House Bought With Lottery Winnings Is -- Well, Remember "The Money Pit"?

[matcom]

oh man.

<snip>

ELIZABETH CITY -- Hercules and Elsie Cole took their share of a lottery jackpot and bought a dream home where they hoped to live out their days.
But the house is sinking -- and taking what's left of the Coles' fortune down with it.

Now in court trying to recover the money they plowed into the money pit, the Coles trace much of their misery to an insurance foul-up that they say left them without a homeowner policy to cover the losses.

But some might blame jinxed money.

After all, the house trouble is only the latest unhappy turn in a saga that began 12 years ago when Cole's father, Walter Cole, hit a $9 million Virginia Lotto jackpot.

A group of buddies who regularly pooled money with Walter Cole to buy lottery tickets sued after Cole insisted the winning ticket was his alone. The fight spanned courts in Virginia and North Carolina, gaining notoriety on "Dateline NBC" and "The Oprah Winfrey Show" before Cole and his four children got the $9 million.

During the worst of the controversy, Walter Cole acknowledged he was depressed and consumed by the money he believed was rightfully his. Some people shunned the family. Threats led police to tap their phone. Hercules Cole said it was the first time he had seen his father cry.

Even now, with Walter Cole dead, the disputed Lotto money continues to torment Hercules Cole.

A widening crack

Cole noticed the crack one day five years ago while painting the eaves.

The crack, between the brick chimney and roof, widened over time as the chimney tipped farther from the house. It pulled the living room wall with it.

An ugly gap appeared over the fireplace as the wall and ceiling began to pull apart.

When wind blew, the couple would hear the house "pop." Moisture peeled paint, rotted walls and spread mold.

"There were blowflies," Cole said. "Big. Black. Flies." Elsie Cole discovered ants when she put on a dress. "Something was biting me on the neck," she said.

more----------> http://newsobserver.com/news/story/1536604p-7716274c.html

[GOPisEvil]

1. Fools and their money are soon parted

"The Coles, who did not hire a home inspector or review a disclosure statement, said they had no idea the chimney had been repaired twice."

There is no curse, only their own lack of judgment.

[redqueen]

Exactly

What were they thinking?!

[GOPisEvil]

5. My house has issues, but I knew about them in advance.

(And got a repair allowance)

You're an idiot if you don't get a home inspection. As a matter of fact, I can't believe it isn't mandated everywhere.

[underpants]

6. My best friend does home inspections

and I had no idea that they weren't required in NC. I understand from a co-worker that it isn't required in VA either.

[underpants]

2. HerculEES! HerculEES!

Oh mna I remember that story-they played all the time and when Hercules finally hit it big he said it was all his becasue he bought the ticket himself (usually paid back later).

Wow!

[underpants]

3. Funny story a co-worker JUST told me about the Lottery and Church

Her preacher said something EVERY Sunday about how "You shouldn't be playing the numbers you SHOULD be paying your titheing to the church"

Every week he said something about it in some part of his sermon.

One Sunday he didn't say anything about it---turns out his father-in-law "hit" and won $7.5 Million in the lottery, suddenly playing the lottery was a-okay with him.

[redqueen]

4. And some people wonder why others don't go to church

:eyes: