A Highland Beach couple is dragging their oceanfront condo association into court, claiming the board punished their family for calling the cops on a board member and then refused to accommodate an assistance animal.
The civil complaint accuses the Parker Highland East condominium association of retaliation, discrimination based on disability and discrimination against families with children. The suit asks a judge to restore the family’s common-area privileges and seeks more than $50,000 in damages, along with court orders limiting the board’s power.
According to Boca Post, Renata Fernandes Barros and Roberto Delli, who live in Unit 7B of the 26-unit Parker Highland East building, filed the verified complaint on July 2 in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit (Case No. 502026CA007438XXXAMB). The filing, signed by attorneys with Perez Mayoral, P.A., demands a jury trial, seeks damages exceeding $50,000 and asks for both declaratory and injunctive relief. The complaint says the couple wants the court to restore their common-area use rights and require the association to provide a reasonable accommodation for their assistance animal.
What the complaint alleges
The dispute traces back to an April 5 Easter gathering in the building’s social room. The complaint says the celebration went sideways when board member Robert Grosso allegedly photographed the couple’s minor daughter and other children without their parents’ consent. According to the filing, Grosso later acknowledged to Highland Beach police that he took the photos.
Barros says she had an assistance animal named Chablis with her at the event, and the suit states that an updated police event report confirmed the conduct the plaintiffs reported. Those details form a big part of the family’s claim that what followed was retaliation for involving law enforcement.
Board action and the trespass notice
After the party dust-up, the plaintiffs say the association’s board adopted an April 16 resolution suspending the family’s common-element use rights for three months. According to the complaint, the board then went further, issuing a sweeping trespass notice that barred the family, their guests and invitees from the social room, fitness center, pool, spa, beach access, lobby, elevators, stairways, hallways and parking areas.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare both the resolution and the trespass notice unlawful and to order the association to restore the family’s access to those areas.
Legal claims and county process
The complaint lays out eight counts, including failure to produce official records, unlawful retaliation, breach of the condominium’s governing documents, disability discrimination under the Florida Fair Housing Act, familial-status discrimination under the same act and related claims tied to Palm Beach County rules.
The plaintiffs say they also filed a housing-discrimination complaint with the Palm Beach County Office of Equal Opportunity, which was dual-filed with HUD under the county’s administrative process created by Ordinance 90-1. For the statutory framework the lawsuit leans on, see Florida Statutes, Chapter 718 and the county’s OEO materials.
Why the suspension may be contested
Under Florida law, condominium associations can suspend common-area use rights for certain rule violations. However, Section 718.303 of the Condominium Act specifically carves out several categories that cannot be cut off, including limited common elements, “common elements needed to access the unit,” utility services, parking spaces and elevators.
The plaintiffs argue that the Parker Highland East board crossed that line by restricting areas that fall into those protected categories. That statutory exemption, which appears in Section 718.303 and could become a central flashpoint in the case, is outlined on the Florida Legislature website.
What’s next
The filing reviewed by Boca Post states that the parties attended required pre-suit mediation on June 10, 2026, and that the session ended in an impasse. It also says the plaintiffs’ PBEO complaint was submitted June 5 (PBEO Case No. 2600215) and dual-filed with HUD.
The case is newly filed, a jury trial has been demanded and, according to the same filing, no court hearing dates have been set yet.
Local context
Board-owner showdowns over pets, kids’ use of common areas and access to association records have become more visible across South Florida, especially as high-dollar condos collide with close-quarters living and strict rules. Recent reporting has highlighted a string of high-profile condominium lawsuits in Palm Beach County involving both governance disputes and construction issues.
For a look at similar recent condo litigation in the region, see coverage by WPTV. All the allegations in the Highland Beach case remain unproven, and the association has yet to make its case in court.
