By: Joe Strupp A Colorado couple who believed they had won a new house through a Denver Newspaper Agency contest plan to sue the agency (which runs the business operations of Denver's two daily papers) after it awarded the grand prize to another contestant.
Veronica Baca of Lakewood, Colo., originally won the prize at a recent Denver Broncos game, where she and two other finalists were given keys to doors set up on the field prior to the game, according to the Rocky Mountain News today. The contestant whose key opened the door was to be crowned the winner, the paper reported.
When Baca's key opened the door, she was named the winner as "fireworks erupted above her, and cheerleaders swarmed," the News reported. "Soon Baca and her husband, Carlos, 70, found themselves in a suite celebrating with officials from Centex Homes and the Denver Newspaper Agency.... On their shirts they wore name tags with 'Centex Winner' and 'Winner's Guest.'"
Two days later, Baca's picture appeared in the News and The Denver Post and were in an ad declaring, "I won a new home worth over $200,000!"
But last week, the Baca's were informed that another contestant also had a key that unlocked a door, but her actions apparently went unnoticed. Contest organizers, following rules that require a drawing in the wake of a "malfunction," conducted one and changed the outcome.
"Now Centex and the DNA?. say they have declared the other woman, Paula Hankins, of Lakewood, the winner through a secondary drawing," the News reported. "In a joint statement, the companies said that all contestants agreed before the event that in the case of a 'malfunction,' a random drawing would determine the outcome. They also said that no contract was written for the home because the results were in question."
"Centex Homes and the Denver Newspaper Agency have tried to achieve the fairest possible outcome according to the rules established for the promotion," the statement said.
The Bacas appear not to be giving up, telling the News they have hired an attorney who plans to file a lawsuit this week.
"Who gives you a house, a brand new house, and then takes it away from you?" Veronica Baca told the paper. "It's unbelievable."
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here