A Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge has issued a preservation order under which half of a CA$1.2-million jackpot of Chase the Ace which has been the centerpiece of the legal battle between a local woman and her nephew is to be frozen until the case is resolved.
The judge’s ruling came as the latest move in a bitter family drama which started in July. As Casino Reports revealed at the time, the Nova Scotia resident Barbara Reddick said that she intends to take the argument with Tyrone MacInnis, who is a nephew of hers, over a massive lottery prize to court, after the CA$1.2-million prize was split in two between them, leaving each of them with a money portion of more than CA$611,000.
The woman now sues Mr. MacInnis over the other half of the Chase the Ace lottery prize in the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, claiming that she is the only one who had the right to receive the jackpot as she had no intention of splitting the prize and only put her nephew’s name on the ticket for good luck. Mr. MacInnis, on the other hand, claims that he is entitled to have half of the jackpot under an agreement the two of them had at the time they purchased the ticket.
Under the NS Supreme Court judge’s order, MacInnis will not be able to spend the half of the prize he was granted in July. Both parties have reached an agreement for a settlement conference to be held on September 17th.
No Agreement for Splitting the Jackpot Existed, Claims Ms. Reddick
Ms. Reddick told the press with utter surety that starting a legal challenge against her nephew was the right thing to do. She, however, believes their relationship is now beyond repair.
She still claims that there was no agreement between them two in regards to the jackpot, but to the consolation prize.
At the time when the Nova Scotia Supreme Court judge announced his decision to freeze half of the prize, the legal representative of Mr. MacInnis – Candee McCarthy – revealed she had expected the judge to actually issue preservation order, so it was not a surprising decision for her.
The family controversy over the massive lotto prize gained the local media attention after the celebratory photo session with the lottery check turned into a war, after Ms. Reddick told her 19-year-old nephew she would see him in court. Both Ms. Reddick and her legal representative Mr. Rogers have explained that the lottery tickets were purchased with her money, there had not been any agreement to share the potential proceeds, especially when it comes to the jackpot.
At the time when the fight has begun, Ms. Reddick explained that she put her nephew’s name on the ticket only for good luck, and her lawyer claimed that such an action does not create a contract by itself.
