ABA Team Tryout Refund?

[Future Pro]

Does anyone know how its possible to go about getting a refund from an ABA team that had players pay for tryouts and the team did not even start the 2005/2006 season or have any games? I along with five other friends paid to go to a Chattanooga team tryout and have not been able to get in contact with the president of the team John Tyner, the owner of the team Ralph Underhill, or the league CEO. We have been trying to get in touch with these officials for several months now with no success. Through our collected efforts in trying to seek out information we came across other internet articles that we were not aware had happend in the city before.

http://www.broadcastcorporationofamerica.com/mizlousports/gbahoops/Chattanoogsnow.htm

http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_46608.asp

We had come to find out that these teams of two different leagues also had tryouts where players had paid and the teams did not start the season. Does this type of practice happen often in minor league sports? What is being done about these unethical and immoral practices? Any assistance will be greatly appreciated

[nksports]

Generally (and I'm not a lawyer although I play one on TV), if a team goes under and takes your tryout fee, you're SOL. You and your lawyer would need to find the team owner and file a lawsuit against them, which you will probably win by default since no one will likely show up because the owner will claim to be too broke to hire a lawyer of his own. You can try and take collection action against an owner, but again, it's hard to collect. If the owner does have any assets, or they are hidden, it's hard to get blood out of those turnips.
These moron owners think by using tryout fees and any early season ticket deposits, they can hold their team together until the season starts and people start paying money and going through the turnstiles. The problem is when they find out people aren't going through the turnstiles and they can't get sponsorship support, they find they are in deep doggy doo doo and bail.
Others have less scruples and just take the money and run.
You'll actually have better luck with a criminal complaint than a civil one if you can prove fraud.
We had a local kid I know out here pay his $1,000 to tryout for that scam known as the AAPBL. He got burned when the whole league went under, so I feel your pain.
If you have an agent worth his salt, he may have a lawyer on retainer who can go after these bastards or morons.
Good luck. I wish I had better news or advice.

[meyes]

nksports is probably right. I am not a lawyer, either, but I can show anyone how they can have the same access to top attorneys for only pennies per day that people like Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey and Donald Trump have.
When I have any legal question, or even wonder if I have a a legal question, I get answers from an attorney at one of my law firms. Among other things, the attorneys have recovered amounts for me of as little as $49 and change and have made landlords live up to their responsibilities when they denied responsibility. My savings have been in the tens of thousands of dollars over the past 2 plus years.

[minorleagueguy]

...2 words...good luck.

minorleagueguy