LAT: City of Anaheim seeking potential litigation from Arte to pay hundreds of millions in Angel Stadium repairs

[mmc]

 

[mmc]

The Angels’ lease at the city-owned stadium requires the team to pay the “sole expense” of ballpark maintenance and upkeep, aside from a specified city contribution each year. According to the city, the Angels have made $54.5 million in capital repairs and improvements since 2002, including the $12.3 million in city contributions. Moreno bought the team in 2003.

The lease specifies that the Angels must maintain their stadium “at least equal to first class professional baseball stadiums, such as, on the date hereof, Kansas City and Dodger stadiums.” The lease was signed in 1996, and the $117-million renovation of Angel Stadium was completed in 1998.

Since then, the Kansas City Royals’ stadium has received a $250-million upgrade courtesy of local taxpayers, and the Dodgers’ owners have invested $350 million into renovations at Dodger Stadium.

[angelsnationtalk]

So who's the new owner.....

[Taylor]

I bet Arte now wishes he sold the team two years ago. Poor guy.

[Lou]

11 minutes ago, Taylor said:

I bet Arte now wishes he sold the team two years ago. Poor guy.

Why? According to Forbes, the team is worth $200 million more now than it was then.

[floplag]

And there goes any hope of a quick sale... thanks council

[Angels 1961]

There goes any hope of signing Judge, Verlander, Turner (Trea and Justin) Correa, Swanson and so many others. Maybe can sign Duffy (Matt and Danny)

[Blarg]

3 hours ago, mmc said:

Since then, the Kansas City Royals’ stadium has received a $250-million upgrade courtesy of local taxpayers, and the Dodgers’ owners have invested $350 million into renovations at Dodger Stadium.

This so fucking stupid citing the Dodgers finally upgrading their dilapidated stadium 20 years after the Anaheim overhaul. The entire McCourts ownership they didn't put a dime into the stadium. The O'Malleys were no better. So by the time the new ownership came around they were paying in today's dollars to do the same thing that Disney did over the course of ownership including the upgrades Moreno did under his. 

Fuck the City of Anaheim and their white elephant stadium and fucked up city council.  

[Docwaukee]

are you Blarg mad?

[Taylor]

26 minutes ago, floplag said:

And there goes any hope of a quick sale... thanks council

More like thanks Arte for trying to pull a fast one on the city.

[Docwaukee]

the amount of money that's gonna be held back in that escrow account just keeps growing.  

The COA probably realized they had no way to sue the team and Arte over the failed land deal so they went in a different direction to get their pound of flesh.  

[Sully151]

I can’t imagine the new owners wanting to deal with the COA. 

[Angels 1961]

Seems like Arte and Angels will be spending lot of time in court. If I was new owner first thing I would do is change name back to Anaheim Angels.

[Blarg]

3 hours ago, Docwaukee said:

are you Blarg mad?

The City of Anaheim has been an adversarial relationship since the day Arte took ownership. Now they want to get money for being assholes for 19 years. Fuck them. 

[Second Base]

I actually agree with Blarg here. Anaheim doesn't deserve a first class franchise with the way they've handled these negotiations. 

On the other hand, Arte hasn't done Jack squat to improve the stadium, comparatively. 

[gotbeer]

4 hours ago, Sully151 said:

I can’t imagine the new owners wanting to deal with the COA. 

Samueli's have a fine relationship with the CoA.  This has more to do with Arte than the CoA.

Arte has done shit but put advertisement in the stadium.  Since he took over the team, he's been shitting on the CoA's lawn in the middle of the day.  I don't blame the CoA one bit.

So that would put the CoA in litigation, Skaggs family in litigation, possible loss of the TV deal due to Diamond Bankruptcy.  Whoever buys the team next has a lot of things to consider that will not make the sale quick.

[Blarg]

1 hour ago, Second Base said:

I actually agree with Blarg here. Anaheim doesn't deserve a first class franchise with the way they've handled these negotiations. 

On the other hand, Arte hasn't done Jack squat to improve the stadium, comparatively. 

Comparative to what? Dodger stadium was a run down dump, the new ownership had to invest in the structure. Arte inherited a stadium that had just went through a renovation and still dumped money into it. What more, exactly, was he supposed to do other than plow the 4th oldest stadium and start over? 

And let's be clear, he was leasing the 4th oldest stadium in baseball. Keeping it up was really the CoA job to keep the Tennant, not squeeze him for cash every time the 60 year old pipes burst. 

[DCAngelsFan]

11 hours ago, Blarg said:

Comparative to what? Dodger stadium was a run down dump, the new ownership had to invest in the structure. Arte inherited a stadium that had just went through a renovation and still dumped money into it. What more, exactly, was he supposed to do other than plow the 4th oldest stadium and start over? 

And let's be clear, he was leasing the 4th oldest stadium in baseball. Keeping it up was really the CoA job to keep the Tennant, not squeeze him for cash every time the 60 year old pipes burst. 

I suppose it comes down to the actual language in the contract.  But there's a difference between maintaining something and improving it.

If I leased a property from someone, and I was supposed to "maintain" it - generally, that would mean "not letting it deteriorate, and keep it in the same condition I got it" - paint it when necessary, replace things as they broke, replace wear items at end-of-life, etc.

It doesn't mean I gut it or raze it to the ground, and build a new palace on the spot, or put in a swimming pool and spa. 

Anaheim had years to bring this up - they may lose simply based on not bringing suit in a timely way (when are they saying he breached?  Was he served notice? )

My guess is they're just trying to extort a quick cash settlement by monkey-wrenching the sale by threatening a lawsuit.  And it would kind of serve Anaheim right if Arte counter-sued that they're abusing the legal process - I bet discovery in the Anaheim government email system would be all kinds of fun.

(* - not a lawyer, just random asshole with an uninformed opinion)

[Angels 1961]

I miss Angel's first home, Wrigley Field.

[Angelsfan1984]

13 hours ago, gotbeer said:

Samueli's have a fine relationship with the CoA.  This has more to do with Arte than the CoA.

Arte has done shit but put advertisement in the stadium.  Since he took over the team, he's been shitting on the CoA's lawn in the middle of the day.  I don't blame the CoA one bit.

So that would put the CoA in litigation, Skaggs family in litigation, possible loss of the TV deal due to Diamond Bankruptcy.  Whoever buys the team next has a lot of things to consider that will not make the sale quick.

It’s weird that you can see the Honda center all the way from angels stadium in Los Angeles 

[greginpsca]

If my recollection is good, years ago the coa and the team made an agreement to give Arte all parking revenue in exchange for maintaining the stadium. City wanted out of that expense. Team was complaining about the maintainance and the city expense was draining city funds. Sounds like one big passing contest.

[Docwaukee]

Arte's gonna lose his deposit.