Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt filed court papers today asking that his monthly payments to ex-wife Jamie be reduced, saying he can't afford them anymore.
McCourt was ordered last year to pay Jamie McCourt more than $600,000 a month in support -- with more than $400,000 of that amount going toward the mortgages on seven properties.
In a statement, Frank McCourt’s attorney Ryan Kirkpatrick said his client cannot afford to pay for his ex-wife's lavish lifestyle.
”Jamie McCourt continues to live a lifestyle that simply is not sustainable,” he said. “She has seven homes which Frank pays for, and despite many requests, she has refused to sell or rent any of them. No one needs seven houses. Beyond covering her home expenses, Frank has been paying her $225,000 a month to support her restrained style of living. Today's request by Frank simply reflects economic reality.”
Attorneys for Jamie McCourt could not be reached for immediate comment.
A hearing on McCourt's request for reduced payments was set for Aug. 10.
In a declaration filed today, Frank McCourt said he paid his ex-wife $2.7 million between July 1, 2010, and June 30, and Jamie McCourt has made no effort to sell or rent any of the seven properties -- using one just to swim.
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”I do not believe I should be required to continue to pay the expenses associated with these properties, nor am I in a financial position to do so,” McCourt wrote. “I do not believe I should be required to pay any sum in connection with these properties. I simply cannot afford to support (Jamie McCourt's) lifestyle any longer.”
The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy last month after Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig rejected a proposed media-rights deal between the team and Fox that McCourt has said would be worth an estimated $3 billion.
Attorneys for the league said they were wary of the loan and the possibility of funds being diverted away from the team and instead being used for McCourt's personal benefit -- including funding his divorce obligations. In court papers, the team accused McCourt of “having siphoned off well over $100 million of club revenues.”
In turn, McCourt accused Selig of putting the Dodgers in financial risk, prompting him to file for bankruptcy “to get done what we couldn't achieve with the commissioner directly.”
Selig's rejection of the Fox deal effectively nullified a property- division agreement the McCourts reached last month.
That agreement included an Aug. 4 trial before Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon to determine if Jamie McCourt had a 50 percent ownership interest in the team.
If Frank was found to be the sole owner, he would pay Jamie McCourt $100 million. She would also own all of their residential properties except for one. He would also pay her $650,000 a month in support, up to $55 million, after which she would receive $325,000 monthly.
That deal, however, was contingent on Major League Baseball approving the Fox deal.
