Sam Haddad did a happy dance outside the Ottawa courthouse Tuesday, minutes after a judge dismissed a lawsuit from his sister seeking millions from the $32 million lottery jackpot he and his longtime barber won five years ago.
"Five years of hell is almost over. It's over!" the 63-year-old Ottawa man cried, as a female relative ululated joyfully behind him. "That's Lebanese yodelling," Haddad explained to bemused journalists.
"Now we can enjoy our money," Haddad's wife, Denise, exclaimed. "We're going out for the biggest supper, and I'm going to get so drunk for the next few days, I don't even know who I'm going to be!"
The celebratory scene was in stark contrast to the response of Haddad's sister, Leila Nahas, who sued her brother nearly three years ago, alleging she had contributed one dollar to the purchase of the winning $3 Lotto 6/49 ticket in June 2008.
(See Sibling battle over $32M lottery win lands in court, Lottery Post, May 3, 2011.)
"Enjoy my money," she called bitterly to Haddad's family supporters as she descended a courthouse staircase following Superior Court Judge Robert Beaudoin's emphatic conclusion that her story was "simply not plausible."
Nahas's husband, George, shielded his wife from journalists eager to get her in front of cameras stationed in front of the courthouse.
"We pursued what we believed was right," George Nahas said in a brief interview. "We did that reluctantly at the beginning, but we were forced into it by the attitude of (Haddad), who did not really accept any responsibility, rejected us, told that we were hungry for money."
In his ruling, the judge found that during last month's civil trail, Nahas utterly failed to prove any of the material points of her story.
According to her, Haddad had appeared at the Union Smoke Shop, the store she and her husband ran on Rideau Street, on June 27, 2008 with a losing ticket for the June 14, 2008 Lotto 6/49 draw in his wallet.
She claimed they agreed that she, Haddad and Mike Dettorre, her brother's barber for more than three decades, would play the same numbers in the next day's Lotto 6/49 draw.
She said she wrote the numbers down on a slip of paper and put it in a part of her wallet where she keeps large denomination bills and receipts.
Three days later, Haddad and Dettorre learned they had won the $32-million jackpot with a ticket bought June 28 at Ottawa South Grocery on Sunnyside Avenue.
But it wasn't until late August that, Nahas said, she rediscovered the slip of paper and realized it contained the winning numbers.
The judge — who said Nahas was "neither a credible nor a reliable witness" — wasn't buying it, as he delivered his hour-long oral decision Tuesday.
"To believe that she could have written down a lottery number on a Friday that involved a share in a $32-million lottery ticket with her brother and his partner, then know by the following Monday, three days later, that her brother and the barber had won that very same big jackpot, and also know the winning numbers either that day or the next day at the latest, and not question herself as to whether or not that might be the very same ticket she claimed to have a share in, defies common sense," the judge said.
It was "even more improbable" that she would forget about a note in her wallet containing those same lottery numbers for nearly two months, Beaudoin said.
"What is more disturbing, she discarded the wallet, a significant piece of evidence, in December 2010, almost one year after she commenced litigation," he said.
Beaudoin noted that Nahas did not claim an interest in the ticket until after she learned that Haddad had given her brothers a much larger share of his winnings than the $25,000 he gave her — something that her brother Mike Haddad testified she was unhappy about.
"Her unhappiness with her unequal treatment is one other possible answer as to why she might have pursued this claim," the judge said.
For his part, Sam Haddad "testified in a straightforward manner," Beaudoin said. He was not evasive in cross-examination and openly admitted he had not reported cash income he earned prior to his lottery win as a self-employed floor installer to Revenue Canada.
But it was the evidence of Mike Dettorre, the barber who shared in Haddad's winnings, that "completely destroyed" Nahas's case, the judge said.
"His evidence was compelling and completely unchallenged," he said, adding: "It is not often that this court hears from a witness who appears to be so pleased to have an opportunity to testify."
Dettorre corroborated Haddad's story that he bought a lottery ticket on June 14, 2008, and gave it to his barber as a tip following a haircut.
The two men had bought hundreds of lottery tickets together over more than three decades, always signing the tickets and stashing them behind a mirror in Dettorre's Old Ottawa South barber shop, he testified.
That's what Dettorre did with the June 14 lottery ticket, he testified. And it remained behind the mirror until June 28, when Haddad retrieved it and went next door to play the same numbers again.
The judge said: "That ticket, like every one of the hundreds of tickets they had bought for over 34 years, was safely stored behind a mirror in a small barber shop in Old Ottawa South. It could not have happened the way (Nahas) claims."
Haddad is seeking legal costs — which could easily run into six figures — from his sister for the action. Beaudoin gave Haddad's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, 20 days to make submissions on what those costs should be.
"This action has divided a once-proud family," the judge said, in delivering his decision. "This trial is over, but angry feelings will haunt this family for the foreseeable future."
If Sam and Denise Haddad's comments Tuesday were any indication, those wounds will never heal.
"The family's split," Sam Haddad said. adding that as far as he was concerned, his sister, a year-and-a-half his junior, "doesn't exist."
His wife was, if anything, even less forgiving. "I will never speak to her again, and I hope she rots and burns in hell!" she declared. "Rot and burn in hell," she repeated, in case her meaning was unclear.
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So sad to lose family over money!
Not when you have family like this. He seems like the kind of person that would have shared with them if they kept their mouth shut.
Exactly it's better like this when you find out how people really feel that they would be so qucik to sue you....She got exactly what she deserved....Nothing
This happens more times than we know.
Kinda reminds me of the family of a photographer who died in a helicopter accident attempting to shoot James Cameron's deep sea dive last year. They going after Cameron's company, the helicopter company and pilot's estate, even though the pilot died in the crash as well, according to this family- accidents don't happen. Talk about greed.
Greed
Yep, sad to see what money can do sometimes.
Sounds like Leila(the sister) was upset that Sam gave their other brother more money than her. Greed indeed.
That's why you should always buy your own ticket. To avoid any future problems like this that may occur.
She had the numbers she should have playe her own ticket but to be that ungreatful I wish someone would just give me $25,000...I would be screaming THANK YOU WIT A JOKER GRIN.
Yep- l would like to see what the sister looks like- "sometimes"one can see fraud & deceit written all over their mugs.
Haddad is seeking legal costs — which could easily run into six figures — from his sister for the action. Beaudoin gave Haddad's lawyer, Lawrence Greenspon, 20 days to make submissions on what those costs should be.
I like this line best. It's a warning to money grabbers. Those who feel entitled to try and reap where they didn't sow. Congrats Mr Haddad.
Some family members and friends would feel entitled to part of a lottery winner money even if they never contributed a penny to the cost of their ticket.
Yep. That's why, being a big winner can be bitter/sweet, sometimes. It's almost impossible to "help" every member of the family. Some members may get more than others while some members won't get anything. Twenty-Five thousand is butter on the bread. To see she was ungrateful that she didn't get as much as her other siblings is pathetic.
If I won, I wouldn't devide the money evenly with relatives or friends no matter how much they bitch and moan. I would give them some but certainly not an equal share. They should be grateful enought to even get any. Unlike Haddad's sister. I think he gaved her some money but I guess she wants more or an equal share.
If he had bought his own ticket without the barber involved she still would have made up some story about being in on the winning ticket. That's the big problem I have with this. Imagine that you can buy your own ticket, win a jackpot, and someone not happy with how much you give them can make up a story, sue you, and keep you in court for 5 years to get at it. It's actually kinda scary. Luckily for him, she wasn't a good liar.
If it wasn't for our confiscatory tax code, I wouldn't hesitate to give it all to one of my kids or brothers or sisters and tell them to divide it up between all of us.
Save me the hassle.
I could almost get her being miffed. Almost. If there is only one other sibling and he got preferential treatment, I can see why she would wonder, even feel hurt.
But good God, not upset or vindictive enough to make up a story and sue him over it. I am so happy she's going to have to cover those legal fees. Instead of making do with the $25,000 she's going to end up with less than she had before. Now that's poetic justice.
p.s. love your name.
She missed both jackpots! I'd probably pay for some of the best professional therapy if she's cool with that.
That stood out to me also, I"m thinking "oh great lady, now the $25,000 he gave you is gone and
then some".
Sam Haddad said. adding that as far as he was concerned his sister, "doesn't exist."
His wife was, if anything, even less forgiving. "I will never speak to her again, and I hope she rots and burns in hell!" she declared. "Rot and burn in hell," she repeated.
Now that's going a bit too far, it's not like she tried to kill them, not yet anyway
lol (just kidding)
I hope this is the last we hear of this family, sad...
I'm sure she'd be cool with that.
And it's very nice of you to offer.
She may have been happy with the $25k until she ran out of it. Maybe she asked for more and was turned down so she got
mad and took it to this extreme. Greed is an awful thing. How can people feel entitled to something more than what someone
else is willing to give? Some is never enough, a lot of people want it all or most of it even when it isn't theirs to begin with.
It's best to have families like this not speaking to each other because there will never be any peace or harmony. There can't
be with contempt, malice, envy and greed in the way. It's not possible to hide feelings like that when feelings of being entitled
to something break the backbone of good, honest, meaningful family values. They are hard to come by these days and if you
have a great family, that is a win of a lifetime. It's a pity people can be so hateful and greedy.
I am very happy in the outcome, for "the love of money is the root of all evil".
After all, there was no mace, box cutters, tasers , or cyanide involved.
This is a good day for the human race.
But tommorrow is another day. (Cue annie)
I'll bet that her reaction is her normal reaction and is why the other sib got the preferential treatment...She probably made those boys lives hell growing up
His Ticket .......
His Money
BRAVO well said example on the dark side human nature, dr65
EddessaKnight
The article mentioned brothers............so there were more than one
He gave more to his brothers than her............for a reason
Probably because of her actions in the past ( similiar to her actions of the present.........when she went after the money of the ticket )
I have seen it many times before ( sad but true )
But it cuts really Deep when certain family members are like that
A person is either honest and humble ( and not greedy ) .........or they aint
But I suppose it will all come out in the wash.............on Judgement Day
Looks like her judgement day came even in this world
What goes around comes around
Every dog has their day
His sister showed her true colors, and they weren't as beautiful as a rainbow.
Well there won't be any family gatherings between this sister an brother anymore. If there are, it will be very awkward.
Well, it doesn't sound like it's EVER been an honest or equitable extended family. These family members appear to frequently embrace overreacting, etc.
On an up note, isn't it great to be informed, again, that ANY PERSON may win huge lottery jackpots?
Thanks :)
This lady really flipped her wig. Her brother may not have been done sharing. The 25k could have just been the beginning. Instead, she will likely end up in debt after the lawyer submits his bill.
That's almost a certainty. Maybe she got hers on contingency and didn't need to pay him anything unless she won. But court fees and her brother's lawyer fees for 3 years of litigation? She'll probably have to file for bankruptcy by the time it's all over. I wish we saw more of those kinds of outcomes here. The parasitic lawsuits need to be at least curtailed if not stopped.
I totally agree with you. I thought the same thing. That chances are he would have given her more at a later date. I don't think if she ever had a financial issue he wouldn't have helped her, but now...she'll end up with less than nothing. Serves her right.
I knew she would lose the case
I hope she learned something from this. For one thing, you need to pick and choose your battles. The lottery money seems to rightfully belong to her brother, and I think it was pretty obvious to just about everyone especially the judge. There was no way that this was going to end well for her or this family. Someone would be upset no matter what the court decision was. It's a lose-lose-situation!
I agree she should have controlled her emotions and not gone off the deep end.
Most of these types of lawsuits are contingency based as the majority of those seeking these frivolous litigation tactics usually have no assets for a retainer.
This guy is simply saying,"I love my sister very much, but I love my money even more".
Did i read it right? This case actually went on for 5 years? WTF! It's obvious she was full of crap from jump street. Did it really need to go on this long? And was the money frozen for that amount of time? I'd now sue her for emotion distress.
Now he can really enjoy his money. However it is unfortunate to have a family feud because of money. I do hope that someday they can forgive each other in the future. It is so difficult if one gets so greedy because of money.