A LUCKY couple who scooped a $2.6million lottery jackpot were later hit with a lawsuit after complaints about rowdy parties.
A city lawsuit alleged they held a four-month-long party that included public sex, street fights, and signs of drug-dealing.
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Portland city's legal action was based on chronic nuisance legislation aimed at ridding neighborhoods of crime-infested properties in Oregon, said reports.
It followed Elizabeth and Samuel Howard's win of a $2.6million lottery jackpot in 2005, according to Oregon Live.
Just two years later, Portland officials filed a complaint against the couple which alleged that activities at their home had become a chronic nuisance for neighbors.
The Howards had bought the two-story house at the end of a cul-de-sac for $285,000, according to city records.
READ MORE ON THE LOTTERY
The couple had talked of helping young people fight drug addiction and alcohol abuse, said news agency the Associated Press.
When the couple accepted an initial lump-sum payment of $871,000 from the Oregon Lottery, they spoke of their faith.
Elizabeth was overcome with emotion and sobbed on Samuel’s shoulder, as he comforted her gently and told her everything would be OK.
But, the lawsuit filed against the Howards detailed allegations of parties featuring fights that spilled into other yards, and couples having sex in plain view of fellow residents.
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It further claimed a neighbor was assaulted, and that someone's tires had been slashed. There was also loud music from the property.
Court documents said that over a period of four months - after the family had moved in to their new home following the big win - the emergency services were bombarded with 52 calls for help.
The lawsuit also said that cops had received complaints from residents about high-volume traffic 24/7.
Neighbors also alleged they had seen drug sales and use, public sex acts, domestic violence, urination and defecation, and unsupervised children as young as two roaming the street.
The city's complaint further claimed that residents "now live in fear and are very concerned for the safety of their family members and visitors. It is not surprising that four homes are for sale in the immediate vicinity" of the winners' home.
DENIED ALLEGATIONS
But the Howards rejected all the accusations.
Samuel Howard said: "I just feel like I'm a victim in the whole situation."
The Oregonian newspaper said the couple and two sons named in the suit all have a criminal history: Samuel; Elizabeth, and Samuel Jr. have been convicted of drug offenses. Westley has been convicted of robbery, it added.
The city threatened to board the Howards' house for six to 12 months, according to Roland Iparraguirre, then deputy city attorney.
SELL HOME
However, Samuel Howard (senior) told officials that his house had been placed on the market, which he hoped would help in settling the lawsuit.
This option appeared to please the attorney, who said that should the house sell, and the alleged criminal activity stop, so too would the city's litigation.
“A bona fide sale – that would cure the problem,” he said.
Iparraguirre declined to comment on the specifics of the lawsuit.
But he did add that neighbors had made a strong case to the police. Neighbors declined to comment, and there was no further information from the Howard family.
In October 2007, the lawsuit was settled and closed.
LOTTO WIN A 'CURSE'
It is not the first time that a lottery win has resulted in legal action.
Lee Ryan blew his multi-million jackpot before ending up behind bars in a spectacular fall from grace. He described his mammoth win as a curse.
A group of taxi drivers sued their fellow cabbies in Ghana after they failed to receive a share of a $90million lottery win.
And a would-be lottery winner missed out on a $4.2million jackpot after a court ruled she couldn't keep her winning ticket in the US.
A court ruled that she had manipulated the state's lotto-playing system to get the $4.15million winning ticket in 2019.
