Redskins Tell Va. Grandmother She Doesn't Have to Pay $66,364 Judgment

[Are_grits_groceries]

The Washington Redskins notified a Fairfax County woman Friday that the team plans to ask a court to vacate a $66,364 court judgment against her after she defaulted on a multiyear contract for season club tickets.

A real-estate agent, Pat Hill, 72, had signed a $5,300-a-year, 10-year contract through 2017 for two seats at FedEx Field, but was unable to make payments in 2008 after the housing market crashed. The Redskins sued Hill in October for the duration of the contract and won a default judgment this year.
<snip>
Redskins General Counsel David Donovan's e-mail began: "I was sorry to read in the Post your account of your financial difficulties that prevented you from being able to pay for your Redskins Club Seats in 2008. I wish that you had returned our calls in 2008 or reached out to me in response to the letters I and others had sent you and explained your situation. If that had happened, we never would have proceeded with the claim against you."

Hill said she phoned Donovan when she got home Friday night from a day at a real-estate office where she is trying to jump-start her flagging sales practice. She said she told Donovan that she had called the Redskins repeatedly and once drove to the team's ticket office at FedEx Field.

Hill said she had attempted to get a waiver of a year or two in her contract. "I must have talked to them eight or nine times," she said. "I talked to a number of different people."

She said she couldn't afford a lawyer and never responded to the lawsuit.

Hill said Donovan told her that she should have called him directly. She said she told him: "I didn't even know you existed. I don't know you."

Hill said Donovan also told her she should have responded to the team's letters, but she told a reporter Friday, "I got no letters, and every call that was ever made to me was returned, and I physically went down to the Redskins office and explained my situation."

After her phone conversation with Donovan, Hill told The Post: "It is like he is blaming everything on me."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/04/AR2009090403912.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

Weasels! I still hope they lose every game.

<Hill said Donovan told her that she should have called him directly. She said she told him: "I didn't even know you existed. I don't know you.">

Yeah buddy! Everybody has your number on speed dial.

[Captain Hilts]

1. AND they should give her a set of free season tickets. Shame!

And the other 20+ NFL teams that do this same thing should also reconsider.

[MichellesBFF]

22. The other NFL teams

I read on Consumerist that there are a bunch of NFL teams that don't sue their fans, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants and Jets, Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans. (info comes from the Washington Post) Also, she didn't fight it in court because the bible says you have to pay your debts.

[Captain Hilts]

23. There are nine teams who said they do not do this. The others wouldn't comment. nt

[PA Democrat]

2. LOL. Don't mess with Grandma, Redskins!

The only thing that Pat Hill should have done sooner is go to the media. Sadly, public humiliation is sometimes the only way to get people to do what is right.

The woman is 72 and still working.

[Captain Hilts]

6. They could have just sold the tickets to someone else. The 'Skins are top cats in this town.

[Corey_Baker08]

3. I Don't Think Its Far Fetched To Assume That Quite Possibly The Lady Did Just Ignore The Calls...

I mean Im guilty of not jumping to answer the phone when I know its a debt collector, im not eager to respond to a letter regarding a debt (ecspecially $68,000) but I believe it is human nature to avoid an uncomfortable situation and I dont think its to far lost to wonder if perhaps this lady didn't just do what most do in situations like this and just completely put it to the back of your mind and mark it off as another debt.

I wouldn't make this Donovan out to be some god or anything I bet he's trying to take credit for the publicity of the situation but maybe just maybe this is an instant where the supposive bad guy is telling the truth.

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. The Redskins have a waiting list

a mile long. They can sell the tickets. Snyder is just a cheap asshole who wants every dime. A lot of teams don't even try to sue.

In addition, some people just get overwhelmed by problems. This 72 YEAR OLD woman is just trying to hold her life together. Unless the Redskin's entire front office works under a rock 24/7, they know how bad the economy is. They are going after 125 people. It will really break the bank if they don't pay.

They should have been proactive and tried to set up someone to handle these situations on a case by case basis instead of going to Defcon 1.

Snyder is too busy spending his money on high priced free agents that can't play. A fund of one weeks salary from one of those bozos could take care of those 125 problems in a heartbeat.

[Captain Hilts]

7. And this area hasn't been as badly hit by the recession as others. nt

[Tim01]

4. Her house is a Redskins shrine, and they were driving her to bankrupcy.

This was on the front page of the paper complete with a picture sitting on her Redskins couch with her Redskins lamps, and her Redskins table, and her Redskins rug,.........and crying because they are going to bankrupt her with this lawsuit.
She said she can no longer afford the $5,300 a year , so they demanded $66,000 right now.

[Corey_Baker08]

8. $2000 a Year? I Thought it Said $5300 a year for a 10 year Contract....

Am I the only one here wondering what the hell a 72 year old woman is doing signing 10 year contracts for tickets to NFL games? Seems weird to me, yet she may just be an absolute fan and you can't blame her for that, but 10 years at age 72...c'mon

[Are_grits_groceries]

10. So now you have gotten

out an actuarial table to see who should get what tickets? She is a FAN, and I'll bet she was optimistic enough to believe she would enjoy 10 years.

[Tim01]

11. I fixed it. My mistake.

[Are_grits_groceries]

12. Fixed what? nt

Edit: Sorry. I looked at the wrong place.

[Are_grits_groceries]

9. It also pisses me off because

they did this to her and she is such a fan. They made one of the few pleasures she still has into an ordeal. She may still root for the Redskins, but not without some bad memories.

WEASELS!

[Corey_Baker08]

13. Really? It pisses you off they did this because she is such a fan? Most People W/ Season Tix R Fans!

I mean do you really believe that when they turned this over to collections the main thing that they looked at when deciding to file the lawsuit was her age and how big of a fan of the team she was?

Not trying to be a Debbie Downer her but c'mon of course if someone has a 10 year agreement for season tickets they're gonna be a 'huge fan'

I agree with you that certain moral issues were not and probably should have been taken into consideration in this case given her age but when it comes down to it business is business and 17 or 72 when you enter into a legally binding contract in which you incur a debt it is expected that you will repay it at some point in your life.

[Are_grits_groceries]

14. "Bidness is bidness"

*snort*

I don't think she signed that contract thinking:

a-the economy was gonna drop into a bottomless pit

b-that she was going to die before the contract was up

I guess there should be a clause stating that everybody has to come in with a complete medical workup before they can get an extended contract.
"You had a heart attack 2 years ago?" - "Sorry buddy, we can only sign you up for the 2 year package."

Maybe Snyder can run a side business and offer funeral packages to fans.

[Corey_Baker08]

17. What Are You Talking About Her Dyeing Before The Contract is Up???

I have said nothing to that extent and it is a complete non issue. The fact is once again you say "I don't think she signed that contract thinking:

a-the economy was gonna drop into a bottomless pit"

Well of course she didnt know the economy was going to crater, but I most certainly didnt know the economy was going to crater when I took out a loan on a car, does that excuse me from repaying it? Absolutely Not. I understand your sympathetic to her situation because of her age (as most of us are) but when it comes down to it a debt is a debt it doesnt discriminate based on Age, Race, Creed, or Religion, if you owe it your gonna be expected to pay it somewhere along the line.

If you were in her situation where you owed the Redskins a $68,000 debt because you willing submitted into a 10 year contract with them nonetheless, and your neighbor owed The Redskins a $68,000 (who happened to be a little older than you)because he did the same thing, wouldnt you be more than a little pissed that they cleared his debt because he was a little older yet your stuck with a $68,000 debt. Its Called Simple Fairness!

[Are_grits_groceries]

27. You posted "but 10 years at age 72...c'mon."

What does 72 and 10 years have to do with it? You are the one questioning someone of that age buying a contract that long.

I hope somebody or something can work out for you too, and I don't know you except as Corey_Baker08. In this economy too many people are concentrating on the haves. They have everything okay. They have decent health insurance. it's all the have nots that need to be noticed.

And as for X getting help while Y doesn't, that is an inequality that should be addressed.

people are thinking like Cheney and his damn 1% doctrine. "Even if there's just a 1 percent chance of the unimaginable coming due, act as if it is a certainty."

Even if there is only a chance of 1% getting helped out when they shouldn't, act as if they all are ne're do wells throwing money around and screw them. Can't have that 1% getting away with anything.

[NashVegas]

16. Lots of Businesses, Social Climbers, Scalpers and Salesmen Buy Season Tickets

It's how business is done in some cities.

[Captain Hilts]

24. She's earned a date with Sonny Jurgensen and Sam Huff, too. nt

[ejpoeta]

19. and they are in serious CYA mode.... deflecting blame onto her is the only thing they CAN do...

they look like greedy bastards. and i would believe that she DID talk to them and call them and that THEY are the ones lying about it. She wasn't asking them to eat it here.... she was asking for them to let someone else buy the tickets for a couple of years until she got on her feet again... and it sounds like if they had a waiting list that wouldn't have been a problem. If they were smart, they could have used this woman for publicity and let her have the tickets for free... see, we know what you are going through, fans... we're all a family. but they didn't and they gave themselves a big black eye for it.

[Orrex]

15. Seems to me that this is all the justification I need for defaulting on my student loans

[Corey_Baker08]

18. LOL- Thank You This is The Point I am Trying To Make....

Without looking 'unsympathetic' to her situation but im having alot of financial difficulty right now and im not excused from any of my debts why should she just because of her age? I mean Im happy she is, dont get me wrong but this whole economy cratering excuse cannot and should not be key reasoning for not paying your debts...

[ejpoeta]

20. umm.... you CAN get help with your student loans if you are in financial distress.

True the woman signed a contract to buy the tickets, but people sign leases for apartments and if there is a waiting list, usually they can get out of it without hurting themselves as long as the apartment can be rented right away without the owner losing any money. The redskins wouldn't have lost any money by letting someone on the waiting list buy the tickets for a year or two.

[Orrex]

28. When I was in "financial distress," here's what they told me:

"You can pay us $300 per month, or else we'll take $300 from you each month."

"But I'm the sole income provider for a family of four, and my income is only $X."

"Okay, in that case you can pay us $300 per month, or else we'll take $300 from you each month."


Not much sympathy, flexibility, or accommodation to be found in my experience.

[ejpoeta]

29. i am in income contigent status myself. so is my husband. I can't remember what it's called

but maybe you could look into that??

[madville]

21. How does being a grandmother relate to the story?

I don't get it, didn't see how that had anything to do with the story. Is it supposed to make the reader feel sorry for her by conjuring up an image of poor little grandma getting bullied by the man? From the story it sounds like the woman is a professional business lady who can take care of herself. Many contracts like this have clauses that address financial hardship and allow one to defer payment or dues for a period of time. My country club has a provision for this very thing where a member can demit for six months or a year if they can't pay monthly dues, just have to make a request to the board.

[Captain Hilts]

25. The team is an old one and their fans skew old. At the games at RFK, the demographic was

MUCH older because it was so hard to get tickets, kids hadn't earned their right to get in.

I know a LOT of older women who watch the games and don't answer the phone while they're on.

[Are_grits_groceries]

26. I bet a lot of people reading DU have some money problems.

I am not rolling in the dough.

Reading about this person took the situation out of the abstract and made it more personal. In this case, I know that Snyder and the Redskins can help this woman and the other 125 out if they so choose. Just because every situation on Earth can't be fixed so easily doesn't prevent me from wanting her helped. She can be.

So can those people lucky enough to catch a politician's eye at a meeting. They tell their stories and they are so full of pain that even a stone cold asshole like Coburn offers to help. This is no way for a country to help people.

NUMBERS

The problem is numbers. 18000 die every year because of no health insurance. 16000 go bankrupt every day because of medical bills. 250,000 lost their jobs this month. 20,000 lost their homes(These numbers are just examples).

People and businesses hide behind numbers. Numbers protect them from the stories and the faces.

Politicians can be the worst. I doubt if my government officials have been meeting anybody with a problem. They are
Governor Mark Sanford (R-Oblivious), Senator Lindsey Graham -(R-Unctuous), and Senator Jim DeMint-(R-Toad). They shouldn't hold town halls. They should use some of the money that they have to run their offices to hire people to sit with them and their aides and write down names, addresses and the problems of their constituents. Then they should have to explain what they are doing to help. Not a promise, but a concrete example of something they are doing
to ease the situation.

Here is what they are up to:
Sanford-Hiking, visiting Argentina, apologizing, explaining, flying, refusing stimulus money, soaking taxpayers
Graham-Going on teevee to explain why he and his cohorts can't do whatever
DeMint-plotting Waterloo, planning nullification for Health care reform, also going on teevee to run his mouth

The entire legislative calendar should be reworked so that they have to spend a lot of time in their respective states, and not living in DC. DC is like a giant snowglobe, and unless it is shaken, they don't see problems. The numbers should change to people, and faces, and stories. That should help take it out of the abstract.

The MSM is just as bad. We see anchor people, pundits, thinktankers, correspondents, etc. I know what they bloody well look like. They should get the hell out of the way and show the people and let us hear them. I swear to god, more people could probably recognize Michael Jackson's doctor than someone with a reaL problem. They could also highlight ideas that have worked.

Instead, I know about Joe the Dumber, Sarah Wailin', Matt Lousier, James Carnival, Nancy Puffenstuff, and Little Miss Pied Piper. And now you can add Townhaller 9fingers.

Some people won't change. Mark Sanford heard a problem on a radio show from a man in Charleston. He said he would pray for him.

It reminds me of a bumpersticker:"Shoot them all, and let God sort them out."
Why not:"Help them all and let God sort them out."

When Hurricane Hugo finished roaring through SC, a lot of people were living in unbelievable conditions. FEMA came in, and they had a lot of trailers in Atlanta that people could have desperately used. FEMA, however, had to get a ton of paperwork from anybody who wanted one and a first born child. They couldn't simplify the process, check on people who needed them, and find some way to keep up with those raggedy ass boxes that would have at least made life more bearable. You would have thought they were giving away luxury RV's.

I'm tired of the bullshit where if x doesn't get help then y won't get help. Work the damn problems out and try to help as many people as you can.:rant: :rant: :rant: :rant: :rant:

[Captain Hilts]

32. 99% of the press is also overpaid and 'summering' on an island somewhere. nt

[Generic Brad]

30. Daniel Snyder is a small man

I don't mean that as a judgement on his character either. He is, in fact, a small man.

[Captain Hilts]

34. Did he chose his size? Are taller men nicer? Smarter? Oh, taller folks just get paid more...nt

[Buns_of_Fire]

31. Why not just offer her a one-year contract as a halfback to work it off?

She gets her debt to the team paid off at minimal risk (c'mon -- who's gonna tackle a sweet little old grannylady when she takes the handoff and starts ambling through the slot?).

The Redskins get a guaranteed draw, even if they don't play her (which they most assuredly wouldn't). Kind of like Leela signing up to play professional Blernsball. (Besides, 66 grand is probably less than they pay their halfbacks, of which I'd amagine most don't get much playing time either.)

See? It's a win-win if everybody plays it right!;-)

[Dreamer Tatum]

33. This is a funny thread

I wonder what this thread would look like if instead of a "72-year-old grandma," it was a "42-year-old laid-off AIG executive."

Justice is in no way blind sometimes.

[Joe the Revelator]

35. She signed a contract...that matters in the real world

When you sign your name to an agreement, you're expected to honor it.