Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

A San Antonio probate judge overseeing one of the Tom Benson family legal fights over the Saints owner's fortune said in a letter this month that the 87-year-old billionaire "is at war with himself."

Bexar County Probate Judge Tom Rickhoff wrote the March 9 letter, recently filed in federal court in San Antonio, to the two receivers he appointed to temporarily replace Benson as trustee of a trust benefiting his daughter Renee Benson.

The letter further reveals the judge's take on the entire Benson family feud playing out in courtrooms in Texas and Louisiana.

"What is this litigation?" Rickhoff said. "It is Tom Benson (2011) versus Tom Benson (2014). He is at war with himself. No one is trying to 'take' anything. He, Tom Benson (2011) already dedicated the bulk of his wealth. Everything is in the I.T. (irrevocable trust) he, Tom Benson (2011) created. Now, Tom Benson (2014) changed his mind. Who cares why.

"But, he cannot," the judge continued. "Big businessmen are still just like all of us and cannot just sign whatever they want and think if it goes south 'I'll just litigate.'"

Rickhoff, in telling the receivers to drop a legal action against Tom Benson, said the Benson family litigation "has reached the Dickensian kerfuffle door where litigation endlessly seeks side corridors."

Co-receivers Phil Hardberger, former mayor of San Antonio, and estate lawyer Art Bayern moved this week for a voluntary dismissal of their intervention in the San Antonio case, in which Renee Benson is seeking to have her father permanently removed as trustee over the Shirley Benson estate trust. The trust holds interests in Lone Star Capital Bank, San Antonio car dealerships and real estate.



Tom Benson family feud: San Antonio judge says Saints owner 'at war with himself' | NOLA.com

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Basically if Tom cannt come up with the cash value of the Saints and Pelicans to pay off the 3 Rs, they will own the 2 clubs. The courts in Texas said he signed a basic no contest contract with them. They are saying that he cannot renig and change his mind.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

If Rita takes over Sean will scoot. Pretty sure I recall reading that somewhere along the way. Sucks the old Man gave his options away and from what it seems now has no choice but to give Rita the reins if this judge is correct.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Okay, I'm calling BS on this right now...

Cite your source or move along...

This crappe is as bad as these hacks posing as journalists such as Vargas who dish all this dirt on Rita with these unnamed sources...

Vargas and his like should go back to perpetual high school and right gossip columns...

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Your summation is dead on...

What boggles me is why he went to such lengths to put himself in that corner...

My theory in this whole mess is that Rita has been groomed for sometime, felt she was ready to start making some calls and became frustrated with GranDaddy Warbucks and a room full of men who didn't need some young girl with a different take on things bucking status quo and Gayle made a move...

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Honestly man, I dont know who to believe anymore. One of the two could have best interest in the teams or they could be all about themselves. Its hard to say. All I want is a competent and trustworthy owner laying down the foundation for our future.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Dub, look at the history, the ENTIRE history...

Katrina hits, who was standing fast, moving in the community and reassuring everyone the Saints were coming back and not making a move to San Antonio?!?

Look at the negotiations for keeping the team in New Orleans when the lease was up...

Protecting your business interests is one thing, what Tom's history has shown is another...

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

I don't even care anymore, its a fact of life your body starts to shut down the older you get. I don't doubt Benson is somewhat crazy since I've seen it myself with a family member about the same age as him. I don't even care who gets what, just keep the Saints in New Orleans where they belong

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Dickensian Kerfuffle.............that is definitely the Phrase of the Day.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

'At War With Himself' must have a slit personality. Imagine having dinner with Tom and watching him argue with himself. And at the end he b*tch slaps himself thinking it's the evil Tom. As his dinner guest it must get pretty confusing trying to figure out which Tom to root for.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Probably a very easy decision to make. Tom is in a position where he has to make a deal.but he doesn't have the colleratal. We will never know beyond speculation what is truly the motivation of either party. I would imagine there's plenty of truth to Rita's version of events and I suspect part of Tom's motivation is legit too. I would also suspect something sinister from both sides too. I know I hate to see their family destroyed beyond repair. I know that.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

To be honest, I am on the side that is loyal to louisiana and don't try to move our team like art model

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Well, post-Katrina, I'll remind everyone it was Rita and Paul Tagliabue making it happen...

Go back, read, look at the articles...

Don't whine and say you don't know...

Face the Truth, Know the Truth...

Rita moving the team would geaux against everything documented she's done to the present...

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Has anyone mentioned in these threads that this is becoming somewhat like Any Given Sunday with the part of Cameron Diaz played by Rita, Al Pacino by Sean Payton and the dead brother/owner guy by Mr. Benson? I've heard a reference or two to Major League.

Life imitating art ... hope it all works out like it always somehow does in the movies, :neutral:.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

sorry lmao with this one

i just see tom having a hard time in morning in front of a mirror talking to himself

who the man?
you the man
no ur the man
no no ur the man

Slo your right this has made for a Lifetime Movie written all over it.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

I don't have to do your research for you. It's a message board full of opinion. If you follow the Saints everyday as I do I am surprised you don't recall this.

A 5 sec google search brings this from 2012.

Poison pill in Payton’s contract may have been a buffer against LeBlanc | ProFootballTalk

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Can’t be worse than dealing with Jerry Jones.

*

*

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Oh I bet it is waay worse than dealing with Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones may have his faults and meddling in the football operation is #1 but he earned the right to meddle. Rita on the other hand appears by many reports as a pampered and spoiled brat who treats people bad. Also, as an up and coming Asst HC with an opportunity to work with your mentor in Parcells you are willing to put up with probably just about anything. Fast forward to a now very proven SB winning coach you have more options and working with a wet behind the ears, spoiled and pampered owner that was gifted the keys to the estate may just not be one of them.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Thanks for posting this. It saved me the time.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

If the trust is so irrevocable why not attack that? Why his is family attacking his mental fitness instead? I have the feeling that trust isn't as irrevocable as everyone has been led to believe.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Cool link. Let's see what it says:
Aren't we done with anonymous league sources?
Until I hear it from Sean Payton...

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

haha...ok

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

This team is a mess from top to bottom. Dang. After Benson finally came around to running the franchise with an open pocket book he became an excellent owner. Now we're in a transition period and nothing is stable.

Thank god for Sean Payton. He is going to be the driving force going into this new season and he will keep this team focused. This will undoubtedly be a locker room distraction but hopefully a small one.

Meanwhile, how the hell does a judge from a city with ties to moving the Saints get to be in charge? Didn't this guy used to be San Atonio mayor or something like that? :roll:

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

This empire was built by Tom Benson, and I am talking about his financial empire. He is the only mother ****er entitled to it. Unless it can honestly be represented that he doesn't have his faculty the courts have no business ****ing with what this man built

At war with himself doesn't make any sense

disclaimer: I did not read the article at all

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Last point first, you're not doing research for me, your backing up your first statement...

Secondly, from the source you cited -

Lost in the fact that the contract extension signed by Saints coach Sean Payton was rejected by the league office due to a term that would have invalidated the deal upon the departure of G.M. Mickey Loomis is the question of why that language was in the contract in the first place.

A league source tells PFT that Payton wanted to be sure that Loomis would be present to serve as a buffer between the coach and Rita Benson LeBlanc.

Officially listed as owner/executive vice president of the team, LeBlanc is expected to have more, not less, power during the term of Payton’s next contract. So Payton prefers not to have to deal with LeBlanc. To ensure that Payton won’t have to, Loomis needs to be there.

This does not say Payton leaves if Rita is in charge, it says that he wants it in his contract that he doesn't have to report to the owner who will be Rita but to Loomis...

Sure many coaches want the freedom to run the team without daily interference or meddling from an owner, this is not exclusive to Payton...

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Tom made his own money and should be allowed to do as he wants with it. If we wanted to spend every penny he has on coke,fast cars and faster wiman thats his choice

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Tom, of his own free will, created those trusts. They are what they are for very good reasons. Nobody held a gun to his head.

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Yep. Pretty much it. It was Benson who established the trusts, so indeed he did whatever he wanted with his money; now he wants to replace tangible assets with IOU's...

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

point 1
* may have been - i repeat once again - may have been

point 2
according to league sources - i repeat once again - according to league sources

woulda coulda shoulda type of reporting in my book,

editors view point
lets us spice up the piece with ambiguous tid bits here and there that we do not need to prove at anytime.

sensationalism baby sensationalism

rich like this means disinformation everywhere about everything from both camps. it is just like politics. lie baby lie just listen to the lawyers and do not screw it up.

we will never know the truth.

for we are just fans :dunce: in their eyes.

we can be replaced by other fans in another city in a heart beat

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

I fixed your quote

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Re: Judge Says Saints Owner 'At War With Himself'
 

Sounds to me like this judge has an axe to grind against Benson. These are some ridiculous quotes that are inappropriate to be saying to the media.