He may not have won the Super Bowl, but New Jersey homeowners may be more thankful for Nick Sirianni than ever before.
The Philadelphia Eagles coach and his wife recently won a precedent-setting legal case, the Dallas Business Journal reported. It could impact the disclosure of certain rights by sellers in the state moving forward.
Two years ago, Sirianni was hired as head coach of the NFL franchise. Philadelphia is very close to parts of New Jersey and the Siriannis found their home in Moorestown, agreeing to buy it for $2.3 million.
The property, however, included a right of first refusal that the Siriannis said was not disclosed by the seller, according to court documents. The clause said future contracts needed to be offered to the former owner’s daughter, son and family trust under the same terms. That clause was set to remain after the Siriannis purchased the home.
After being asked, the seller waived the clause from the sale to the Siriannis. They didn’t waive it from the property, though, according to court documents.The Siriannis backed out and the home was sold to someone else for $1.95 million, leading the seller to sue the Eagles coach for breach of contract.
The case dragged on for nearly two years before the ruling came down. Judge Eric Fikry determined that sellers had a duty to disclose a right of first refusal; otherwise, a buyer can cancel a contract. It’s believed to be the first time that conclusion has been reached in either the state or the country.
The judge required the seller to give the Siriannis their $100,000 deposit back, plus reimbursements for the title search, survey and mortgage applications fees. The summary judgment prevented a trial from beginning around the same time as the Eagles’ playoff run.
As for Sirianni’s reaction to the victory, his counsel Lance Rogers told the Business Journal the oft-animated head coach was very enthusiastic. Anyone who has seen him on the sidelines — or tearing up during the national anthem — can probably imagine how that looked.
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