The New York Giants and the New York Jets of the National Football League have filed a lawsuit in a New Jersey court against the developers of a proposed retail and entertainment complex. Without being handled correctly, litigation, or even the threat of litigation, can be costly and time consuming for a business. This case is no exception.
Here, the proposed entertainment complex, known as American Dream Meadowlands, has been in the works for years. Triple Five, the complex's current developer, had released new plans to add indoor theme and water parks to the complex.
The football teams disagreed with this proposal. The teams play games at nearby MetLife Stadium. They claim that these additions to American Dream Meadowlands will make game days at the stadium too difficult. The teams say they are worried about the traffic situation and the safety of their football fans.
Furthermore, the team claims that Triple Five does not have the authority to make changes to the plans for the American Dream Meadowlands without the teams' consent. According to a 2006 agreement with the previous developer, the developer of the complex must have written consent to make changes that will negatively impact traffic before or after football games.
Triple Five, on the other hand, claims it has the right to make these changes. Furthermore, Triple Five alleges that by filing the lawsuit, the football teams have circumvented the administrative review boards that should be handling the dispute. Therefore, Triple Five filed a motion to dismiss the case.
This litigation is a prime example of how lawsuits can complicate and slow down business progress. This particular dispute could go on for years to come. If the threat of litigation can be handled quickly, out of court, businesses can avoid a lot of hassle and move forward.
Source: The Record, " 'American Dream Meadowlands' developer seeking dismissal of Giants, Jets suit," John Brennan, July 10, 2012