BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — Cindy G. Schaeffer and her husband, Robert Lehane, have filed a civil lawsuit against Equity One Florida Portfolio, LLC, a Florida limited liability company doing business as Boca Village Square, according to a complaint filed January 9, 2026, in the Circuit Court of the 15th Judicial Circuit in and for Palm Beach County, Florida.
The case is Schaeffer and Lehane v. Equity One Florida Portfolio, LLC, dba Boca Village Square, filed under case number 502026CA000322XXXAMB. The complaint lists the plaintiffs’ counsel as the Law Offices of Ricky D. Gordon, P.A., and does not identify counsel for the defendant in the filing.
In the complaint, the plaintiffs allege the case arises from an incident at Boca Village Square, identified as 21172–21239 St. Andrews Boulevard in Boca Raton. The suit seeks damages “in excess of the minimal jurisdictional limits” of the court and includes a demand for trial by jury.
According to the complaint, Schaeffer was “lawfully on the subject premises” as a licensee, invitee, and/or business invitee on or about March 10, 2024. The plaintiffs claim she “tripped and fell” in the parking lot area due to what they describe as a defective, hazardous, and/or dangerous condition, specified in the filing as “raised/cracked curbing and asphalt from tree roots.”
Count I asserts a negligence claim against Equity One Florida Portfolio, LLC, dba Boca Village Square. The complaint alleges the defendant owned, controlled, and/or had responsibility for maintenance, management, and operation of the premises, and had a duty—including a non-delegable duty—to maintain the property in a reasonably safe condition for people on site, including business invitees.
The complaint alleges the defendant breached that duty and that Schaeffer’s injuries were directly and proximately caused by the defendant’s negligence. The filing lists several alleged failures, including permitting the premises to become and remain in a defective and unreasonably dangerous condition; failing to maintain and/or control the premises in a safe condition; failing to inspect for hazardous conditions; failing to take reasonable curative measures; and failing to warn of dangerous conditions the defendant “knew or should have known” existed long enough to place it on notice.
As a result of the alleged fall, the complaint claims Schaeffer suffered personal injury and related damages, including disability, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of capacity for enjoyment of life, aggravation of pre-existing conditions, and medical expenses for care and treatment. The plaintiffs also claim uncompensated economic losses and non-economic damages.
Count II brings a loss of consortium claim by Lehane. The complaint alleges he was Schaeffer’s lawful husband and, as a direct and proximate result of the defendant’s alleged negligence and his wife’s alleged injuries, he suffered the loss of comfort, companionship, society, affection, services, and consortium, past and future.
The lawsuit seeks damages, costs, and a jury trial. All allegations are claims made by the plaintiffs and have not been proven in court.
The original complaint, Schaeffer and Lehane v. Equity One Florida Portfolio, LLC, dba Boca Village Square, Case No. 502026CA000322XXXAMB (filed Jan. 9, 2026), as filed with the Palm Beach County Clerk of Court, can be viewed here.
What “premises liability” usually means in court filings is explained here.
