct filing.
It has no bearing to the winning monies, I'm just trying to seek an avenue in which this woman can track him down and at least get the divorce papers served.
I'm in 100% agreement that the Lady is an adult and thereby accountable for making her own wages, whether married or not. She's over 18, has no dependents, and yet she wants to mooch off another. When will this lady learn, she is making a terrible myth seem real.....
If I was this man's daughter there is no way I would cash this ticket in. Why?
Because it is too much drama surrounding the money and the last thing I intend to do is pay taxes for someone else's money. If dear old dad is playing hide the money from the wife, why would I trust him to cover the taxes owed on the money? Not just the state taxes if any but the IRS also. Plus when I file for the year this money would put me way out of my income bracket which would probably mean more taxes owed when I actually file and penalties if dear old dad did not keep his word. The last thing I'm willing to deal with is the tax-man, state or federal, because of someone else's money.
NOPE! NOPE! NOPE! I love my daddy but I don't love him enough to handle a hot potato like this. Besides, there is a reason why the mom and dear old dad are not together.
seems like the daughter can take the money and run , daddy just might be googling her now .sometimes kids do learn what you teach them.
Ain't that the truth!!!
I pray this lady is successful and gets alimony for one to two years. If she was a homemaker in the marriage, that's a decision the two of them made together. She has to have time to retrain for work outside the home and maybe go back to school. The time would allow her to be self sufficient. The win occurred during the time of marriage. It doen't matter if they were in and out of the marriage. If they were not divorced she's eligible for alimony. And that certainly would include some of winnings from the lottery as well as his prior employment. An attorney could pursue financial payments based on alimony not the winnings of the lottery. this would include any and all assets being considered.
Someone earlier mentioed a case where someone claimed $28 million dollar lottery one day after their divorce was final. I don't know what state that was but the ex-spouse could and should sue them for payment because assett were accumulated during the marriage. Their attorney coud easily find the date the numbers were drawn if the win was a resulto of an online wager.
For all of those people out there who are so cruel toward the lady in this case, Think on this, How would you feel if you were the spouse who was left after your husband or wife won the lottery??????
I think he should pay up. Obviously he was still with his wife when he won, that is why he didn't want to look at the television or listen to the radio when he won. I know a lady who was told by her husband that they got an $3000 settlement, but later she found out that it was a $10,000 settlement. The money has been gone, not spent by her, and her credit still has bills from the marriage that he did not pay with the money. Not every person remembers the vows that they took and are just out for themselves. So I hope she gets some of that money, I know that he will get what he deserves in the end---what goes around comes around.
Well It is a case of not till death do us part, but till money$$ do us Part. How sad, my prayers goes out to both of them.