March 19th, 2023
Two close friends, Liu and Xu, bought a lottery ticket together during their summer break from college. However, their friendship took a turn for the worse when they hit a $30,000 jackpot, leading them to file a lawsuit. Here's what the court decided:
Background
On July 20th, 2022, Xu and Liu visited a lottery shop and decided to buy a ticket. Each contributed $1.30 to purchase two tickets, which were kept by Xu.
On July 24th, Xu discovered that they had won a second prize of $227,041 on one of the tickets. The friends initially agreed to split the winnings, but soon after, they got into an argument.
On July 25th, both families went to claim the prize, but on July 26th, Liu realized that Xu had already cashed out $181,632.80 (after taxes). A dispute ensued.
Court Ruling
The court found that both parties made a genuine contribution to buying the ticket, and their decision to share the winnings was valid. Since they had each invested equally, they were entitled to an equal share of the prize.
The Jiangyan Court ruled that the defendant, Xu, must pay the plaintiff, Liu, $90,816.40 within ten days.
Advice from the Judge
The judge warned that joint lottery purchases can lead to disputes since lottery tickets are anonymous and cannot be reported as lost. Therefore, it's crucial to clearly define the responsibilities of each party, including who will cash out the ticket and how the prize will be distributed. It's also important to keep relevant documentation for evidence.
