Mets Owners Settle Lawsuit

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  • EmpireWF
    Giants in the Super Bowl
    • Mar 2009
    • 24082

    Mets Owners Settle Lawsuit

    Federal Judge ruled moments ago the Mets brass will go to trial on March 19 against Trustees of the Victims of Bernie Madoff with $300 million+ on the line.

    Plus, they will owe UP TO $83 million regardless of the trial.

    U.S. District Court Judge Jed S. Rakoff ruled Monday that Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon, his family, businesses and charities must pay $83 million to the trustee trying to recover funds to net losers in Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme.


    The $83 million is from the profit made from the ponzi scheme 2 years before Madoff was arrested. The Wilpons have insisted they did not know the scheme was going on and it's never been proven they did.

    Picard wants $303 million (down from the billion he originally wanted because the courts limited the timeframe to two years instead of six) they invested because he contends they were aware of warning signs that the scheme was happening. So, it comes down to whether he can prove to a court that the Mets investors acted in any malicious way to conspire and turn a profit. Barring a smoking gun somewhere, that seems impossible so the $300M # is almost certain to be denied.

    The Mets lawyers tried to get the case thrown out today, they failed.



  • EmpireWF
    Giants in the Super Bowl
    • Mar 2009
    • 24082

    #2
    The witness list for both sides has been released for the trial which begins Monday with jury selection

    Plaintiffs:

    1. Bruce Dubinsky (expert)
    2. Saul Katz
    3. Arthur Friedman (via video deposition)
    4. Cynthia Rongione
    5. Lisa Collura (expert)
    6. Matt Greenblatt (expert)
    7. Leonard Labita
    8. Maureen Hawa (via video deposition)
    9. Mark Peskin
    10. Joseph Reese
    11 . Michael Katz
    12. Steven Kenny
    13. Kevin Barcelona
    14. Peter Stamos (via video deposition)
    15. Basil Stamos (via video deposition)
    ] 6. Kevin Dunleavy
    17. David Katz
    18. Noreen Harrington

    Defense:

    1. Fred Wilpon
    2. Mark Peskin
    3. Saul Katz
    4. Arthur Friedman (via video deposition)
    5. Peter Stamos
    6. Ashok Chacnra
    7. Steve Kenny
    8. Charles Klein
    9. Robert Rosenthal
    10. Michael Dowling
    11. Sandy Koufax
    12. Robert Morgenthau

    http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/met...r-wilpon-trial


    Comment

    • EmpireWF
      Giants in the Super Bowl
      • Mar 2009
      • 24082

      #3
      Avoiding a trial that was set to begin today, the Wilpon's and Katz's agreed to a settlement that will see them pay $162 million.

      They won't have to make a payment for 3 years.



      The real amount they pay back is said to be a fraction of that because they too are due back some money for being victim's of Madoff. Wilpon and Katz are not expected to pay more than $29 million each.


      Comment

      • Chrispy
        Needs a hobby
        • Dec 2008
        • 11403

        #4
        darrenrovell
        Mets owners will pay Madoff trustee $162M but could recover as much as $178M as Madoff victims as part of settlement.

        Comment

        • Chrispy
          Needs a hobby
          • Dec 2008
          • 11403

          #5
          Source confirms NY Daily News report: #Mets have repaid $25M loan to #MLB, $40M loan to Bank of America and sold 12 minority shares.

          Comment

          • EmpireWF
            Giants in the Super Bowl
            • Mar 2009
            • 24082

            #6
            After an eventful off-day, much of the narrative about the Mets' looming financial ruin is due to take a backseat for the near future.First, at the U.


            Reports the Mets sold 12 minority shares of the team last week, good for $240 million.

            They then paid off the outstanding loans with MLB and Bank of America, a combined $65 million. Plus, they paid at least $100 million towards the teams $430 million debt.

            The Mets have not refinanced their remaining loans, but have bought the team goodwill. Last year, team lender JPMorgan wrote a letter warning that the team had breached its debt covenants. The owners first must prove they can come close to hitting their budget after missing it badly the last two years, one source said. In 2011, the Mets lost roughly $70 million. After big payroll cuts in the off-season, the team could break even this year.
            For now it looks like the Wilpon's and Katz's have secured their control over the franchise moving forward. The lawsuit settlement doesn't force them to pay back any money until 2016 or 2017. They still have a lot of loans (the SNY loan, the CitiField loan are the two big ones) and they have to manage to stop the bleeding. Last year they lost $70 million....they cut the payroll by roughly $50 million and with the infusion of money from the sale of minority shares...should be okay in 2012.

            Fans who wanted them to sell are pissed off.


            Comment

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