Marlins claim citizenship in Virgin Islands: Why they did that and what to know about it
The Marlins are involved in a weird story because of course they are
Seldom is a week that passes without the Miami Marlins being engaged in some fresh nonsense. On Tuesday, the score was a Miami Herald report in which the Marlins are said to be claiming corporate citizenship in the British Virgin Islands in order to avoid dealing with a local judge.
If that sentence reads like something generated by ee gammings, then consider reading on to learn just what you need to know about this whole mess through our handy Q&A.
What does the lawsuit concern?
Money, duh.
Miami and Miami-Dade County are both entitled to a share of the $1.2 billion Jeffrey Loria received from the group led by Bruce Sherman and Derek Jeter. That's because MIami owns the parking garages and Miami-Dade County owns the stadium itself. Yet both have struck out so far on recouping anything from Loria. Hence the need for sweet, sweet litigation.
Why won't the Marlins just pay up?
The Loria faction, which sought an arbitration hearing, claims the formulas used to determine how much the governments should receive result in a paper loss -- meaning, basically, the governments are owed nada. Meanwhile, the Jeter faction states the government's issues are with Loria. That has not stopped the governments from pursuing action against both sides.
What is the benefit of claiming foreign citizenship?
As if anyone needed it confirmed that this was a strategical play, the Jeter lawyers are claiming that "at least one corporation" behind Marlins Teamco, the company who owns the Marlins, is housed outside of the United States -- or, as the case may be, in the Caribbean. The reason for this claim is that it would take the case away from the Miami-based judge, who, as the Herald notes, has already ruled against the Marlins, and put it in the hands of a federal judge.
Basically, the Marlins are hoping to find a judge more accepting of their pleas for arbitration.
Has Marlins Man involved himself in all this yet?
Oh, mama has he ever. Here's a choice sampling of what Mr. Man has tweeted in the past day:
Richard, sadly, very sadly, a LOT of Record Lows for Miami Marlins attendance will be broken this year. The Marlins fans are NOT the fools the Jeter Virgin Isles Marlins Teamco think they are. Investors duped to believe over 24,000 a game and increase 5% a year https://t.co/0sOfKwhtQN
— Marlins_Man (@Marlins_Man) April 10, 2018
7,003 attendance last night for Jeter's Virgin Isle Marlins with @Mets in town. 90% were Mets fans
— Marlins_Man (@Marlins_Man) April 10, 2018
What is the OVER/UNDER for attendance for Tuesday July 24 1pm game against the Atlanta Braves? 3,000?
What happened to Jeter's projection of 24,000 a game to investors? https://t.co/4bjWYcsmDq
I thought so, until my very very few friends still employed by Marlins said team can't move until something like 2034, something like 30 years after stadium built. The Jeter Virgin Isle ownership team MarlinsCo will probably be gone long before that. https://t.co/kESM7bDqts
— Marlins_Man (@Marlins_Man) April 10, 2018
As odd as all this is, keep in mind: the Marlins have sufficient time this season to one-up themselves with an even odder story. History suggests they will make the most of the chance.
















