MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Manatee County man claimed the top prize after he purchased a winning scratch-off card for $5.
The Florida Lottery said Ramon Torres, 69, won $1 million while playing the Double Your Money scratch-off game.
He chose to receive his winnings as a lump sum of $605,016, which he claimed at the lottery's headquarters in Tallahassee.
Torres bought his winning ticket from Cottage Mini Mart in Bradenton, which received a $2,000 bonus commission for the sale.
“You know, it might just be time we take a look if HOAs are really even necessary.
Maybe we should just do away with homeowner associations as a whole.”
South Florida lawmaker Rep. Juan Carlos Porras (R-Miami) says it may be time to do away with homeowners associations altogether, as more Floridians speak out about rising fees, costly lawsuits, and even arrests tied to HOA disputes. He said this week that he is considering filing legislation in the next session that would abolish HOAs statewide.
