MORRIS PLAINS — A Morris Plains realty company headed by an African-American man is suing the New York Jets, claiming the team should have let him provide real estate services to the team’s administrative personnel, players, coaches and other employees. Destiny Realty, which lists Donnell T. Williams as its president and sole shareholder, made the allegations in a lawsuit...
New York Jets against the Washington Redskins during their preseason game Friday August 27, 2010 at the New Meadowlands Stadium.MORRIS PLAINS — A Morris Plains realty company headed by an African-American man is suing the New York Jets, claiming the team should have let him provide real estate services to the team’s administrative personnel, players, coaches and other employees.
Destiny Realty, which lists Donnell T. Williams as its president and sole shareholder, made the allegations in a lawsuit made public today in Superior Court in Morristown.
The company claims that the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, a public entity involved in locating the Jets’ training facility in Florham Park, should be required to publicly advertise its real estate services for the team’s employees. Also, the suit alleges, the sports authority is required under state law to set aside 7 percent of its contracts for real estate services to minority-owned businesses.
The suit also points out that the Florham Park property has a partial tax exemption.
According to county tax records, the sports authority paid $20 million for the property in 2007 and the property in 2010 has a “net taxable value” of $7,688,900. The sports authority is not named as a defendant in the suit.
The suit says Destiny Realty offered its services to the Jets, but the team did not respond.
Referring to the high salaries paid to professional athletes, the suit claims the company “will suffer immediate and irreparable injury by being deprived the opportunity of providing real estate services to buyers who have the financial wherewithal to close title when most people are not buyers in an economy faced with a recession and a scarcity of buyers.”
The suit seeks an injunction forcing the Jets to immediately advertise their real estate services for public bidding by minority real estate concerns. Destiny also seeks a judgment against the Jets for “damages of lost opportunities in the two years the Jets have been in Florham Park.”
Officials in the Jets’ legal department did not immediately return a call seeking comment today. The Jets are scheduled to play the Baltimore Ravens tonight in their first game at the New Meadowlands Stadium.