A Florida attorney has filed a significant lawsuit against multiple defendants, including individuals and a business entity, accusing them of malicious prosecution, fraud, tortious interference, and conversion. The complaint was lodged by Patrick Maraist in the Circuit Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit in Palm Beach County, Florida on October 2, 2024. The defendants named in the case are Alan B. Rose, Gregory Scott Weiss, Timothy W. Schulz, and Palm Beach Florida Hotel and Office Building Limited Partnership.
Patrick Maraist alleges that these defendants have wrongfully initiated legal proceedings against him without probable cause and with malice. The complaint details that on December 6, 2021, a Writ of Bodily Attachment was issued against Maraist at the behest of the defendants. Maraist claims this action lacked probable cause and was driven by malice, resulting in damage to his reputation and business. He asserts that there was a favorable termination of this writ in his favor but not before incurring substantial damages including legal fees.
Maraist's lawsuit further accuses the defendants of tortious interference with his business relationships. Specifically, he claims that Timothy W. Schulz interfered with his contractual relationship with Nantucket Enterprises Inc., where he had secured attorneys' fees through a Charging Lien dated July 19, 2024. According to Maraist, Schulz acted intentionally to disrupt this relationship without justification.
The allegations extend to fraud claims against each defendant for allegedly undermining Maraist's Charging Lien related to Nantucket’s prevailing party fees from Palm Beach Florida Hotel and Office Building Limited Partnership. Despite knowing about the lien's existence and value—estimated at $10 million—the defendants purportedly settled these fees without Maraist’s consent or involvement.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages for lost business opportunities and reputational harm across all counts, Maraist is pursuing special damages covering legal costs incurred due to these actions. He requests pre-judgment and post-judgment interest as well as any other equitable relief deemed appropriate by the court.
The case is identified under Case Number: 502024CA009465XXXANB.