San Diego refused to do it. So a San Diego taxpayer did.
Earlier this week, Ruth Hendricks sued the NFL and its 32 teams in an effort to recover taxpayer funds lost as a result of the 2017 relocation of the Chargers.
The 35-page lawsuit raises four arguments in support of the claim that the rights of San Diego taxpayers were violated by the move. The specific legal theories are breach of contract (based on the NFL’s relocation policy), unjust enrichment (based on the relocation fee paid by the Chargers and the increase in value of the Chargers franchise), fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment by the Chargers, and fraudulent misrepresentation and concealment by the NFL.
As previously mentioned, the biggest challenge this lawsuit will face arises from the statutes of limitations applicable to the four legal theories. The NFL undoubtedly will raise this as an affirmative defense to the lawsuit. Based on our preliminary and not-licensed-to-practice-in-California review of California law, the lawsuit possibly was filed too late.
In California, fraud claims have a three-year deadline and breach of contract claims must be filed within four years. The Chargers moved five years ago.
That’s why the lawsuit is quite possibility a political stunt, aimed at attacking San Diego elected officials who failed to do what St. Louis did, on a timely basis.