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Article Courtesy of Boca
News Now
By Seven Bridges Bureau
Published September 1, 2023
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We
note Seven Bridges just settled a multimillion-dollar federal discrimination
lawsuit filed against the Board of Directors by a homeowner, and continues to be
engaged in multiple other lawsuits — according to the Palm Beach County Clerk of
Courts.
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For the second time in
two weeks, homeowners in the gated West Delray Beach
community of Seven Bridges are outraged after its elected
board of directors made a major decision behind closed doors
— and failed to announce that decision to anyone. In the
latest example of questionable conduct, the board settled
its 558 lawsuit against builder G.L. Homes. The suit sought
millions of dollars after alleging shoddy construction
throughout the community. A “558” lawsuit is traditionally
filed after a builder “turns over” a community to its
homeowners association. The Seven Bridges lawsuit was first
filed in 2022.
Palm Beach County records, obtained by BocaNewsNow.com,
reveal the suit was settled on August 22nd. Sources tell
BocaNewsNow.com that there has been no announcement made by
the Board of Directors to the owners of 701 homes in the
community, each valued at more than $1M, as of Saturday
afternoon. The lawsuit alleged that G.L. Homes cut corners
on approximately eighty items. You can read the list filed
as part of the lawsuit right here. |
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Seven Bridges in Delray Beach, FL, is again in the
spotlight.
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“This board has a transparency problem,” said a frustrated homeowner contacting
BocaNewsNow.com. “This is the second time in days that these people have made
decisions behind closed doors, without any community announcement.”
The settlement, reached five days ago but kept quiet for days, follows a
decision by the same board of directors to terminate the community’s on-site
restaurant. The decision, made during an unannounced closed-door meeting, has
led several homeowners to suggest that a complaint with Florida’s Department of
Business and Professional Regulation against board members is imminent. The
Board, under the legal guidance of Sax Sachs Caplan, maintains that its actions
are legal.
Homeowners are also questioning why the Board of Directors appears to have
slowed a major security effort in the community known as a “Traffic Enforcement
Agreement” with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. The agreement, which
would permit PBSO to patrol the community, was initiated by a previous board of
directors — according to sources familiar with the situation. But while
acknowledging a crime issue in the community, the current board apparently has
paused the request for armed deputies to patrol and issue moving violations. Car
thefts are frequent in the community. Several other area gated communities have
“traffic enforcement agreements” in place.
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