[Vision2020] Only in Idaho . . .

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today's (January 23, 2011) Spokesman-Review.

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Estranged husband may get jackpot cut
Nicholas K. Geranios Associated Press

RATHDRUM – Holly Lahti burst into the spotlight a week ago in a feel-good
story about a single mother who won a $190 million Mega Millions
jackpot.

Then came the mugshot: a thin young woman with disheveled brown hair,
sporting a black eye and cuts and bruises on her face and neck. It turned
out she was separated from a man who court records indicated had abused
her and now has a possible claim to some of the money through a quirk in
Idaho law.

Lahti, 29, went underground with her two daughters immediately after
learning she had won half of a $380 million jackpot in the Jan. 4
drawing. She has not been seen or heard in public since.

The mugshot was taken after Lahti and her husband, Josh Lahti, both were
arrested during a domestic dispute in 2003. The charges were later
dropped, and the couple has long been separated.

Josh Lahti said he did not know Holly had won the lottery until told by a
reporter from the Associated Press last week.

“That’s awesome! I won’t have to pay child support!” he said upon learning
his wife was rich.

As it turns out, the husband could be entitled to a chunk of the winnings
because he and Lahti never divorced and were never legally separated.
Idaho’s murky law on the issue requires a divorce filing to grant
separation, which is a key factor in splitting up assets between spouses.

While the lawyers sort out the issue in the months ahead, Holly Lahti can
rejoice in the fact that her troubled past has given way to riches beyond
her wildest dreams.

She quit her job as a customer service representative for a bank after
winning the jackpot, then she asked family and friends not to talk with
reporters. She did not appear at the Jan. 12 press conference in Boise in
which her good fortune was revealed.

In a brief telephone interview, Josh Lahti said the two started dating in
high school and got married in 2001.

Holly Lahti still lives in the couple’s home in Rathdrum. Josh Lahti said
he sees his daughters, ages 12 and 10, most days.

Her friends are upset at all the attention paid to the decade-old mugshot
and say it does not reflect the devoted and hardworking young mother who
has moved on from a troubled marriage.

“She is kind. She is friendly. She is shy,” said Jennifer Mayberry, who
has lived in the same neighborhood for a decade. “My children play with
her children.”

Lahti opted Friday to collect her jackpot in a lump-sum payment instead of
annual payments over 25 years. She will get $120 million, which will
be reduced to $80.6 million by federal and state taxes.

It will be a dramatic change for a woman who by all indications appeared
to be of limited means.

A search of public records revealed that she grew up in California and
moved with her parents to Rathdrum, where she graduated from high school.
Her marriage appears to have included some violence.

Holly Lahti was arrested and charged with battery in 2003 in Kootenai
County, but the prosecutor eventually dismissed the charges. Her husband
was arrested on the same charge the same day, and those charges were also
dismissed.

In 2003, Josh Lahti was arrested for violating a no-contact order, and
that charge was dismissed. He was also charged with second-degree
kidnapping, possession of drug paraphernalia, domestic abuse, battery and
false imprisonment. All but the kidnapping were dismissed. He was
sentenced to 180 days in jail and three years probation.

In 2000, he was charged with domestic violence, but the charge was reduced
to disturbing the peace. He was also cited in 2001 for failing to make
child support payments.

Does Josh Lahti have a claim to some of the money? A University of Idaho
law professor said it is unclear.

Nearly all other states except Idaho have laws that differentiate between
separation and divorce, with division of assets clearly defined in each
case, said Elizabeth Brandt, professor of family law. The Idaho statute
muddles the concept of legal separation, and there is no clear case law on
the issue.

But while the lottery winnings are almost certainly community property,
Josh Lahti should not expect a huge windfall, Brandt said.

Holly Lahti can still file for divorce and contend the winnings are all
hers because the couple do not live together and do not support each
other, Brandt said. A divorce does not automatically produce a 50-50 split
of assets.

Holly Lahti could also negotiate a settlement with her husband, she said.

“I can’t imagine he will have a significant claim to these earnings in the
end,” Brandt said.

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Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change
and the Realist adjusts his sails."

- Unknown