GL Homes, one of Florida’s largest privately held homebuilders, has been sued at least five times since 2008 by Palm Beach County homeowners associations alleging construction defects in community common areas, and the pattern of GL Homes lawsuits has continued into 2024 with a still-pending case brought by the Boca Bridges HOA. Earlier suits from Valencia Reserve, Tuscany, and Seven Bridges all settled, some for disclosed sums and some on confidential terms. GL Homes has also been a party in a separate fee dispute with the Valencia Sound HOA and in an older arbitration fight over a mold claim.
Boca Bridges HOA v. GL Homes (2024, Pending)
The most recent case was filed on June 28, 2024, by the Boca Bridges Homeowners Association against GL Homes and its affiliate, Boca Raton Associates VII, in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. The 157-page complaint is built on a property condition assessment by West Palm Beach engineering firm Epic Forensics & Engineering, which conducted on-site observations from February 2023 through November 2023 using the ASTM E2018 standard.
The alleged defects span the clubhouse, resort-style pool, fitness center, spa, tennis courts, indoor sports court, splash waterpark, roadways, entry features, fountains, and guardhouse. They include:
- Ponding water and blistering on the clubhouse roof, causing water intrusion into the electrical room.
- Delaminated stucco on community bridges, cracks in the clubhouse ceiling and around windows, cracks on the main entrance water feature and gatehouse windows, and pool deck cracking.
- Exposed and unsafe wiring and improperly installed electrical boxes.
- Leaking pipes and significant air conditioning unit failures.
- Improperly installed pavers creating tripping hazards, and improper pool deck sloping.
The complaint alleges negligence, breach of implied warranties, and failure to comply with building codes and Florida law, describing the issues as “incorrect or incomplete work, poor workmanship, or design errors” and “material code violations.” The engineering report noted that further testing could uncover additional deficiencies. As of November 2024, GL Homes had not yet filed an answer, and the case remains pending.1Palm Beach Post. Boca Bridges HOA Sues GL Homes for Construction Defects
The filing date matters. The HOA sued three days before new Florida laws shortened the deadlines for construction defect claims, ensuring its case would be governed by the older, more favorable rules.1Palm Beach Post. Boca Bridges HOA Sues GL Homes for Construction Defects
Seven Bridges HOA v. GL Homes (2022, Settled 2023)
In February 2022, the Seven Bridges Homeowners Association in Delray Beach sued GL Homes in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, alleging negligence and breach of warranty. The complaint cited 80 construction defects in the clubhouse, guardhouse, and tennis pro shop, including damaged stucco, exposed wiring, ceiling cracks, tile deterioration, water intrusion through clubhouse windows, damage to the pool and spa, an inadequate gate entry system, and a failure to install perimeter fencing.2BocaNewsNow. Seven Bridges Delray Sues GL Homes for Shoddy Workmanship
GL Homes responded publicly, saying it had investigated the claims and found that a “substantial number of the claims are without merit or grossly exaggerated.”3The Real Deal. Delray Beach Homeowners Say Clubhouse and Other Amenities Falling Apart at GL Homes Project The case settled in 2023 on terms that were not publicly disclosed.
Tuscany Property Owners Association v. GL Homes (2021)
The Tuscany Property Owners Association, representing a 458-home community west of Delray Beach, sued GL Homes in Palm Beach County Circuit Court on April 7, 2021. The complaint alleged negligent construction and violations of the Florida Building Code, citing cracked concrete, broken roof tiles, stucco cracks, defective electrical power, malfunctioning entry and exit gates, deteriorated sidewalks, inadequate irrigation, missing safety railings, and improper roadway slopes.4BocaNewsNow. GL Homes Sued by HOA, Alleges Violation of Florida Building Code
The case settled a month after filing through a court-appointed mediator. GL Homes’ initial offer was $58,000; the final settlement was $125,000. The HOA’s attorney, Richard Cartlidge, acknowledged the community was unlikely to prevail because GL Homes had never been given the chance to perform repairs itself. Board members conceded that the 2019 engineering report behind their claims contained inflated repair estimates, and association president George Schellinger said continuing the fight would be “throwing good money after bad.” GL Homes assistant general counsel Heather Keith called the claims “exaggerated” and noted the suit was filed while mediation was already scheduled.5CCFJ. Tuscany Property Owners Association vs. GL Homes
Valencia Reserve HOA v. GL Homes (2016, Settled 2020)
The first widely reported construction defect case came from Valencia Reserve in Boynton Beach. The HOA sued in June 2016, about a year after GL Homes turned over control of the development to homeowners. The complaint alleged substandard work: a faulty irrigation system that left lawns either parched or oversaturated, a failure to install root barriers around hundreds of oak trees (which damaged streets and sidewalks), and problems with the clubhouse air conditioning.
The dispute ran more than four years before settling in August 2020. GL Homes agreed to pay the HOA $850,000 and to forgo collection of $200,000 in legal fees it had previously been awarded, a package the HOA valued at roughly $1.05 million.6Palm Beach Post. GL Homes, Valencia Reserve Settle Lawsuit Over Construction Defects
A separate case involving the Valencia Pointe community also settled, with terms not disclosed.1Palm Beach Post. Boca Bridges HOA Sues GL Homes for Construction Defects
GL Homes v. Valencia Sound HOA (2023)
Not every case has GL Homes on the defense side. In December 2023, GL Homes sued the Valencia Sound HOA over a $5,140 “capital contribution fund” fee the association charged buyers who purchased homes directly from the builder. The dispute settled in January 2024, with the HOA agreeing to refund the fee to roughly 20 affected buyers — close to $100,000 in total. The fee remained in effect for future resales.7Yahoo News. GL Homes Settles Lawsuit Valencia
Rodriguez v. Builders FirstSource
An older case involved a Boynton Beach couple who alleged that negligent design and construction of their GL Homes luxury home led to mold infestation and health problems. The litigation turned into a fight over arbitration. In 2010, the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled that the purchase agreement’s arbitration clause covered the mold claims, and the homeowners sought review from the Florida Supreme Court.8Florida Supreme Court. Rodriguez v. Builders Firstsource, SC10-372
What the HOA Cases Have in Common
Across the Valencia Reserve, Tuscany, Seven Bridges, and Boca Bridges complaints, the alleged defects overwhelmingly involve common areas and community amenities rather than individual homes. Clubhouse roofing, stucco, electrical work, plumbing, pool and spa construction, paving, and drainage show up again and again. The engineering report categories used in the Boca Bridges filing — defects, deviations from plans, code violations, and improper pre-turnover maintenance — point to how common-area construction was managed and inspected before communities were handed to homeowners.9Boca Bridges Lifestyle. 558 Construction Defect Complaint
None of these cases is a class action. Each has been brought by a single HOA on behalf of its community, and where settlements are known, they have been community-specific dollar figures rather than broad claim funds.
Why the Boca Bridges Filing Date Matters
In April 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 360, which shortened Florida’s statute of repose for latent construction defects from ten years to seven years. The law also changed when the clock starts running, so it now begins at the earliest of several possible triggering events (such as the issuance of a temporary certificate of occupancy) rather than the latest. It requires repose and limitation periods to be calculated on a building-by-building basis rather than for a community as a whole, and it limits Florida Building Code claims to “material violations,” meaning those that may reasonably result in physical harm or significant damage to a building’s performance.1Palm Beach Post. Boca Bridges HOA Sues GL Homes for Construction Defects
These changes make it harder for HOAs to bring construction defect claims, especially in large communities where different buildings were completed at different times. The Boca Bridges HOA filed on June 28, 2024, three days before the new deadlines took effect, so its claims are governed by the older rules. Future HOA claims against any Florida builder will be measured against the tighter framework.