The Connecticut Appeals Court has ruled a 1995 pact struck by two widowed sisters to split each other's future gambling winnings is still binding despite the fact they no longer speak to one another.
The decision paves the way for a public family feud pitting Theresa Sokaitis, 81, against Rose Bakaysa, 85, over a $500,000 Powerball jackpot Bakaysa hit on June 18, 2005, but doesn't want to share with her estranged sibling.
Sokaitis is suing Bakaysa for breach of contract. Bakaysa's attorney, William Sweeney Jr., told the Herald in November Sokaitis is a "gold digger."
"We're going to go to trial court and battle it out," Sokaitis' Boston attorney, Sean Higgins, said. She was, he said, "extremely excited by the court's decision. She's obviously elated for the chance to prove that she is entitled to her share of the money."
Unlike Massachusetts, a bygone Connecticut law still frowns upon private wagering contracts. However, two appellate judges, in overruling Connecticut Superior Court Judge Patty Pittman's 2006 summary judgment awarding the money to Bakaysa, found the notarized agreement between the sisters was not induced by the guarantee of hard cash, "but rather their mutual promises to one another to share in any winnings they received."
Though Connecticut now widely embraces many forms of gambling, Appeals Court Judge William Lavery cast the lone dissenting vote against Sokaitis, stating in written remarks that "money" was the motivation behind the deal. "We must assume that it was the intent of the Legislature to continue to prohibit wagering contracts like the one at issue in this case," he said.
The sister that filed suit wouldn't have had a case, if the agreement had never been made or had been dissolved within that 10 years. Under most circumstances, contracts don't dissolve just because the people who signed them get mad at each other.
Yikes, this kinda scared me cuz in the past I have promised to give money to people I'm now estranged from. Then I got to the part about the notarized statement, and I definitely never did a notarized statement. Hope that clears me. LOL Plus, I never promised if I "ever" won to share it. It was for a specific prize.
Quote: Originally posted by time*treat on Feb 5, 2008
The sister that filed suit wouldn't have had a case, if the agreement had never been made or had been dissolved within that 10 years. Under most circumstances, contracts don't dissolve just because the people who signed them get mad at each other.
It's a bit strange. I wonder if the contract was for life. It was ten years between the contract signing and the year that one of the sisters won the jackpot. But how long have they been fighting? One year, two or all ten?
81 and 85? Those cranky old ladies. This is where the phrase "life's too short" might come into play. I would offer sis 20% if she would sign something voiding the agreement.
Deeply saddened by this story. Why not share with your only sister? At their age I would assume that they would be more mature and forgive each other. With $500,000, come on. Group hugs.
This is sad.. Two sisters having to go to court like this..
I don't have to have a notarized agreement to share my winnings with my siblings..
And if for some reason they didn't want to share theirs with me I would respect that...
Money can make people act childish.
i agree
The sister that filed suit wouldn't have had a case, if the agreement had never been made or had been dissolved within that 10 years. Under most circumstances, contracts don't dissolve just because the people who signed them get mad at each other.
Yikes, this kinda scared me cuz in the past I have promised to give money to people I'm now estranged from. Then I got to the part about the notarized statement, and I definitely never did a notarized statement. Hope that clears me. LOL Plus, I never promised if I "ever" won to share it. It was for a specific prize.
Glad I'm smarter now.
It's a bit strange. I wonder if the contract was for life. It was ten years between the contract signing and the year that one of the sisters won the jackpot. But how long have they been fighting? One year, two or all ten?
This is why you should remain anonymous if you ever win a large lottery prize.
81 and 85? Those cranky old ladies. This is where the phrase "life's too short" might come into play. I would offer sis 20% if she would sign something voiding the agreement.
Deeply saddened by this story. Why not share with your only sister? At their age I would assume that they would be more mature and forgive each other. With $500,000, come on. Group hugs.