Fortunate Son: Homeless Man Inherits $100K

Ronald Novack has been homeless for more than 10 years, but the Broward County man is about to have a change of luck.

A newspaper article asked the public for help in finding the 61-year-old Novack, who was set to inherit $100,000 from his dead mother's estate.

Authorities say he visited a doctor's office on Thursday, the same office where his mother was treated before dying in 2001. After reading the article, the staff there contacted authorities.

He was told of the big news by his attorney, who was hired his attorney last year to investigate whether Novack could claim any inheritance money. Novack said he had become frustrated with delays, dropped the investigation and went back to living in the woods.

Now, he'll no longer have to sleep on the streets.

Novack was released from Broward County Jail in July after a prowling conviction, reported the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He told the newspaper that he slept "in the woods" for safety and shelter.

Since his release July 10 from Broward County Jail on a prowling conviction, Novack said he has slept nights "in the woods" for safety and shelter, without elaborating on which woodsy areas he frequented.

"I'm going to get a place to stay and get off the street," he said. "When you're homeless, you learn to become very careful with money."