Florida Pickleball Dispute Escalates as Fitness Executive Takes Legal Action

A luxury condominium community in Florida has become the center of a bitter pickleball dispute that is now being fought in court.

William Ljungstrom, a Swedish tennis professional and former fitness director for the Lotus Palm homeowners association in Boca Raton, is suing the HOA following a contentious breakdown over the community’s pickleball teams.

Matthew S. Nelles, Ljungstrom’s attorney, says the conflict began after an HOA board member was moved to the pickleball B-team.

The board member was allegedly furious about the demotion and then sought to retaliate against Ljungstrom, according to the lawsuit.

The dispute later turned to whether nonresidents should be permitted to play on HOA teams. Nelles alleges that the board member’s own pickleball performance had benefited from allowing nonresidents to participate.

Nelles claims the pickleball disagreement was subsequently “weaponized” against his client. Ljungstrom was ultimately fired, escorted from the property and accused in an email to residents of mishandling thousands of dollars, the attorney said.

Ljungstrom and his company, Swede Dreams LLC, filed a lawsuit against Lotus Palm, property manager GRS Community Management and three HOA board members on September 14.

Nelles told Our News Outlet that Ljungstrom had been highly regarded by residents throughout his time at the community.

“Many, many residents expressed their pleasure with his demeanor, skill, efficiency, and overall professionalism,” he said. “In short, Mr. Ljungstrom was extremely well-liked.”

How, then, did a sport often credited with bringing neighbors together lead to a six-figure legal battle?

According to the complaint, Ljungstrom joined Lotus Palm as director of racquet sports in April 2025. The following month, he also assumed responsibility for the community’s fitness facilities.

His contracts were renewed in July 2026.

The renewed agreement provided $50,000 annually for Ljungstrom to hire and oversee a full-time pickleball professional. It also set aside an additional $10,000 for pickleball equipment.

Ljungstrom hired an outside pickleball professional and allegedly retained 10 percent of the association’s funds to cover expenses such as insurance, accounting, payment processing and administrative support.

The team-selection dispute followed, eventually leading to Ljungstrom’s dismissal. Nelles said a board member was assigned to a Division 2 team after an evaluation, rather than receiving a place on the Division 1 roster.

On August 11, the HOA allegedly sent Ljungstrom a termination letter and ordered him to leave the property immediately. He says he was later required to retrieve his belongings and equipment from the pro shop while being watched by a security officer and other people.

But according to the lawsuit, the most damaging moment came later that same day.

The HOA allegedly sent an email to residents explaining Ljungstrom’s termination and saying the decision had been made to protect association funds.

SEE ALSO: Trump to Attend Major College Football Game, Raising Disruption Fears

Ljungstrom claims the message gave residents the impression that he had taken or misappropriated thousands of dollars. His lawyer says that was particularly damaging because, according to the complaint, Ljungstrom had not even been paid the money at issue when the email went out.

‘That claim is wholly unsupported and intended, maliciously, to damage Mr Ljungstrom’s reputation,’ Nelles told us.

The complaint argues that the HOA had ‘misunderstood’ the $50,000 pickleball budget, and that nothing in Ljungstrom’s contract required the entire amount to be handed over to the pickleball pro.

It further alleges that none of the $50,000 had been paid to the outside instructor when the email was sent.

Ljungstrom is now suing for defamation, arguing that the communication had ‘accused him of criminal conduct.’

He also claims the HOA and board members interfered with his business arrangements by hiring the pickleball pro directly, allegedly in breach of a 12-month non-compete provision.

Another claim accuses Lotus Palm and GRS Community Management of civil theft involving at least $6,005 in allegedly unauthorized withdrawals from Ljungstrom’s own business bank account.

The lawsuit also claims the association owes Ljungstrom and Swede Dreams at least $129,191 in compensation, pro shop revenue, private lesson revenue and inventory costs.

The plaintiffs are seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as treble damages and attorney fees over the civil theft claim. They also want a public retraction and apology – plus an order preventing the defendants from making further allegedly disparaging statements.

Nelles said his client would pursue punitive damages over what he described as malicious and reckless defamation.

He pointed to a 2010 Florida appeals court case, Lawnwood Medical Center v. Sadow, in which a jury awarded $5 million in punitive damages after finding a hospital liable for slander.

But for the plaintiffs, the heart of the dispute remains a petty pickleball disagreement that spiraled wildly out of control.

Nelles described the alleged reputational damage as stemming from ‘a single push of the ‘send’ button’ following the dispute over the composition of a pickleball team.

He claimed the board’s actions had ‘poisoned’ Ljungstrom’s reputation and described the alleged conduct as ‘ill-conceived pettiness’ by a single board member.

Asked whether HOAs are frequently involved in defamation disputes, Nelles said such cases were ‘not unusual’, arguing that board membership can sometimes lead to what he called ‘unchecked bravado’.

He said Ljungstrom had tried to resolve the dispute before filing suit, but claimed the effort was ‘not only unsuccessful, but utterly (and shamefully) ignored.’

Court records list Nelles and Kaila A. Jones of Johnson & Martin, P.A., in Fort Lauderdale, as attorneys for Ljungstrom and Swede Dreams.

The case is still in its early stages and Ljungstrom’s claims have not been proven in court – and court records do not show a response from the defendants.

Our News Outlet has contacted the Lotus Palm Homeowners Association for comment on the matter and is awaiting a response.