California woman forced to hand over $1.3 million lottery win to ex-husband
A California woman’s decision to keep her $1.3 million lottery win a secret from her husband of 25 years has cost her dearly, as a judge has ruled that she must hand over the entire jackpot to her ex-husband.
Denise Rossi from California won the lottery jackpot in 1996 just 11 days before filing for divorce. Instead of disclosing her win to her husband, Thomas Rossi, she attempted to keep it a secret.
However, Mr. Rossi eventually discovered the truth. Two years after the divorce, he received a letter from a company that pays cash for lottery winnings. The letter was addressed to his ex-wife and revealed that she had won the jackpot.
Mr. Rossi took his ex-wife to court and when the case reached court, a judge ruled that Ms. Rossi had violated laws on disclosure of assets and funds and acted in fraud or malice. As a result, she was ordered to pay her ex-husband 20 annual installments of $66 800.
In her court documents, Ms. Rossi argued that she did not want her ex-husband to get his hands on her winnings. However, this argument was ultimately unsuccessful and she was forced to hand over the entire jackpot.
The case serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of honesty and transparency in divorce proceedings.
It also highlights the severe consequences of violating laws on disclosure of assets and funds.
