Both Names On The Winning Ticket
The feud between the pair started the day after the draw, when they posed for photographers at a winner’s ceremony in Margaree Forks, Canada. To the shock of the organisers, Reddick told the gathered press that she planned to take her 19-year-old nephew to court. A video clip of the incident quickly circulated on social media, becoming big news throughout Canada.
57-year-old Reddick claimed that she transferred C$100 to MacInnis’ bank account for him to buy a ticket for her ahead of the draw, and that the jackpot-winning entry was bought with her own money. She told him to put his name on the ticket for ‘good luck’, but stated there wasn’t any prior agreement in place for them to share the jackpot if they won. She said she only agreed to share the money with her nephew if they won a consolation prize.
What Happened Next?
Lawyers for the family members got involved soon after the winner’s cheque was presented. Adam Rodgers, the lawyer for Barbara Reddick, said in July: “She agreed to have his name on the ticket for good luck. That’s obviously been a point of contention for some people but that in itself doesn’t create a contract.”
Rodgers said that Reddick, who worked for the Royal Canadian Navy for 23 years, had been a financial and emotional support to her nephew in the past, buying him a car and helping him pay for college, but their relationship had since broken down. In August, a Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge froze MacInnis’ half of the winnings until the case was resolved.
Following this hearing, Rodgers announced in a statement that an arrangement had been made outside of court, which all parties were happy with. It revealed Reddick kept the existing half of her winnings, and received C$261,319.50 of her nephew’s winnings, to take her total amount to C$872,639. Her nephew, on the other hand, was awarded C$350,000 of the C$1.2 million jackpot.
The statement explained: “The parties are pleased to announce that they have reached a resolution... they are both satisfied with the terms of the settlement. It was reached mutually in order to avoid further court proceedings and to bring this matter to a final conclusion. Both parties are looking forward to putting this matter behind them, and no further media statements will be made.”
What Is Chase The Ace?
Chase The Ace is a popular lottery game in the east coast of Canada that launched in 2013, raising money for charities in every draw. The revenue from the game’s ticket sales is split three ways: 50 percent is retained by the operators, some of which is distributed to charities, while 20 percent is awarded to one winner in each game, and 30 percent goes into a jackpot fund. The winner in each draw gets to select a card from a deck of 52, and if they draw the ace of spades they win the money in the jackpot fund, in addition to their original prize.
