Article Courtesy of
BocaNewsNow
By BocaNewsNow Bureau
Published March 11, 2023
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DELRAY BEACH — Homeowners in Seven Bridges Delray Beach are bracing for the
start of a federal trial next week that pits a homeowner against the HOA, and
could result in an assessment of nearly $10,000 per household. Sources with
knowledge of the association’s insurance holdings suggest that that part — or
all — of a judgment against the community would not be covered.
The suit, which seeks
$7M, is filed by a homeowner who says she was harassed and
fined because she’s not Jewish. Despite multiple attempts to
have the suit dismissed on multiple grounds, lawyers for the
HOA have been repeatedly rebuffed by both a Federal Judge
and a Federal Magistrate Judge. Jury selection starts on
March 13th. The suit was filed in July of 2020.
Some homeowners in the community built by GL Homes are so
concerned about a possible loss that they have discussed
hiring an attorney to sue members of the board of directors
whose alleged actions led to the lawsuit. Such a lawsuit
would seek to hold those board members personally
responsible for a judgment against the community.
Complicating the situation, however: one former board member
is critically ill, the husband of another board member now
sits on the board and could use HOA resources to fight such
a suit, and a third quit-claimed his home to another family
member and has posted to social media that he is seeking to
sell the home. However, under Florida homestead law, a house
is an untouchable asset if it’s the primary residence.
As we have previously reported, the
lawsuit is filed by homeowner Deborah LaGrasso. According to
the complaint: LaGrasso’s children were allegedly the
victims of verbal abuse by a group of “tennis ladies” who
did not want children on the community’s tennis courts
during the women’s special playtime. |
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Seven Bridges in Delray Beach. Homeowners fear a huge
assessment if the community loses a federal lawsuit set to start
next week.
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When LaGrasso came to investigate, she allegedly ended up in a physical
altercation with the women. While part of the event was captured on video, the
video does not show a physical altercation. The tennis ladies complained to the
Board of Directors which sanctioned LaGrasso.
Several months later, after LaGrasso is believed to have posted her opinions
about the HOA on an anonymous Facebook page, LaGrasso and Seven Bridges
homeowner Rachel Tannenholz allegedly made derogatory comments about the other
on social media. The HOA once again sanctioned LaGrasso, including for writing
antisemitic and derogatory comments online. When LaGrasso complained to the HOA
about Tannenholz, the Board of Directors did not sanction her. Tannenholz is
Jewish, LaGrasso is not. Among the complaints allegedly ignored by the Board:
LaGrasso’s claim that Tannenholz told her to move to a community that isn’t
primarily Jewish. The phone call was recorded. The sanctions imposed against
Lagrasso: $5,000 and a year-long ban from using amenities in the Seven Bridges
community. The sanction imposed against Tannenholz: none. Tannenholz is NOT a
defendant in the federal lawsuit. In addition to discrimination, the lawsuit
alleges extreme misconduct by multiple members of the Seven Bridges board of
directors seated at the time of the incidents.
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