A Florida man won the lottery and then left his wife who has just had their house foreclosed on and is now out on the street.
It's very difficult indeed to know quite what reaction to have to this story: there are two bubbling around one of which is most definitely not the socially acceptable one.
Back in 2007 Arnim Ramdass was one of a group of airline mechanics who won $19 million on the Florida lottery. However, far, from rushing home to tell his wife the good news he actually kept the entire thing secret from Donna Campbell and then left her. It's at this point that one of those two reactions might be kicking in. The first is that of course he's complete scum for behaving in this manner: the marriage oath is to share everything after all. The second is much less honorable which is to laugh like a drain.
Yes, I know, appalling, but there's a scene in a Jack Lemmon movie where one character is on the witness stand and Lemmon, playing the lawyer, draws a "button" in chalk on the rail and asks him whether he would press it. The result would be that his wife simply disappears: no pain, no death, she's just gone. He does of course: for it's a fantasy that many of us have that if there were just some reset button for the world and we could do it all over again then we'd do it differently.
And clearly a share of a $19 million lottery win is just such a reset button in the minds of some.
However, the story doesn't stop here. No, the man wins the lottery and leaves his wife might work as farce on screen but in the real world there are of course consequences:
A South Florida woman whose husband won the lottery and then left her was set to be evicted from her home Tuesday evening. Donna Campbell was given until Tuesday to pack up and leave the Miramar home she once shared with her husband, Arnim Ramdass.
They're still legally married but no one actually knows where Ramdass is: or rather, no one who will tell Donna Campbell knows where he is. There is a fraction of the Season's Spirit around though:
Campbell spent Tuesday packing up pictures and clothing. She said she would leave behind furniture and other large items, as she had no place to go and can't afford to store them.
But when the folks at AA Varco moving company saw Campbell’s story on Local 10, they offered to move her belongings and store them at their facility for free.
So the story of the man who wins the lottery and then leaves his wife: view it as tragedy or farce, your choice.
Comments
I'd say a tragedy; sorry your life requires a big RESET button, but I'd say the majority of people don't feel the same way. Love is work- and when it's invested in correctly, it's amazingly worth it.
Excellent job! When I win the Lottery I will do the same thing. All that would happen if he stayed is they would ultimately divorce and the courts would give it all to her. I know this for a fact, women are just built that way and the courts are set up to allow it. I lost everything when I divorced my loving wife of 13 years. There was no mercy, no compassion it was only greed and revenge! I must say again, excellent job - god speed - NEVER look back :-)
I must admit that I have never heard the phrase, "laugh like a drain" before. At first it seemed like an odd simile. Then, it all made sense when I thought about my drain and what it goes thru. It is forced to receive the product of my shameful shower habits. So much so that I am surprised I haven't gotten it pregnant. Then I do laugh, because if I did I would just force it to get an abortion against its will.
BW - "Women are just built that way"?!? Are you serious right now? And of course you did nothing to make your wife leave you, I'm sure! You're an angel, and your wife was a harpy who never helped you out, I'm sure!
Sara - H
I'm the one who left and kept paying the way. She did not even try to become independent and is now homeless even after I paid thousands of dollars in spousal support and child support for several years. My kids are now with me and doing quite well. Serious you ask??? Why yes, Serious as a heart attack :-) All she wanted was for me to take care of her for ever and used the children to make sure. She lost "her" house, that was technically mine (similar to the story above?) I got stuck with the default loan... This situation is not uncommon in this glorious country we live in. Should I go on?
Warning:
Before marrying ANYONE
check with your local anagram professional.
This is so simple you could have done it for free yourself
in that little vacant area on the top of a food stamp.
Arnim Ramdass // Darn, I'm ass ram
I would LOVE to hear his story. I bet there is a good reason he just disappeared other than money! Maybe he was afraid to fall asleep around her in fear he wouldn't wake up! There is always two sides to a story!
I'm not sure abut laws in the states, but in Canada, at least in the province of Alberta, if you are married and you leave your spouse with undo cause, the husband or wife could be arrested for doing so. Its called unjustified abandonment.If he won a lottery in this place he would have to share it equally. Even if his wife was a total bitch, it makes no difference, everything is split right down the middle.I had a nasty divorce here a few decades ago and even though I had no compassion for my controlling, dominant, jealous wife, I still looked after her until she finally died in 1985. That woman put me through pure hell and yet I still had a sense of responsibility for her regardless. This guy sounds like a greedy scumbag, but there is a well known phrase that always brings justice to mind. What goes around, comes around.
your writing is borderline incoherent
CJ, I call bull. For what you suggest, both have to work at it and if only one works at it and the other sits back and just expects you to take care of her and everything in her life, it gets old. If the other spouse is not willing to work at the marriage it is doomed to failure and the one doing all the work will be labeled as the bad guy for leaving.
Oh, and it still is not right for him to take off without sharing the wealth. He should split the lottery winnings. That is the fair thing to do. As long as the courts agree with that. Problem here is that sometimes the courts just decide the the other spouse should get the majority of the belongings. Still, he should have hung around and split the proceeds like a man.
It's funny to me how people can be so selfish nowadays, that right there show you what kind of a relationship they had money is definitely the rule of all evil. He is probable one of those guys who is going to one of adult vacation resorts to be with European Russian women like charlisangels in the Caribbean somewhere. Anyways I wish her the best of luck.
Way to beat the system, for now anyways. She may very well have deserved it.
I read in BlackVoice.com that she is not homeless , but living with her sister (and) did sue her husband for half of the winning , but lost in a court of law.
I guess it doesn't take much to be a journalist nowadays. I almost couldn't understand what the heck you wrote in this article.
I will do the same, he was probably tried of his life and with millions is just the perfect amount to start a new life.
I agree that you're no kind of writer, which upstages the material, causing us to go "Huh?", so - maybe try being a plumber or something.
As for the man, yes I believe there's obviously a reason he left her. She probably was/is a total rag. If he loved or even liked her he would stay. Or perhaps he's just one of these demonic, preternaturally greedy types who was totally led astray by satanic, burning dollar signs in his distracted eyes. Who knows? Don't spend it all in one place, dude.
Ditto on the incoherent writing, especially the subheading.
She actually has her husband suspended from the ceiling, like a parakeet in a cage, in a cabin deep in the Everglades. She only pretends to be poor. When it is absolutely clear that no one suspects her of kidnapping and she has established a new identity...scorched feathers.
serves the tart right
MS- I'm actually 24 and so have never been married...but when and if I do I'll make sure to choose a man who shares my values and who I've been with a while...One of my values is making it work, as my parents did wonderfully. Yes, I'm sure it was difficult at times, but the benefit: emotional security for them and their children, not to mention not wanting to RESET their lives, ever. (That's so sad I can't get over it...)
BW- not all women are built that way, you just chose one who was. Plenty of women are too proud and too ambitious to let anyone else support them....maybe it's a generational thing IDK.
Once they find him what's left of that 19 mill will be hers.
if they are still legally married she can petition the state to get a divorce based on abandonment, they will find him and when they do she will rightfully get half of everything he has also... if he didn't take a lump sum and is getting annual payouts she can probably check with the Lottery commission, because half of anything he one is hers. It wouldn't hurt to try.
I know a couple of people whose wives are absolute b*tches. They do not work. Do not take care of the children. Do not contribute in any way to caring of the home. Needless to say life is very miserable if you have a non contributing, non sharing, self absorbed spouse. Why should someone in that situation still have to sharehalf of their liquid assets. Thats not justice even if its the law.
One of the most poorly written articles I have had the misprivelage of reading.
I agree with Mondo
Interesting, everyone assumes she is to blame! There are so many men out their who are lazy jerks, and who are selfish and whoever is really to blame with get what is coming to them! Let destiny take its course! And do not assume, unless you know the facts. This being published, no matter how poorly, will bring some great lawyer to her rescue, they will find him and find out what really happened.
what goes around , comes around. If, she had won the $$ , do you think for one second she would share it with him ? She would've been gone in a NY minute !
I believe his portion was only about $450,000! That amount is hardly enough with which to retire, unless he is about 65.
According to another article about this story, Ramdass got a 'portion' of $19M since he was one of a group of airplane mechanics who bought the ticket.
His wife probably spent all of their money and that's why the house is in foreclosure. He won the lottery and said screw the money grubber and took off with his share of the lottery.
I know that me, and me wife stuggle at times but, if I'd won the lottery I would get her anything she wanted becuase she has always been by my side, and I would love to do something for her.
Chances are that the wife was probably getting ready to leave him anyways, It just so, happens that he had the last laugh first. Get a job lady...mucherrrr
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