Only the little people must pay property taxes.

[p69rrh51]

p69... these problems do beg the question... how did Marion Ilitch get a Casino license, when others were denied on lesser problems... Or does nonpayment not constitute a criminal offense? .... such as a domestic dispute, which I know curtailed the casino careers of at least one potential casino owner...

Good question, but then how did she get a license even though her husband owns 2 sports teams? They cannot separate her completely from all of Ilitch holdings.I remember the two of them were standing as one when they bought the Wings. Did she magically become detached from the team overnight? I have always thought her license was a little shady. The press has always coddled them and I think because one "benevolent" act she got the hall pass.

[401don]

Good question, but then how did she get a license even though her husband owns 2 sports teams? They cannot separate her completely from all of Ilitch holdings.I remember the two of them were standing as one when they bought the Wings. Did she magically become detached from the team overnight? I have always thought her license was a little shady. The press has always coddled them and I think because one "benevolent" act she got the hall pass.

The NHL never opposed an owner also owning a casino. MLB made Marion's name disappear from the Tigers' ownership. I remember the next yr. they were embarrassed when her name mistakenly appeared in the American League Press Guide. The NBA made the Ontario Gov't remove the NBA from the ProLine Lottery before approving the Raptors franchise. They have obviously changed their policies since Gilbert owns the Cavs and a Cleveland casino.

[Gistok]

401don is correct... the only separations of the Mike & Marion team is that Mike can have nothing to do with casinos and Marion can have nothing to do with baseball... [[apparently that's not retroactive)... otherwise they're a team. Should Mike predecease Marion [[which is generally likely) then the children will get the baseball franchise.

[Novine]

Ilitch Rules are the Detroit version of Jordan Rules.

[Richard]

Ilitch was represented by Miller Canfield,the city must now use Miller Canfield for representation,it would be a conflict of interest for Miller Canfield while representing the COD to have any involvement with any legal matters when it comes to Ilitch,so who is going to review the new "lease terms",and was there a time limit on the old lease for renewal,it has been two years,should the property have been put back on the market two years ago,it is kinda like hold this property for me at the COD expense while I decide what I am going to do in the next 10 years.

Is COD going to hire different representation for legal matters concerning Ilitch?

[Bad Brains]

Of all the money the Illitch brings in, they are going to complain about 1.5 million? That would be the equivalent of me reaching into my giant jar of change and grabbing a few nickles and some pennies to give to someone. Maybe it's a principle thing?

[nain rouge]

You get rich by counting your pennies. You stay rich by counting the fractions of your pennies. Illitch has dozens [[or perhaps hundreds) of business ventures ongoing at any one time. His mandate, I'm sure, is to maximize profits and minimize losses. So of course he's going to end up screwing the smaller players when possible. What's it to him? If he was always generous and beneficent, how would he have money to blow on the Tigers?

[Honky Tonk]

Of all the money the Illitch brings in, they are going to complain about 1.5 million? That would be the equivalent of me reaching into my giant jar of change and grabbing a few nickles and some pennies to give to someone. Maybe it's a principle thing?

So what your saying is being successful in business absolves you from your civil obligations? Could you put a cap limit on that for me please? I'd like to know @ what point I can quit paying mine.

[Bad Brains]

So what your saying is being successful in business absolves you from your civil obligations? Could you put a cap limit on that for me please? I'd like to know @ what point I can quit paying mine.

I don't understand what your getting at. I just said Illitch and his "empire" makes more money that anyone could ever spend and he should just pay the $1.5 million.

[Wesley Mouch]

Ilitch was represented by Miller Canfield,the city must now use Miller Canfield for representation,it would be a conflict of interest for Miller Canfield while representing the COD to have any involvement with any legal matters when it comes to Ilitch,so who is going to review the new "lease terms",and was there a time limit on the old lease for renewal,it has been two years,should the property have been put back on the market two years ago,it is kinda like hold this property for me at the COD expense while I decide what I am going to do in the next 10 years.

Is COD going to hire different representation for legal matters concerning Ilitch?

No doubt a single firm representing two clients must be a very common situation with established rules to prevent 'conflict of interest'. I see little reason to assume that the fact that the same firm represents two organizations is immediately a COI. M-C is not a two-man law firm where they all sit around the lunch table sharing secrets.

Do we have a lawyer here who can explain the rules?

[Honky Tonk]

Of all the money the Illitch brings in, they are going to complain about 1.5 million? That would be the equivalent of me reaching into my giant jar of change and grabbing a few nickles and some pennies to give to someone. Maybe it's a principle thing?

"I don't understand what your getting at. I just said Illitch and his "empire" makes more money that anyone could ever spend and he should just pay the $1.5 million."

Sorry BB, I reread your original reponse again, and I still get the idea you feel, because of all the money his sports venue generates, the City should overlook the 1.5 mil. It might be a comprehension problem on my part.

[Richard]

No doubt a single firm representing two clients must be a very common situation with established rules to prevent 'conflict of interest'. I see little reason to assume that the fact that the same firm represents two organizations is immediately a COI. M-C is not a two-man law firm where they all sit around the lunch table sharing secrets.

Do we have a lawyer here who can explain the rules?

I am not a lawyer but as an "outsider" I had contacted the top five corporate attorneys to establish a corporate representation within the city,I had to email them a list of who I had had discussions with in the city,it was a list of about 5 people in the private sector who you guys discuss frequently excluding city/county employees,I was rejected representation because they decided it was a conflict of interest even though what I was doing would have had little impact in the areas of what the others do so I really did not see any reason for a possiabilty of future litigation.

I guess it is kinda like when you are getting divorce you pick all of the top divorce lawyers and have a consultation with them so then the potential ex wife can not retain them as it would be a conflict of interest.Bad example I know.

It would be interesting to see how this works,the lawyers duty is to look out for their clients best interest,I am not sure of the okay you are both my clients so lets do the right thing,maybe there is a lawyer that would be like that but they are how they are because it is what they get paid to do.

[Bad Brains]

"I don't understand what your getting at. I just said Illitch and his "empire" makes more money that anyone could ever spend and he should just pay the $1.5 million."

Sorry BB, I reread your original reponse again, and I still get the idea you feel, because of all the money his sports venue generates, the City should overlook the 1.5 mil. It might be a comprehension problem on my part.

I don't know what to tell you. My opinion is that Illitch should just pay it and move on. 1.5 Million is less than pocket change to this man. It's not worth the time or effort to squabble. The city badly needs the money anyways, so he can look at it as a charitable donation.

[Honky Tonk]

I don't know what to tell you. My opinion is that Illitch should just pay it and move on. 1.5 Million is less than pocket change to this man. It's not worth the time or effort to squabble. The city badly needs the money anyways, so he can look at it as a charitable donation.

THAT I agree with.

[Spartan]

I don't know what to tell you. My opinion is that Illitch should just pay it and move on. 1.5 Million is less than pocket change to this man. It's not worth the time or effort to squabble. The city badly needs the money anyways, so he can look at it as a charitable donation.

1.5 million isn't pocket change to anyone. Rich people don't stay rich by giving away millions at a time that they don't believe they owe.

According to Forbes the Ilitch family is worth 2.7 billion. That means that 1.5 Million is 0.5% of his entire net worth [[including family, mind you). Let's say an average homeowner has a net worth of $175,000—a number I found in a CNN article—do you think most people would just throw out an $80 fee they didn't believe they owed? This is just looking at a percentage basis too... $80 is a decent pair of shoes, $1.5 million is a mansion.

If he wanted to do it as a "charitable donation" because Detroit needs it, then he can go for it, but it's silly to suggest he just fork over $1.5 million because it's "not that much to him."

[Honky Tonk]

If he wanted to do it as a "charitable donation" because Detroit needs it, then he can go for it, but it's silly to suggest he just fork over $1.5 million because it's "not that much to him."

Yes, that is silly and not right. The big question is, does he really owe it, or is this a COD screw-up as he suggests? An even bigger question would be why he was allowed another tax break when this issue is still pending? If I were buying property from the City, and they discovered I owed $2k in property tax, I bet you my deal wouldn't go through until the first matter was cleared up. I guess there are different rules depending on your status in life.