A lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court on July 31, 2024, alleges that two individuals defamed a woman by making false and malicious statements about her. The plaintiff, Stephanie Correa, acting as her own attorney, has accused Barbara Verdries and Diane Rossi of slandering her name and reputation.
According to the complaint, the conflict began when Verdries and her daughter purchased a condominium unit in Century Village East (CVE), an over-55 community in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Ms. Correa also owns a unit in the same complex and serves as the President of the Westbury J Condominium Association. The situation escalated when Gladys Rossi and her husband Danny were admitted to Boca Circle Care facility after suffering falls in March 2024. During this time, Ms. Correa started assisting Gladys with various tasks, including helping her pay bills.
The allegations state that on June 28, 2024, Verdries and Rossi visited Gladys at Boca Circle Care facility and made several defamatory statements to both staff members and Gladys herself. They accused Ms. Correa of stealing Gladys' checkbook and falsely claimed that she was not a lawyer and was being removed from the board of Westbury J Condominium Association. These accusations reportedly led to significant emotional distress for Ms. Correa and damaged her relationship with Gladys.
Ms. Correa contends that these false statements were made with malicious intent to discredit her both professionally and personally. She asserts that these actions have caused irreparable harm to her reputation as an attorney licensed in New York State and as a licensed community association manager in Florida.
In her complaint, Ms. Correa is seeking damages to be determined at trial, including punitive damages for the emotional distress and reputational harm she has suffered. Additionally, she is requesting a temporary injunction against Verdries and Rossi to prevent them from continuing their alleged defamatory actions.
The Case Number is 502024CA007223XXXAMB Div: AN.