A $240,955 Lottery Ticket Hid Behind a Garage Counter for Months
A Michigan man spent months believing somebody else had won a $240,955 Fantasy 5 jackpot at his regular store. The winning ticket was his—and it had fallen behind a counter in his garage.
The 66-year-old Charlevoix County player bought the ticket at East Jordan Central EZ Mart for the August 28, 2025 drawing. It matched all five numbers: 7, 10, 21, 25, and 33.
He eventually found the ticket, but the story gained another twist. He waited several more months to claim while deciding what to do with the money. The Michigan Lottery said he completed the claim only days before the ticket’s one-year expiration.
The winner searched twice—and the second search mattered
The player bought Fantasy 5 tickets daily at the same retailer. After learning that the jackpot-winning entry came from that store, he checked what he believed were all his tickets. None appeared to be the winner.
Months later, he heard the jackpot remained unclaimed. That detail prompted a second, more thorough search. He found a Fantasy 5 ticket behind the garage counter where he stored his entries and discovered the five-number match.
This was not a story about decoding number patterns. It was a recordkeeping failure that nearly cost $240,955.
Players can avoid that kind of uncertainty by checking every entry against the latest lottery results, then recording the game, drawing date, numbers, purchase location, and ticket image in LuckMaker’s Ticket Vault. A photo does not replace the original paper ticket, but it can tell you what should still be in your possession.
One year is a deadline, not a suggestion
Michigan draw-game prizes must be claimed within one year of the drawing date. After that, the ticket expires and the prize is forfeited. The lottery also says an unsigned ticket is a bearer instrument, so players should follow its guidance to sign the back.
For this winner, finding the ticket was only half the job. He still needed to protect it and complete the official claim before time ran out. Because the prize exceeded $100,000, Michigan rules required him to claim at Lottery headquarters in Lansing.
Deadlines and claim procedures vary by jurisdiction. Do not assume your state, province, or country follows Michigan’s one-year rule. Check the issuing lottery’s official instructions as soon as a ticket shows a potential win.
LuckMaker covers 98 games across 25 U.S. states and 9 international markets. Visit /games to compare schedules, ticket prices, odds, and game structures. Check the LuckMaker Score at luckmaker3000.com/games, our proprietary 0–100 game rating.
A random ticket still needs an organized routine
Fantasy 5 asks players to select five numbers from 1 through 39. The jackpot starts at $100,000, and drawings take place daily. Optional features can add another layer to the ticket, which makes accurate recordkeeping even more useful.
If you prefer a random selection instead of birthdays or repeated personal numbers, LuckMaker’s Lucky Number Generator creates unbiased lines for supported games. It does not predict a result. Every valid combination has the same chance in a fair drawing.
The practical routine is straightforward: generate or choose a line, save the exact entry in Ticket Vault, protect the original ticket, and check the result after the drawing. If a local retailer is reported to have sold a major winner, review your records before assuming it belongs to someone else.
Waiting after discovery added avoidable risk
The winner said he delayed claiming because he wanted time to decide how to use the money. He now plans to pay off his mortgage and buy a cabin.
Taking time before spending is sensible. Leaving an unclaimed ticket exposed to loss, damage, theft, or an approaching deadline is a different decision. A winner can usually secure the claim first and then slow down before making large purchases.
A $240,955 prize also creates tax consequences. LuckMaker’s Lottery Tax Calculator can provide an initial estimate for U.S. winnings, but it is not personalized tax advice. The final amount depends on federal and state rules and the winner’s circumstances.
The garage-counter ticket had already beaten extraordinary odds. It almost lost to ordinary clutter. Ticket Vault exists for exactly this problem: knowing what you bought, where the original is stored, and whether every draw has been checked before the claim clock reaches zero.