The man being sued over an unclaimed $50 million lottery ticket says he doesn't have it.
Dalbir Sidhu has been taken to court by Gayleen Rose Elliott, who is convinced that Sidhu, a co-worker who was responsible for buying tickets for a workplace lottery pool, has the winning March 14 Lotto Max ticket that was sold in Langley and is trying to avoid sharing the winnings.
Elliott filed her notice of civil claim in the Vancouver B.C. Supreme Court registry on Dec. 1.
In his response, filed on Dec. 19, Sidhu says he forgot to buy the tickets on March 14 but "mistakenly believed he did purchase the … tickets at a gas station in Surrey …" and didn't realize his mistake until Elliott asked about the purchase after the $50 million March 14 prize went unclaimed.
Sidhu says he has checked with the B.C. Lottery Corporation and none of the numbers the pool was playing were drawn on March 14.
He denies Elliott's claim that he wrongfully converted the winning ticket for his own use, denies he has any legal obligation to the pool, denies that he breached his duties and denies "having been unjustly enriched."
Elliott's lawyer is demanding $52 million plus interest from Sidhu, along with additional damages for fraud and breach of contract.
Sidhu's lawyer says Elliott isn't entitled to any damages.
Whoever bought the winning ticket has one year to claim the money.
The March 14, 2014 Lotto Max jackpot win ties the largest prize ever won in B.C.
The lottery corporation says no top lottery prize on Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49 has ever gone unclaimed in B.C.
The largest single prize ever won in Canada was a $54 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot in Alberta in October 2005.