Raiders Seek $18 Million; Cite Coliseum Promises

The Los Angeles Raiders have made a legal claim for $18,485,419 in damages from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission for alleged breach of promises made to the team when it moved to Los Angeles from Oakland, it was learned today.

The claim, if paid, would deprive the Coliseum of virtually all the damages it is counting on receiving--after paying its own attorneys--in its suit against the National Football League for impeding the Raiders’ move from Oakland in the period 1980-82. That judgment already has been entered and the U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether to hear a final appeal.

Luxury Suites Prevented

The Raiders said in a letter dated Friday--the same day team owner Al Davis formally announced his intention of building a stadium and moving to Irwindale--and delivered to the Coliseum Commission today that the alleged breach of promises had prevented the team from building luxury suites on the Coliseum rim.

The letter, signed by Raiders attorney Jeff Biiren, claimed $16,076,980 for revenue it said the team is losing on account of its inability to construct and license the suites.

It also claimed a $907,010 loss of interest on suites security deposits, a $253,182 promotion and leasing cost, a $669,999 design and leasing cost, and a $578,248 construction cost on the suites it said it was prevented from building.

A copy of the letter was obtained by The Times from a source who asked not to be named.

Coliseum officials today said they would not pay the claims.

The team had stopped construction of the suites last February, charging that the Coliseum Commission was defaulting on what it contended was a pledge to go ahead with $9 million in stadium seating changes at the same time.

The Raider letter noted that as early as April 24, after the final collapse of Coliseum renovation plans for this year, the Raiders had told the Coliseum Commission that they considered themselves “damaged by the bad faith reputation of the agreements, promises and representations that served as a material inducement to the Raiders to move to Los Angeles, to execute (a) lease and to commence construction of the luxury suites.”

Breach of Faith Charged

It continued, “Your denial of your agreement and your repudiation of your promises and representations constitute a breach of your duty of fair dealing and good faith implied in the lease.

“We are also claiming damages for breach of contract, breach of your duty of fair dealing and good faith implied in the lease, intentional and negligent misrepresentation concerning contract, bad faith denial of the existence of contractual obligations, estoppel and promissory estoppel.

“This letter is intended to serve as our claim, as provided for in California Government Code section 911.2, for damages arising from the matters outlined in the sum provided for, plus a sum for lost good will and reputation arising out of these same matters.”

Two former Coliseum Commission presidents active in the original Raiders deal, labor leader William Robertson and state Sen. William Campbell (R-Hacienda Heights) have both said they promised Davis Coliseum renovations in exchange for his moving the team from Oakland. Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley has supported those recollections.

However, no such promise was put into the written contract and Campbell, at the time the written contract was released, specifically denied that there were any unwritten side agreements. The Coliseum Commission last fall did adopt a resolution expressing its intent to do the seating changes this year. Later, however, Coliseum Commission President Alexander Haagen denied that there was adequate money or time to do them.