McCourt vs McCourt (Frank fires Jamie)

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Most fascinating story of the offseason?

It just got a lot more fascinating.

Jamie McCourt considered whether to parlay her high-profile position with the Dodgers into the pursuit of political offices, including president of the United States, according to documents filed by her estranged husband in the couple's divorce proceedings.

In a December 2008 e-mail, Dodgers executive Charles Steinberg presented her with "Project Jamie," a seven-page action plan that included this line: "Goal: Be Elected President of the United States."

In a March 2009 e-mail suggesting that she first run for mayor of Los Angeles and then governor of California, consultant Michael Wissot wrote: "Since I've never known you to joke with me about your professional objectives, I presume that this POTUS (President of the United States) goal is serious."

Jamie McCourt was interested in public office, estranged husband says - latimes.com

Straight from the L.A. Times. Even The Onion, Sports Pickle, and The Brushback all together couldn't make this shit up.

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The Dodger Divorce dude makes his appearance on Fred Roggin's show.

As despicable as it seems to divert revenue from the team to support their lifestyle instead of re-investing it, and make no mistake about it, they are jackasses in my mind, but they weren't "borrowing" from the team. It is their money; they assumed all debts that came with owning the team, or at least Frank did.

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I take that back. **** 'em. Jamie Mc****'s lawyer Dennis Wasser just made himself to be a complete ****ing asshole in trying to justify cutting off the team: "The Dodgers are a cash cow. There's plenty of money to go around for both parties to live very comfortably."

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Dodger Divorce

$6,371,590

That's how much spousal support is going to cost Frank McCourt, owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, from December through the conclusion of the divorce. This figure doesn't include professional fees, estimated to run about $10 million for each divorcing spouse.

TMZ is reporting that Commissioner Gordon lit up the bat signal has ordered Frank McCourt to pay Jamie $225,000 in temporary support in addition to $412,159 per month to cover the mortgages on several of the couple's properties. Jamie's request for the monetary value of her Dodgers perks--everything from access to club legends to private jet travel to on-call stylists--was rejected.

Frank will have to make those mortgage payments retroactive to last December--meaning he must write her a seven-figure check. That $1 million per month Jamie was seeking? Forget about it.

Oh well, at least the **** didn't get the $1 million per month she was seeking.

Wait, no, this news still sucks ass.

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Even if Frank McCourt's claims prove correct, news was not all good for him Tuesday. In a court filing, McCourt said he had to borrow money from his brother to pay the $650,000 he owed Jamie McCourt in spousal support. He said he has also borrowed $650,000 from one business associate and $150,000 from another business associate.

The claim said McCourt's personal liquidity is down to $600,000 -- making it nearly impossible for him to pay the more than $600,000 in monthly support the court ruled he must pay Jamie. He said he applied for a personal line of credit "in the range of $5 to $10 million" from a bank and was denied.

Frank McCourt's lawyer: Couple's marital property agreement found legit; Jamie's lawyer disagrees - ESPN Los Angeles

If you have to borrow $650K from your own brother just to support your estranged wife for a whopping one MONTH, congratulations, you officially suck at life.

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The story hits this week's ESPN the Mag. Fan-****ing-tastic.

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Per the ESPN the Mag article

Jamie expresses grief, at least for one former love: "I miss the Dodgers more than anything in the world."

I think the b-itch is actually trying to say she misses using the Dodgers as an ATM machine more than anything in the world.

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Dodgers baseball: Team's worth is the sticking point in McCourts' divorce - latimes.com

If Frank wins, thus confirming the team is his and his alone, Boies argues that Jamie still would be entitled under California law to a share of the Dodgers' appreciation during her time with the team.

Frank's lawyers argue otherwise, citing a provision of the disputed agreement that states "appreciation and income from the separate property of either party shall remain the separate property of that party."

If that provision is upheld, Jamie could end up with no money from the Dodgers.

She also could end up with nothing from the cable sports channels and future land development, should the court make the determination of how much the Dodgers are worth.

"If it goes to the judge, the law is clear: I have to value it at the current value, not speculate about what could happen," said Lynn Soodik, a Santa Monica family law attorney also not involved in this case.

The uncertainty over how this wretched divorce will play out has made me hate the word "if".

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Dodger Divorce: The beginning of the end.
It appears the Sabermetrician will be right about a settlement. However, they intend to structure it so that the team remains in the McCourt family. Which means Frank will continue to siphon revenue from the team to pay for his and Jamie's lifestyle. Ain't that a *****.

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McCourt embezzled $14 million in team revenue this year through a slush fund, which no doubt was set up to get around rules that prevent owners from taking money directly from their teams.

Dodgers' finances include an unusual revenue-generating plan: 'Own to rent' - latimes.com

The Dodgers have talked about creative ways their Chavez Ravine property could generate revenue for ownership. One such deal, a head-scratcher, is already in place: The team has been charging itself rent — $14 million this year — on Dodger Stadium property it owns.

In 2006, two years after purchasing the team, Frank McCourt divided the stadium property into three parcels and established Blue Land Co. to own two of them. Those two parcels, parking lots immediately surrounding the ballpark, serve as collateral for a $60-million loan, court records show.

The Dodgers pay rent to Blue Land, which is not involved in stadium operations. Boies said the rental payments offered the McCourts the option of working around restrictions on receiving cash directly from team coffers.

“It’s a way of taking money out of the Dodgers and putting it into a place they can access it,” Boies said.

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Jamie McCourt says new document proves equal right in Los Angeles Dodgers ownership - ESPN Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES -- Jamie McCourt's attorneys said Thursday they have located a document showing she has an equal stake in the ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers and that the revelation will dramatically alter a bitter struggle for the team amid McCourt's divorce proceedings.

The attorneys filed a motion in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking to allow a 2004 property agreement as evidence during a team ownership hearing scheduled to begin Aug. 30.

Jamie and Frank McCourt remain locked in a hard-fought divorce, with the ownership of one of baseball's most storied franchises hanging in the balance.

Thursday's filing contends that newly discovered documents correctly spell out the team's ownership, granting Jamie McCourt a stake. The agreement was located after a forensic analysis of other documents in the case revealed that another copy of the 2004 agreement improperly included an exhibit designating Frank McCourt as the Dodgers' sole owner.

"I think that this motion is going to blow the case out of the water," said Dennis Wasser, one of Jamie McCourt's attorneys.

Frank McCourt's attorney, Stephen Susman, downplayed the filing's significance.

"Jamie and her lawyers have truly become desperate and are now using their court filings as press releases," Susman wrote in a statement. He said all versions of the agreement should be considered by the judge.

In a letter to Jamie McCourt's attorneys, Susman contended that the exhibits, which he acknowledges differ from what was filed in the divorce court, do not change the overall agreement and that Frank McCourt remains the team's sole owner.

Susman said the fact that the incorrect exhibit was given to the court and to Jamie's McCourt's legal team does not change the overall agreement.

"The bottom line is that they have now admitted that the exhibit was switched," Wasser said. "They're not sure who did it. They're not sure when it happened."

He said no one told Jamie McCourt or her attorneys about the incorrect documents being filed.

A copy of the newly discovered agreement has not yet been filed with the court.

Hey, that's awesome that you only "now discovered" another copy of the 2004 agreement.

Can anyone say desperation forgery?

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Dodger Divorce: More MPA drama.

And that's exactly what Jamie says is going on here. According to her lawyers, she was presented the Exhibit A-less MPA to sign in California, which she did believing she was not signing away her rights to the Dodgers. After pen met paper and the document got back to the attorneys, she claims, the Exhibit was tacked on covertly.

Frank contends that not presenting the Exhibit along with the California MPA was a clerical error, corrected by attaching it afterwards. Frank and his attorneys claim that Jamie was fully aware of the effect of the MPA; indeed, they say, the MPA is directly in line with Jamie's wishes to build a nest egg safe from the perils attendant the family's businesses. According to someone close to the situation, Frank is prepared to go to trial on the issue, and is comfortable in his ability to support his version of the facts.

[Tobywan]

Geez, remind me to never marry the owner of a basball team.

[Foster]

I think I can finally understand mofo's bitter, bitter attitude towards this.

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Protest the McCourts: The trial will be in room #217 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, first and hill, in downtown