The Los Angeles Rams are making headlines by challenging a Missouri court's decision about the purchase of a former practice facility. In an attempt to move the case out of the court system and into private arbitration, the Rams filed an appeal after St. Louis Circuit Court Judge Jason Sennheiser ruled against them earlier this month. The contentious agreement dates back to the Rams' original move to St. Louis in 1995, which included a lease provision enabling the Rams to potentially acquire the facility for a mere $1.
The appeal, officially filed on December 18, seeks to reverse the decision which is keeping the dispute very much in the public eye. The team’s lawyers argue according to the original lease, disputes were to be settled out of court. As reported by STLToday, the Rams believe "the contract with the regional authority requires that disputes be settled in arbitration, not the legal system." Arbitration could potentially offer a faster resolution, but has the added benefit for the Rams of being mostly private and could help to quickly limit their liability.
Meanwhile, the site in question, located at 1 Athletic Drive and formerly known as Rams Park, holds significant value. St. Louis County appraises the property at around $24 million, a stark contrast to the $1 figure the Rams hope to pay. The St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority, which currently owns the property and filed the initial lawsuit in October, wants to void the Rams' extremely economical purchase option. The authority's lawsuit, as detailed in a report by STLToday, is challenging the terms of the original agreement.
With all parties refusing to back down, the legal tussle continues to generate attention. Arbitration would serve the Rams' interests by keeping most details away from the public eye. "Arbitration is a mostly private alternative to the courts for dispute resolution," noted by STLToday.
