Not fully resolved yet ... here's the latest
Jackpot split nine ways in B.C. lotto dispute
Canadian Press
VANCOUVER - Nine workers at a fast-food restaurant were given $1.1 million each from a disputed $14 million lottery jackpot on Friday by a B.C. Supreme Court judge.
The other four workers making a claim for the money will have to go to trial to fight for the remaining four shares of the prize, which will continue to be held by the court.
There were no smiles or shrieks of joy among the winners Friday, however.
The four young women still laying claim to the prize have reserved the right to argue that as many as two of the nine winners who walked out of court with more than a million dollars each aren't entitled to the money.
It's not clear which two might be targeted for laying a false claim, so it's possible that the winners might be worried about spending their windfall before the trial is settled.
Susan Griffen, the lawyer for the nine winners, said her clients were happy with the judge's decision. They won the jackpot more than a month ago and haven't seen any money yet as the other young women came forward alleging they were part of the pool too.
"They are very happy, they are the rightful owners of the prize," she said.
Some of the young winners, all of whom are still working together at the Mission, B.C., A&W, were accompanied by their parents to court. Some ran terrified from cameras and all of them refused to comment after the hearing.
The prize has already lost $13,414.68 in interest as a result of the dispute because the B.C. Lotto Corp. was holding it in an account that doesn't bear interest while trying to sort out who the rightful winners were.
The four claimants had earlier asked the court for time to file affidavit evidence.
"Although almost a month has passed since the nine lotto players presented the winning ticket, the four potential claimants have not even articulated a claim by filing a writ or statement of claim," Griffin told the court.
"The four potential claimants have not filed any evidence which contradicts the evidence of the nine lotto players that the winning lottery ticket was purchased with funds contributed by the nine lotto players alone."
Griffin said there are two areas of dispute in the case.
Tanis McQuillan and Megan Weisgarber claim to have paid $4 into the employee fund used to buy lotto tickets.
Griffin has filed affidavit evidence from a number of people who dispute that claim, however. Some are employees who didn't pay into the pool for this particular prize, and who admit they aren't entitled to any money.
The second dispute involves two other claimants, Sarah Healey and Rani Johnston.
Both say they should have been included in the lottery pool because they were asked to participate and wanted to do so. Neither had any money and said they would hand it over to one of the employees organizing the pool after the ticket was purchased.
Griffin said she has filed affidavits from people who say this didn't happen and that it was never the practice to pay for tickets after they'd been purchased or after the draw.
Healey was in court with her parents. The 16-year-old is still working at the burger restaurant, as are the other 11 women and one man involved in the dispute.
Healey said the atmosphere at work has been tough at times.
"It's all right,'' she said during a break in the hearing.
"It's been pretty bad with some people down there."
"Most of them have been pretty good to her,'' said her father Mike.
He said he was at court to support his daughter and can only hope the truth comes out.
The legal battle over the money has caused a great deal of stress to the young woman who organized the purchase of the winning ticket.
Marjorie Toyryla said in an affidavit that she was threatened by the husband of one of the four claimants.
She says in her statement that he said, "I hope you have fun spending your money because we're going to get it one way or the other.''
Toyryla says she was so scared she told the B.C. Lotto Corp. that the man's wife, Tanis McQuillan, did pay money toward the winning ticket. Now she says that was a lie made in fear.
