Marlins Threaten to Sue Longtime Season-Ticket Holders Who Complained About View-Obscuring Sign

By Tim Elfrink Tue., Mar. 19 2013 at 11:17 AM

Jeffrey Loria does not care to hear your complaints.

First the Marlins alienated every taxpayer in Miami with their stadium deal. Then they pissed off every casual fan with a mass offseason firesale. Now the team is burning bridges with the only true-blue Fish fanatics left -- longtime season-ticket holders.

That's how Jan and Bill Leon are feeling, at least. The couple has paid tens of thousands for front-row season tickets since 1998. But last year, after the team installed an obtrusive billboard that blocks their view and dangerously obscures ground balls, the Leons asked to move into a different section. Their reward? A lawsuit threat.

Update: The Marlins say that they've offered the Leons "numerous opportunities" to change seats, but say they can't do anything about the advertising sign. Click through for the team's full statement.

"They've pooped on fans' feelings for years," Jan Leon says. "These seats are not what we paid for."

Jan and Bill Leon may have seen more Miami baseball in person than Billy the Marlin. The couple are baseball fanatics -- Bill used to coach elite teenage club teams -- passionate enough about the game to sit through dozens of rain delays each summer at Sun Life Stadium. They attended every World Series game during the good years and plenty of sweaty 95-degree blowouts in the bad years.

"I'd go to 81 games a year if I could," says Jan Leon, who estimates she attends at least 40.

So when the Marlins moved to their new home in Little Havana last year, the Leons -- who own a real estate company -- made what they thought was a verbal agreement with a sales rep: They'd buy a two-season package (for $25,000 a year) with the option of changing seats after the first year if they didn't like them.

When Leon first visited her new seats, she loved them. Here's the view she had at the first games:

photo by Jan Leon

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jaimito

Waaaah. The padding was raised three inches. Hey, lady, at least a foul grounder won't knock your nachos into your lap anymore. Puh-leeze. These people are a match made in heaven for the Fish. Bona fide losers.

Donnie Donnie

lets go mets !!!

Dave

1 Like

I don't get it. I'm assuming that photo is taken from the normal seated position. That foam can't be but 4 or 5 inches high. I don't see how the view has changed that much blocking out anything important. The only gripe I could see if you were use to snagging ground ball fouls along the wall that sign would make it much more difficult.

Shame on them if they only had a verbal agreement. If I spent $25K for seats I would have gotten that in writing.

MichaelB

1 Like

By changing the seats, you change the deal. The offer should be for BETTER seats or let them out of the contract. Loria's made a career/fortune out of reneging on promises. The whole city should be suing him.

FatHand

I agree with the Marlins statement: there will be vast numbers of seats available to relocate their tickets. They can just sit wherever they want.

DJ Frustration

Agree with j.pollo. The couple doesn't want to pay for the tickets this season, even though they have a contract that says they are required. They invented an excuse about padding and went public with the Marlins' letter. If they really wanted to go to the games, they would have just accepted relocated seats that would have probably been better and called it a day. Granted, if the Marlins weren't offering them comparable or better seats then I'd say they have a point. Otherwise, this is just an excuse to get out of a contract.

internetinternet topcommenter

1 Like

The top of the concrete should entirely be covered in padding. Negating the entire complaint. Safety of the players is paramount.

muthrdawg

@internetinternet If I had been able to see things like the warning track and third base it might have been acceptable to say cover the top of the concrete. But when you sit down and cannot see half the field, there is a problem. They acknowledged the problem, just never fixed it.

Kerby Rok

Who r the Marlins lol yeah I don't think ima follow them any more they suck ass

Danny Arango

Someone plz destroy this organization. Thnx.

Danny Baquero

Come at me bro!!

RD Swartz

The dumb keep getting dumber!!!!!!!!!

Leonel Perez

1 Like

I dont hate the marlins i hate the ownership

Juan R. Pollo

1 Like

"I have no intention of renewing," Leon says. "They're a Double A team now. It went down the toilet when they sold off all the players." That's the bottom line. The view-obscuring complaint is BS.

j.pollo topcommenter

"I have no intention of renewing," Leon says. "They're a Double A team now. It went down the toilet when they sold off all the players." That's the bottom line. Everything else is BS.

muthrdawg

@j.pollo Actually, we notified them before the firesale, before the end of last season.

FatHand

@muthrdawg I take that to mean you work for the team? But I thought Loria said it wasn't a firesale? That the trade was about re-energizing the team? Please don't suggest that Jeffrey Loria may be less than 100% honest!

FatHand

Wait, I totally misunderstood your comment. Please ignore mine.