Some lottery winners have no luck.
Before anyone can claim a big prize, state law requires lottery officials to first check on whether the winner owes the government any money.
Lots do.
Since the first ticket went on sale in North Carolina in March 2006, the lottery has collected $1.3 million in back taxes, delinquent child support, overdue student loans and other debts. For some winners, the hit is a few hundred dollars out of thousands. For others, the debt wipes out their whole prize.
The lottery has collected more than $274,000 from 204 lottery winners for child support, according to the state lottery's figures. Student debt and medical bills to state and local hospitals are particularly prevalent among lottery winners.
It's not uncommon for lottery winners to say they plan to use their winnings — voluntarily — to pay off debts, said Alice Garland, a spokeswoman for the state lottery. Paying off the mortgage is the most common answer winners give when asked what they plan to do with the money.
Garland said that even some of those whose winnings were garnisheed were relieved.
One winner, who hit a $100,000 prize on a scratch-off ticket, was glad his children were going to get the child support money they were owed, she said. Another player's winnings went to pay off her student debt.
"She was one happy camper when she walked out of here," Garland said.
Not all lottery players, of course, are happy to have their winnings seized.
One guy, Garland said, won a $35,000 prize. After taxes and his debt was taken out, the guy walked out of the claims office with nothing. As he left he had one question. He wondered aloud, she said, which of his former wives got the money.
You know what, I'm on a fixed income ($ 840.00 monthly after health insurance ) and I still manage to pay my taxes and bills. When I worked, I managed to pay my bills with my meager wages. So what is with the world today, that so many people think they are so special that they don't have too?
I think this is a good way to force deadbeat dads & others to pay what they owe.
I thought it was common knowledge that the lottery checks to see if you owe money for back taxes, child support, etc. But then, I forgot not everyone is into playing the lottery like us, so I bet a lot of people are shocked to find out that they may not get as much money as they think they are going to get.
Yes, I agree ... this is a great place to learn more lottery trivia and tidbits daily -- I'm thankful for LotteryPost.com
I didn't know about after taxes pre deduction of hospital bill debts too (CLEAVER!) -- did the hospital have to obtain a judgement first to collect?
Anyhow, I realize that many folks have lost jobs and that's how they can quickly fall behind (perhaps WAY behind) in monthly spousal or child support payments. Certainly, it doesn't surprise me that many of those folks are happy to have caught up with those debt payments via the lottery post state and fed lottery tax deductions. In fact, perhaps that is why many folks play the various large jackpot lotteries ($200K+ before: cash option halving, state, and fed taxes deducted).
I think the best thing for folks that know the exact amount of their debts (mortgage, HELOC, credit card balances, hospital bills, sposal &/or child support, etc.) is to add OVER that amount -- and only buy tickets for appropriate sized jackpots exceeding amount, after all the deductions, so they can walk away most joyfully with at least $70K money to create a mid-sized CD savings base or be truly free to squander!
I think its a GOOD THING! Its like that in MI, so if u have those things
trailing your name and social security number, its best to play all pick4
box. I know a guy who bx 1028 for 50 bucks, NO TAXES were involved
he said that he had child support that was behind.
1028 bx 1.00= $208.00 times 50 =$10,400. not bad for no TAXES.
Play smart North Carolinans!!!
Well let me tell you the bad thing about NC taking your money, back in Nov my brother won 100,000 on a stratch off, after they took 36 thousand in taxes, my brothers split the rest with brothers and sisters, well I knew I owed some hospitals bills from unc and they would take it out and they did. Well I won a 1000 on a ticket about 4 weeks after that and when I tryed to cash it on they took all of the money for a hospital bill from unc. I called everyone from the lottery to the hospital and they all claimed they made a mistake that my ssn wasn't cleared from the first time. The lottery still had to pay the hospital, then the hospital had to recut me a check, this process folks tooks 7 weeks before I got my money. Well you would think that this was all straigten out(ha, ha) I won another 1000 in January this year, yep you guess right they kept the check and told me that I owed(you guess it right again, the <snip> hospital)LOL. The lottery had to send the money to the hospital and now I'm still waiting to get my money back. The hospital did recieve the money Feb 15th from the lottery, but sent the check, but guess what my friends it got lost in the mail, so now I had to sign a legal document saying that I never receive it and so I'm waiting for them to recut the new check.
My ssn was never cleared from the first two times and the lottery is blaming the hospital and the hospital is blaming the lottery, what a mess. So LP family I'm still waiting for my check after 120 days and hopefully one day it will show up. If this evers happens again I will have someone else cash in the ticket for me. Sorry for the long read but I just had to get this off my chest!