IN SEVEN BRIDGES, FEAR OF $10,000 ASSESSMENT AS FEDERAL TRIAL NEARS
Each Homeowner In Delray Beach Community Could Face Special Assessment If Community Loses Federal Lawsuit.

Article Courtesy of  BocaNewsNow    

By BocaNewsNow Bureau

Published March 11, 2023

  

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.

Seven Bridges in Delray Beach. Homeowners fear a huge assessment if the community loses a federal lawsuit set to start next week.


 

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.
 

HOA ARTICLES

HOME NEWS PAGE