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Bogus Essay Contest Participants Get Money Back

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Jan 25, 2007 12:15 pm US/Eastern

Bogus Essay Contest Participants Get Money Back

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. (CBS) ― Participants in a bogus essay contest are finally getting their money back -- more than six years later.

In 2000, Ben Waldrep promised to give away his Manhattan Beach home to the person who wrote the best essay on why they wanted to live in the South Bay, Calif. community. Each had to pay $200 to enter.

However, according to the Daily Breeze, a winner never surfaced and Waldrep sold his home for $1.2 million, keeping the contest money for himself.

Two years ago, a jury in a class action lawsuit decided the contest was a fraud. By this time, though, most contestants had given up hope of getting their money back.

The Daily Breeze reported that checks for $195 were mailed to 1,716 contestants on Wednesday.

"No way!," Julie Boeger told the newspaper. "Wow, this is excellent news. Justice is finally served. I thought it would be like getting blood out of a stone."

Waldrep, 80, donated $36,000 of the contestant proceeds to charity.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.