While not a ruling that Saints owner Tom Benson lacked sound mind when recently changing his will to freeze out a daughter and her children from running his NFL and NBA franchises, a judge in San Antonio found Monday that Mr. Benson requires assistance in the management of his assets.
Via Katherine Sayre of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Judge Tom Rickhoff determined that Mr. Benson is facing “tremendous pressures” and that it would be “reasonable and safe” for someone to assist him.
Mr. Benson’s lawyers opposed the decision, but the judge decided that the appointment of a pair of receivers to assist with the management of the assets will “calm[] everything down” while other litigation proceeds in New Orleans.
The judge explained that lingering questions about decisions made by Mr. Benson — which weren’t clarified at last week’s hearing because he chose not to testify — influenced the outcome.
Mr. Benson decided last month to transfer the Saints and the NBA’s Pelicans to his wife, Gayle, upon his passing. Daughter Renee Benson and her children, Rita and Ryan LeBlanc, immediately filed suit to challenge the move.