The Baltimore Sun said in a report that a federal court judge has allowed a Baltimore native to pursue legal action against Ticketmaster's fees. US District Judge Ellen Hollander issued a ruling that Andre Bourgeois could proceed with the core of his case. Hollander said that several of the plaintiff's allegations of negligent misrepresentation fraud for example, has been dropped.
Bourgeois, said the local paper, is suing the ticket seller for overcharging him at a Jackson Browne concert at the Lyric Opera House in 2009. The state's highest court declared that Ticketmaster has violated a state ordinance which prevents companies from overcharging tickets in excess of $0.50 on top of its stated prices. The 1948 Baltimore ordinance also bars individuals from scalping Navy football tickets as well, The Sun noted.
Bourgeois' lawsuit has been allowed to proceed as his legal action was filed before the City Council has amended the law to allow ticket sellers and companies in related businesses to charge unlimited fees. The 2011 claimed that Bourgeois was charged an additional $12 on a $52 ticket for Browne's concert. Bourgeois, who is seeking group status for the lawsuit, is hoping that the court will issue an injunction on Ticketmaster in charging extra on Baltimore events and obtain refunds from fees that the ticket seller has allegedly overcharged.
On Friday, Ticketmaster has deferred from making any comments pointed to the statement issued by its co-defendant in Bourgeois' case, Monumental Ticketing.
Monumental Ticketing said about the case, "Monumental Ticketing is pleased that the district court outright dismissed nine of the plaintiff's ten claims. We're looking forward to the final resolution of the lone remaining claim and putting this case behind us."
The Sun said this was not the first time Ticketmaster has been accused of overcharging. In 2011, LiveNation, who owns Ticketmaster, agreed to settle a California class-action suit over fees and paid $22.3 million to customers.
