Family feud over $1.2 million Chase the Ace jackpot lands in court

PORT HAWKESBURY, N.S. — A family feud over a million-dollar lottery jackpot has landed in Nova Scotia Supreme Court as a woman followed through on her claim that she never intended to split the Chase the Ace winnings.

Barbara Reddick has sued her nephew Tyrone MacInnis after the $1.2-million grand prize of a charity fundraiser in rural Cape Breton was divided between the two, leaving them each with $611,319.50.

The lawsuit was filed in Port Hawkesbury on Thursday, along with a motion for a preservation order seeking to freeze MacInnis’s winnings until the case is resolved.

Adam Rodgers, Reddick’s lawyer, said Friday the tickets were purchased with his client’s money and there was no contract or agreement of any kind to share the proceeds — even though both of their names were on the winning ticket.

“She agreed to have his name on the ticket for good luck,” Rodgers said.

“That’s obviously been a point of contention for some people, but that in itself doesn’t create a contract.”

Chase the Ace has gained increasing popularity in Atlantic Canada in recent years, with rural areas using the lottery to raise money for everything from local fire departments to legions.

The controversy over the lottery in Margaree Forks, N.S., gained widespread attention after a celebratory photo op earlier this month ended with Reddick telling her 19-year-old nephew she intended to take him to court.

The scene was caught on video and quickly went viral.

Rodgers said while his client has managed to “buffer” herself from the public attention, she is bothered by the breakdown in her relationship with her nephew.