Rams ask judge to reconsider ruling on St. Louis personal seat license refunds

The Rams asked a federal judge Monday to reconsider a ruling that the team must refund deposits to some fans who purchased personal seat licenses during the franchise’s two decades in St. Louis.

In the filing, the Rams argued that U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh held them liable for licenses to purchase season tickets sold by FANS Inc. when the group wasn’t acting as an agent for the franchise. The Rams cited the 30-page agreement for the franchise to move to St. Louis in 1995.

“FANS Inc. was formed to assist in the efforts to induce the Rams to relocate to St. Louis,” the filing said, “‘and as agent for CVC [the St. Louis Regional Convention and Visitors Commission]’ sold PSLs to fund certain obligations of FANS and CVC in connection with those efforts.”

Last month, the judge ruled that contracts with FANS Inc. terminated when the Rams relocated to Los Angeles and the Rams owed unspecified deposits to holders of those personal seat licenses.

FANS Inc. sold the bulk of the 46,000 personal seat licenses in St. Louis. Fewer than 2,000 of the licenses were later purchased directly from the Rams.

The decision came in a lawsuit filed by St. Louis resident Ronald McAllister — later consolidated with two similar cases — who purchased licences in 1995 and 2005 for $1,000 each.

“Now, McAllister seeks to hold the Rams liable under an agreement to which they were never a party, and demands refunds of money retained and used by the CVC,” the filing said. “Ultimately, the CVC, as landlord, was the party that breached the Stadium lease [to which the PSLs were expressly subject] thereby triggering the Rams’ contractual rights to relocate from St. Louis.”

nathan.fenno@latimes.com

Twitter: @nathanfenno