Years after a baseball career defined by hot-headed remarks and attacks on political correctness, former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker is once against embroiled in a firestorm.
The controversy centers on his involvement in a real estate deal to build a $22 million apartment complex in north Florida. While the details of the dispute are complicated, Rocker's signature inflamed rhetoric still shines through.
Speaking Monday with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Rocker talked about the company he is suing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Northern District in Atlanta. He called them a “vulture capital” group and at one point referred to them as “these clowns.”
Rocker filed the lawsuit asserting he owns 21 percent of the 254-unit apartment complex.
The company he is suing, Partnership Liquidity Investors, claims it obtained that share of ownership as part of a bankruptcy sale of another investor, who had been working with Rocker. Further, the company said that Rocker engaged in “illegal” activities and “fraud” in obtaining the loan for the deal, an assertion he vehemently denies.
Rocker is not facing any criminal charges in connection with the venture.
“I’ve done nothing wrong,” Rocker said. “I want these clowns to leave me alone.”
Rocker filed the lawsuit late last year, but PLI brought the controversy into the public spotlight with its recent press release.
The controversy offers a glimpse into Rocker's life after baseball. He had been known as a hard-throwing lefty for the Braves and other teams. But his accomplishments were overshadowed by incendiary comments such as those made in a 1999 Sports Illustrated interview. Those comments were widely criticized as being racist.
More recently, the Macon native has become involved in several real estate ventures, as well as being a contestant on the reality show "Survivor."
In its press release and legal documents, PLI addresses the period when Rocker and other investors secured the $22 million construction loan. The Federal Housing Authority Lending Division of Wells Fargo agreed to provide the funding, but only if Rocker dissociated himself from the company because of his “derogatory credit and financial status,” PLI asserted in its press release.
PLI goes on to assert that Rocker removed his 21 percent in name only, and that he secretly shifted it to another investor, Brian Willis. Willis eventually filed for bankruptcy, and his interest in the property — a total of 40 percent of it — was bought by PLI, the company said.
PLI counter-sued Rocker and Willis in December, claiming that the shifting of his interest was illegal. The company wants the court to declare that it owns the full 40 percent of the apartment complex, which has been built out.
Rocker, for his part, told The AJC that he has done nothing wrong or illegal. Wells Fargo had only requested that he remove himself from the management of the venture, but allowed him to keep his financial interest in the deal, he said. He was not in any credit trouble, he said. Rather, Wells Fargo made the request because he had engaged in other real estate deals at the time and had significant debt.
“My debt-to-income ratio was up,” he said.
Rocker estimated that his 21 percent of the complex is worth about $1 million. Because of the way he set up the transfer to Willis, Rocker said that his percentage should not have been considered part of the bankruptcy purchase by PLI.
The $22 million loan was made to a company called Spring Creek Apartments. That company included Rocker, as well as former NFL quarterback Doug Johnson and quarterback Carson Palmer. They are not involved in this court dispute, as they own other shares of the complex.
Rocker said that PLI issued the press release as a way to intimidate him, knowing that it could bring him negative attention.
“It’s irritating,” Rocker said. “I’m going to fight this.”
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