Redskins sue Grandmother into bankruptcy over season tickets

[Are_grits_groceries]

In the hallway of her modest home south of Alexandria, the 72-year-old grandmother points out the burgundy-and-gold Redskins hook rug she made. In her bedroom, she shows off the pennants from two Redskins Super Bowl games she attended, and she opens a music box on her dresser that plays "Hail to the Redskins."

Now, Hill says, her beloved Redskins are forcing her into bankruptcy.

Last year, Hill's real estate sales were hit hard by the housing market crash, and she told the team that she could no longer afford her $5,300-a-year contract for two loge seats behind the end zone. Hill said she asked the Redskins to waive her contract for a year or two.

The sales office declined.

On Oct. 8, the Redskins sued Hill in Prince George's County Circuit Court for backing out of a 10-year ticket-renewal agreement after the first year. The team sought payment for every season through 2017, plus interest, attorneys' fees and court costs.

Hill couldn't afford a lawyer. She did not fight the lawsuit or even respond to it because, she said, she believes that the Bible says that it is morally wrong not to pay your debts. The team won a default judgment of $66,364.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/02/AR2009090203887.html?hpid=topnews⊂=AR&sid=ST2009090104025

There are a lot of people with similar stories. The Redskins have a huge waiting list, and reselling the tickets would be no problem.

I hope they lose every game.

[Jennicut]

1. Disgusting...why should any fan support them?

[MadBadger]

17. Because most Redskins fans hate Dan Snyder?

[Captain Hilts]

20. And I'll bet a lot of other teams do the same thing. Dis-gusting. nt

[roguevalley]

24. where is an address and email for this stupid team. someone

needs to shame these fuckers into letting this poor little thing alone. I knew I hated the red skins and now I know why

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. Thanks for posting. Glad the story is being publicized

[Captain Hilts]

22. Me too. Sports is a racket. At least taxpayers didn't pay for the stadium. nt

[babylonsister]

3. So inhumane-over football and money. Ugh. I'll not be rooting for them.

(not that I would anyway)

[Captain Hilts]

23. At least taxpayers didn't pay for our stadium...AND it has room for high punts!! nt

[marybourg]

4. Nobody here comes off looking very bright, including "the Bible." nt.

[soleft]

5. This story actually made me cry

Just something very heartbreaking about it.

[GreenPartyVoter]

6. That sucks beyond belief. I hope they are shamed into changing their minds. Furthermore

they wouldn't have to stick it to people like this if they didn't have such exorbitant overhead costs like crazy high player salaries.

[NashVegas]

7. PSLs Should Have Subletting Priveliges, If Necessary

the Redskins are double-dipping, as a few people accuse them:

Only one defendant is mounting a significant defense: Atlantic Transportation Equipment Ltd., a Maryland bus-maintenance company that rented a 30-seat skybox suite for $149,000 annually to entertain clients and employees. The six-year contract was due to expire next year, and the Redskins sued for the final two seasons, or $269,000 after deducting the deposit.

The case is set for trial next month. Attorney Alan Silverberg argued in pretrial discussions that the team found a tenant for the suite last year and this year and should reduce the damages sought by the amount collected from the new tenant.

What I don't get is why grandma didn't just find someone to try to work a deal out with, ie, they pay for the SL, they pay the tickets, and go with her to the box office. How tough is that?

[reflection]

8. As distasteful as the lawsuit is,

she should have at least responded to it. The Redskins would probably have worked something out with her. It says elsewhere in the article that they have made similar arrangements with other people in similar situations. I hope she finds a way to get out of this bind. (And she probably will, now that she has a little publicity)

[Are_grits_groceries]

12. Some people just get overwhelmed and give up.

In addition, she may need whatever money a plan would entail.

It's a real whammy because not only does she have legal and monetary troubles, but the one thing that gave her pleasure smacked her.

[reflection]

14. I understand that feeling.

To be so overwhelmed that you just want to shut down communication and isolate yourself. I agree it is doubly hurtful because of her rabid devotion to the Redskins. I hope that Dan Snyder will forgive her debt if she appeals directly to him, though.

Thinking out loud... what would be ubercool would be if Mark Cuban of the Mavericks paid that bill for her. He has a history of charitable giving in such situations, plus it would pump up the Dallas/Washington rivalry... I know that Cuban is a basketball guy, but how embarrassed would the Redskins be if a Dallas guy had to bail out one of their fans?

[ejpoeta]

19. she apparently tried to work something out with them BEFORE the lawsuit.

they should have worked something out before a lawsuit was even considered.... but it sounds like they weren't interested in doing that before they filed a lawsuit.

[damntexdem]

9. To hell with the Washington Racists!

I won't repeat their racist team name.

[Captain Hilts]

21. The name is used by teams comprised of native Americans, actually.

It's not a reference to scalping.

But, to be frank, I'm not wedded to the name.

[whopis01]

35. I've never heard anyone claim it is a reference to scalping, only to skin color.

Either way, there are many Native American groups that find the term extremely offensive and racist.

[rzemanfl]

28. Someone who posts here has an interesting alternative name

for that team. Maybe she will drop by and share it.

[Arkana]

10. Dan Snyder and Vinny Cerrato are dicks.

Just as well--they're running the Skins into the ground anyway and I expect they'll be run out of town soon.

[Libertas1776]

11. I feel for the

woman, and the Redskins can go to Hell. However, the statement "she believes that the Bible says that it is morally wrong not to pay your debts," is where she loses me. Listen lady, I am pretty sure the good book won't hold a grudge against you because your facing being put out on the street since you didn't repay the Redskins. She should have responded, she should have went to court, and she should have fought this. The publicity alone, a major NFL team suing an elderly grandmother and long time die hard Redskins fan because she had fallen on hard times, would have saved her. But no, she would rather agree to give them everything short of the shirt on her back to a billion dollar team whom she thinks the bible would want her to repay. Lady, you lost me.

[Chulanowa]

13. Well, I believe debts should be paid, too...

Not based off the bible or anything, just that it's the common sense thing to do.

'Course it's also common sense to try to weasel out of paying as much as your creditor will let you get away with ;)

Fuck the Palefaces, er I mean Redskins.

[Are_grits_groceries]

15. See post #12.

I don't think taking her to task about her religious beliefs really helps. She has a different interpretation than I do, but I think that is not the real point of the story.

Snyder has more money than Gawd, but he wants to squeeze every dime out of everybody. He's gonna hear chains rattling at the end of his bed one night because the Xmas season starts early.

[Arctic Dave]

16. Way to alienate your fan base guys.

WTF. Who the hell is their PR director, Rumsfeld?

[reflection]

18. Yep. Mr. "Old Europe" himself.

:rofl:

[Captain Hilts]

31. And there are so many folks who would be glad to buy the seats. nt

[Vidar]

25. Just another heartless corporation.

[Toasterlad]

26. She Didn't Fight Because of the BIBLE?

No sympathy for her. God helps those who help themselves.

[ShadowLiberal]

27. Just another reason why I never watch sports games, especially football

Seriously, what kind of a moron would decide to file a lawsuit in this situation? They do realize that a bankrupt person can't & won't pay debts they owe, especially if they couldn't afford the original $5,300 price, and then that price they couldn't afford gets increased like 11 fold to $66,364. .

It would be a heck of a lot more profitable to just tell this person "ok if you can't pay for it then we're going to have to end your 10 year contract now", and then sell the tickets to someone else, probably for more money then then grandma was paying for them because of inflation.

[Stinky The Clown]

29. Fuck 'em ..... and while we're at it ... what's up with that team name and logo?

[FiveGoodMen]

30. Boycott. Let THEM try bankruptcy!

[Quasimodem]

32. An old-fashioned Christian

I believe the scripture Mrs. Hill was alluding to is Romans 13:8.

I have no argument with her interpretation of the Bible, even though it seems to be giving her bad advice, since she only applies her interpretation to herself, and does not try to force it down the throats of everybody else.

Were she what usually passes for a Christian, she'd take one glance at that “$5,300-a-year contract for two loge seats behind the end zone” and begin looking up biblical prohibitions against usury.

[indepat]

33. It's enough to make one want to say "Fuck Snyder, the Washington Redskins, the NFL, and the horses

they rode in on." :P

[Statistical]

34. Here is the stupid thing waiting list for season tickets is years long.

They could have simply resold the tickets and maybe charged her an "early cancelation" penalty.

Done & Done.

They get comped for the trouble.
She pays a small fine (don't enter in contracts if you can't afford them).
A fan gets tickets earlier.
Seat is still filled.
No loss of revenue.

[Cybergata]

36. I wish someone would sue the team over the name RedSkins

You wouldn't find a team with the name Black Skins. I would be racially uncomfortable. I find Red Skins racially uncomfortable.