Suing soccer scalper says team owes him for seat switcheroo Washington man pulling down $250,000 a year reselling Portland Timbers tickets sues over season ticket change

A Washington ticket broker was bringing in $250,000 a year reselling Portland Timbers tickets. Then the team switched up his seats. A Washington ticket broker was bringing in $250,000 a year reselling Portland Timbers tickets. Then the team switched up his seats. Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM Photo: JOSHUA TRUJILLO, SEATTLEPI.COM Image 1 of / 17 Caption Close Suing soccer scalper says team owes him for seat switcheroo 1 / 17 Back to Gallery

A Washington state man who claims to have been raking in a quarter-million dollars annually reselling Portland Timbers tickets claims the soccer team owes him big for changing his seats.

Todd Nelson describes himself as a ticket broker in the business of buying up season tickets to major league sporting events and reselling individual game tickets through legal markets, including StubHub. And business has been good for Nelson; according to his account, the Cathlamet resident has been making $250,000 annually on Timbers tickets alone.

But a recent change in how the Major League Soccer team manages its season tickets has thrown Nelson’s business into turmoil. He sued Timbers owner Peregrine Sports in U.S. District Court to right that perceived wrong.

Asked to comment on the lawsuit, Timbers spokesperson Chris Metz was blunt.

“We are confident that the court will uphold our rights as a club to control how our tickets are distributed,” Metz said by email.

In a lawsuit filed Aug. 15, Nelson’s attorneys claim their client is owed tens of thousands of dollars for seating changes brought on by the Timbers earlier in 2017.

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Nelson began buying up Timbers season tickets in 2009, two years before the club joined the MLS. He came to own 111 season ticket packages, and frequently bought tickets to playoff and exhibition games for resale.

Writing the court, Nelson’s attorney Phillip Haberthur said his client’s business was no secret.

“The Timbers knew of, supported and even benefitted from Nelson’s business operations,” Haberthur said in court papers. “Indeed, the Timbers had a direct relationship with StubHub and received compensation from Nelson’s sales on that website.

“The Timbers never objected to Nelson’s activities or complained that his conduct violated any ticket policies or practices.”

Nelson lost some high-value seats he had held for years in 2016, following a change to the Timbers’ season ticket system. According to the lawsuit, the Timbers waitlist for season tickets held 12,000 names at the time. Nelson claims his former seats were sold to another ticket broker, not to fans.

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In the lawsuit, Nelson’s attorneys characterize his season tickets as an investment, one he had tended diligently. It was an investment that performed well – Nelson made $250,000 during the Timbers’ 2016 regular season, after earning $285,000 the year before.

Nelson’s attorneys claim he is due compensation on a number of grounds, including the Washington Consumer Protection Act. An exact dollar figure has not been offered.

The team’s attorneys have not yet responded to Nelson’s lawsuit.

Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.