Los Angeles Dodgers baseball club owner Frank McCourt said on Tuesday his estranged wife doesn’t need nearly US$1 million a month in temporary support because she has assets worth more than US$75 million.
McCourt wants a judge to deny a request made last month by Jamie McCourt, the Dodgers former CEO, who wants about US$989,000 per month.
She argued that the sum should reflect the couple’s lavish lifestyle during their marriage.
Attorneys for Frank McCourt said in court documents that his wife has at least US$11 million in cash and another US$65 million in real estate holdings she could tap but hasn’t.
“Our papers make clear that her request for temporary support is out of touch with reality,” attorney Marc Seltzer said.
“Mrs McCourt does not need any temporary spousal support to live the lifestyle she desires. She owns seven homes, six of which she seldom, if ever, uses,” he said.
The couple is embroiled in a costly divorce dispute with the Dodgers possibly hanging in the balance. Jamie McCourt said she is the team’s co-owner, while her husband maintains a marital agreement between the two gives him sole possession of the Dodgers.
A trial to determine ownership is set for May 24. A hearing on the spousal support is scheduled for later this month.
In court documents, Frank McCourt said he doesn’t draw a salary from the Dodgers and estimates he will earn about US$5 million this year from one of his businesses. He notes the recession has hampered his business ventures, saying he hopes the team’s revenues will increase this year and be similar to 2008 figures.
The Dodgers’ revenue has nearly doubled under the couple’s management from US$156 million in 2004 to US$295 million in 2008, according to court documents.
Frank McCourt also denied claims that he purchased or planned to buy a US$10 million condo and spent US$52,000 on clothes since November. He does, however, live in a hotel.
But attorneys for Jamie McCourt claim in a court filing that her husband and his advisers have doctored financial statements to reduce his net worth from US$835 million to US$163 million.
■DODGERS LEGEND DIES
REUTERS, LOS ANGELES
Willie Davis, the former All-Star center fielder who spent most of his 18-season Major League Baseball career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has died at the age of 69.
Known as “Three Dog” for his ability to often hit triples and because he wore number three on his uniform for most of his career, Davis played on the Dodgers’ World Series championship teams in 1963 and 1965.
Davis set a Dodgers team record in 1969 with a 31-game hitting streak and remains the franchise’s all-time leader in hits, extra-base hits, at-bats, runs, triples and total bases.
“He was beloved by generations of Dodger fans and remains one of the most talented players ever to wear the Dodger uniform,” Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said in a statement.
Davis was found dead in his California home on Tuesday by a neighbor who often brought him breakfast, Burbank police said. There were no signs of foul play and police said they expect Davis died of natural causes.
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