The Winner of $1 Million Lottery Jackpot Is Left With Only $300
The winner of a million dollars in the Florida lottery, Kathryn Favre, was left with just over three hundred dollars after she made a stupid mistake.
Winning the lottery jackpot should have been the happiest moment of her life. And it was.
But not for long...
Kathryn Favre, The Lucky Winner
Kathryn Faver, 58, got lucky on a scratch-off ticket she bought in September 2022.
According to the Destin Log, the Santa Rosa Beach resident played a 500X The Cash scratch-off ticket from Cumberland Farms in Destin, about 100 miles east of Mobile, Alabama, on the northwestern tip of Florida.
Faver took her ticket to Florida Lottery officials and decided on the lump sum distribution of $820,000 after taxes.
A few months later, on December 30, Kathryn Favre decided to buy herself a beautiful house.
She paid $400,000 in cash for the home she chose and began to move in on the very same day.
Photo Credit: Florida Lottery
From Lucky Winner To Almost Penniless
Though Kathryn Favre spent so much money on the house that it didn't yet have homeowner's insurance, she still made the decision to move her belongings in.
Kathryn Favre placed all of her boxes and belongings inside the residence anyway, and when she was about to pick up her dog, the police called her and informed her of the tragedy: her new house caught fire and was almost completely gutted.
“I didn’t even get to spend the night in it, not even 10 minutes,” she said.
“I was looking for a house, and it took me forever. I finally found one, and on Friday I took it [December 30]”.
“They had multiple offers on it, but because I had cash, they accepted my offer”, Kathryn Favre added.
“My Stupidity”
The unfortunate lottery winner told the Sun that Destin was the perfect location due to it being between Fort Walton Beach and Sandestin, as her mother resides in Sandestin and her new grandson in Fort Walton Beach.
Faver's mom has macular degeneration, requiring that she be around and available to assist with doctor's visits.
“I have to take her to doctor’s appointments and wherever she needs to go”, the woman said.
Faver explained that the reason she didn't have homeowner's insurance was due to a brief illness a few weeks before purchasing the home.
“It’s personally my stupidity”, Kathryn Favre concluded.
The Fire
According to Faver, the fire started because the movers left boxes on the glass-topped stove, which somehow turned on.
The moving company declined all responsibility, claiming they have a policy that prohibits their employees from placing items on counters in any home.
Destin Fire Battalion Chief Justin Blixton told the journalists that they were able to determine that the fire started in the kitchen.
The kitchen was eventually, destroyed along with parts of the living room.
“I basically have probably $300 to my name at this point … because I put everything into it.” Faver said. “I don’t know which way to go. I am completely clueless,” Kathryn Favre added.
Donations
Favre took home only $500,000 of the $1 million after-tax winnings, put $400,000 into the house, and donated $10,000 to a church where one of his sons is the pastor.
With the remaining money, she paid the bills.
Kathryn Favre also claimed to give away cash to hard-working community members.
