Mary Wilson has been announced as controlling owner of Bills.

[SpikedLemonade]

The last thing I want is the Bills in Toronto.

I want them to stay right where they are.

[better days]

The lease was signed in December 2012. The old lease ended before the 2013 season started.

A new lease had to be signed even if Ralph knew he would be dying in March 2014.

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No one is going to say or try to move this team until 2020.

The Chargers have played the last two years in San Diego with NO LEASE!

And will again this year. The Chargers can move any time they want.

A lease is NOT required for an NFL team to play in any City.

[vanbillsfan]

@ByTimGraham
Source: Bills won't ease into sale process, could have new owner as early as October

[BertSquirtgum]

The team has already been placed in a trust. If Mary wilson was the sole person to the decision of selling the team, why would a board of trustees be bringing in groups wanting to buy the team? I think "controlling owner" is just a title. The team is still controlled by the trustee board.

[BertSquirtgum]

Post #37 is correct.

http://boards.buffalobills.com/showt...80#post7444680

[YardRat]

Sell it to local owners or have a deal in place to sell to local owners upon his death.

And that guarantees the team staying in Buffalo more than the current situation how?

[IlluminatusUIUC]

The Chargers have played the last two years in San Diego with NO LEASE!

And will again this year. The Chargers can move any time they want.

A lease is NOT required for an NFL team to play in any City.

Of course a lease is required, you think the Chargers just show up and play football there on a handshake deal? The lease is just year to year for now.

[better days]

Of course a lease is required, you think the Chargers just show up and play football there on a handshake deal? The lease is just year to year for now.

Lease? You call that a lease? LMAO. More like a year to year RENTAL.

The Chargers can move any time they like following the season they play without owing anything.

And Ralph could have done the same thing if he chose to do so when the old lease was up.

Play year to year & wait for the next owner to buy the team & move them where he wanted.

But Ralph did not do that. He signed a lease that will keep the Bills in Buffalo until at least 2020, giving the Buffalo area time to get its ducks in a row to keep the team in WNY.

[BertSquirtgum]

The team has already been placed in a trust. If Mary wilson was the sole person to the decision of selling the team, why would a board of trustees be bringing in groups wanting to buy the team? I think "controlling owner" is just a title. The team is still controlled by the trustee board.

I am WRONG. No more trustees or trustee board. Mary Wilson has the sole responsibility of who to pick to sell the team to. This is only good news in my eyes. Her husband of thirty years spent his life keeping this team from moving. Fighting other owners to try and keep the team competitive. I doubt she ruins her husbands legacy by selling to the highest bidder who would be more likely to move the team. I think some of the family would probably like to keep the team, they just can't. There is still an inheritance tax and I don't think anyone in the family has the extra 300 million to cover that tax. The family has to sell the team to be able to pay the government the inheritance tax.

http://www.wgr550.com/Mary-Wilson-na...Bills/18735192

http://www.tax.ny.gov/pit/estate/etidx.htm

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Lease? You call that a lease? LMAO. More like a year to year RENTAL.

Yes, I call that a lease because it's the textbook definition of a lease. A lease does not require a long-term commitment or some sort of penalty.

And Ralph could have done the same thing if he chose to do so when the old lease was up.

Play year to year & wait for the next owner to buy the team & move them where he wanted.

But Ralph did not do that. He signed a lease that will keep the Bills in Buffalo until at least 2020, giving the Buffalo area time to get its ducks in a row to keep the team in WNY.

That year-to-year renewable language has to be in the previous lease to be valid, and it might not have been. And let's not forget, Ralph didn't sign a 10 year deal out of the goodness of his heart, he got a $130 million stadium renovation project paid from taxpayer money in exchange.

[Bill Cody]

And that guarantees the team staying in Buffalo more than the current situation how?

A local group has ties to the community. That would seem a rather obvious difference from simply selling to the highest bidder

[Bill Cody]

No. The idea is that the wife of a man who would never move the team until he died will now going against her husbands wishes, all of her close friends on the Bills, from the Bills, and that she has developed relationships with associated to the Bills and take the top dollar so that the team can move.

Makes a ton of sense.

Because Mary Wilson is clearly all about the money and doesn't care about the long list of people she would piss off with that move.

In fact, she was the one by his side when he died... Maybe that money grubbing ***** helped him along.

Ralph wouldn't move the team but he wouldn't sell or arrange to sell the team either. That tells me his FIRST priority was not keeping the team in Buffalo after his death. So why should we expect his wife's first priority would be to do that?

[better days]

Yes, I call that a lease because it's the textbook definition of a lease. A lease does not require a long-term commitment or some sort of penalty.



That year-to-year renewable language has to be in the previous lease to be valid, and it might not have been. And let's not forget, Ralph didn't sign a 10 year deal out of the goodness of his heart, he got a $130 million stadium renovation project paid from taxpayer money in exchange.

Yes Ralph did sign the 10 year lease out of the GOODNESS of his heart.

The Bills would be worth more to a potential buyer that wanted to move the team if there was NO lease!

Ralph committed the Bills to Buffalo for ten more years out of the GOODNESS IN HIS HEART.

He did not make money by doing that, he most likely lost money.

[better days]

Ralph wouldn't move the team but he wouldn't sell or arrange to sell the team either. That tells me his FIRST priority was not keeping the team in Buffalo after his death. So why should we expect his wife's first priority would be to do that?

It was not Ralph's responsibility to sell the Bills before his death.

Ralph LOVED the Bills & wanted to own them & keep them in Buffalo as long as he lived.

He made provisions to keep the Bills in Buffalo an additional 10 years as well.

Why do you people not understand Ralph could have died with the Bills having no lease to keep them in Buffalo until 2020?

[SpikedLemonade]

Yes Ralph did sign the 10 year lease out of the GOODNESS of his heart.

LOL!!

[swiper]

Yes Ralph did sign the 10 year lease out of the GOODNESS of his heart.

The Bills would be worth more to a potential buyer that wanted to move the team if there was NO lease!

Ralph committed the Bills to Buffalo for ten more years out of the GOODNESS IN HIS HEART.

He did not make money by doing that, he most likely lost money.

Bewildered homer.

[BertSquirtgum]

Ralph wouldn't move the team but he wouldn't sell or arrange to sell the team either. That tells me his FIRST priority was not keeping the team in Buffalo after his death. So why should we expect his wife's first priority would be to do that?

or his initial investment was 25,000 and the final value was 880 million. So the capital gain tax he would have to pay from selling the team would be monstrous. How do we know the team doesn't already have a buyer lined up and all of this stuff going on now is just formalities. Exactly, we don't. Sooooo, just wait and stop making assumptions.

[Mace]

I'll just roll though my reasoning and time will sort it out and make me look stupid or wise. Yeah, I'm used to looking stupid, and occasionally come up with something wise which doesn't make me any money.

Maybe someone with some more law can jump in.

If Ralph gives to Mary, even temporary, there is no estate tax. Spouse rule. If Mary dies while owning they get double nailed, capital gains and estate. If Mary sells, capital gains only. This is what no one has ever been sure of that I've talked to. Does Mary get nailed with estate while holding spouse rule card and still alive ? I am not sure she does.

Mary owning, can sell to who she wishes, with NFL approval, irrelevant to court, and the few odd millions.

If Ralph designates to estate, executor takes control, primary executor is assumed and noted to be his chief accountant Littman. Dollars and cents bottom line guy. Required by the court to take highest offer. Doesn't matter to who, the NFL unless wishing to fight in court has to agree, and won't be much bothered to.

The Ralph organization signed off on that lease, including Littman. Littman being chief accountant knew that will and related laws.

The estate is nowhere near settled. Mary was given control not Littman, Littman knew this too. Estate in question, there cannot yet be bids that could be acted on that quickly, unless, via Mary, there was a plan. For bids to be acted on as quickly as Graham asserts, the NFL has to know, even if informally, because the estate is not even clear yet.

A fast sale means a local ownership group and a plan. Mary and not Littman, overseeing it is a good thing.

She can sell to anyone ! Ralph could have too. Littman would have had to via court. Ralph was not an idiot despite some thoughts, he saw all this coming for years. He'd not have had that lease signed, would have had title go to estate and Littman if it was about money. Didn't.

They have a plan. Mary is a really good thing.

[BertSquirtgum]

LOL!!

Your hate for Scrooge mc ralph is blinding you.

[better days]

LOL!!

LMAO at the pseudo Bills fans, who in reality want the Bills to move & are clinging to the last hope they have of that happening.