ANAHEIM : Claims Filed Against City Over Card Theft

Three sports-card trading companies are seeking financial damages from the city, claiming that lax security during a July show at the Anaheim Convention Center led to the theft of cards worth at least $550,000.

The trading companies--Old Ball Game, D&D; Sports Cards and Memory Lane Card Co.--have filed claims against the city seeking unspecified damages alleging that Anaheim failed to provide sufficient security to prevent the theft of thousands of their cards, some printed as early as the 1920s, at the National Sports Collectors Convention. The show, which ran from July 4 through July 7, attracted hundreds of exhibitors and more than 100,000 visitors.

The company owners--Joseph Bosley of Old Ball Game, Dan McKee of D&D; Sports and Larry and Sally Levine of Memory Lane--are also seeking payment for the emotional distress they say the theft caused.

Filing a claim is a legal step that must occur before anyone can file a lawsuit against a public agency. The Anaheim City Council routinely rejects all claims, and it rejected the card companies’ claims this week.

The thefts occurred after the owners had left the convention center on the evening of July 3 after they had set up their exhibits. The losses were discovered the next morning. Police say no arrests have been made.

Calls to the owners and their attorney, C. Patrick Hamblin of Santa Ana, were not returned Thursday.

Lynn Thompson, the convention center’s general manager, declined to comment, saying he had not seen the claim.

Convention promoter Jack Petruzzelli, a former police detective who is now the owner of a Fullerton sports memorabilia store, said Thursday that he feels sorry for the owners. But he said that at least two of them left their stands unattended before the convention center was locked up the evening of July 3.