HOAleader.com - Tip of the Week - October 2, 2009
Published: Thu, 10/01/09
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HOA Communications:
Should You Moderate Your HOA's Discussion Forum?
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This week's tip is about whether or not you should moderate your
HOA's online discussion forum.
"This is one of those areas where the law isn't keeping up with
the technology," says Elizabeth White, a shareholder and head of
the community associations practice at the law firm of
LeClairRyan in Williamsburg, Va.
"I completely recognize the community-building aspect of these
sites. If associations are doing them well, they can be
tremendous assets. From the lawyer's perspective, however,
real-time communications pose tremendous challenges. Residents
point to the benefit, but we have to defend claims. There's a
real possibility for slander, defamation, and fair housing
violations."
That's why Elizabeth advocates monitoring your site.
She says, "If it's an association-sponsored site, there's a
responsibility for the association to have knowledge of what's
on the site, and it can't do that without monitoring."
Kristen L. Rosenbeck, a partner at the Mulcahy Law Firm PC in
Phoenix, which represents associations, agrees. "I don't
recommend that community Web sites be unmonitored or a
free-for-all," she says. "If the board says it wants to create
one, a board member needs to step forward and say, 'I'll be in
charge of it,' or the board needs to assign a member to oversee
the site. I recommend the person overseeing it be a diligent
board
member."
You can get more information about managing a discussion forum
from a new HOAleader.com article. You'll discover more
information
on the dangers these sites can pose, how to set your rules, and
whether or not you can ban members from posting. Go there now:
http://www.hoaleader.com/members/341.cfm
Best regards,
Matt Humphrey
President
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Recent articles posted at HOAleader.com:
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HOA Communications: How to Keep Your HOA Message Board Civil
It seemed like such a great idea. Set up an online message board
for your association residents, and they'll discuss community
events and issues, and you'll build a sense of belonging. Then,
some goofus started posting links to inappropriate videos as a
joke. On top of that, members who run their own businesses
started trying to generate business with posts that chat up their
wares and services. The worst part is that some of your most
controversial topics are generating heat, and tempers have flared.
What's a board to do? Here's some guidance.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/341.cfm >
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HOA Financial Matters: How to Get Paid After You've Received a
Court Judgment
You've done the thankless task of suing an owner for delinquent
fees, and your condo or homeowners association has been awarded a
judgment. Well done! Now you have to collect, which can be harder
than getting the judgment in the first place. Here are 6 ways you
can turn your paper judgment into actual money.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/340.cfm >
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HOA Communications: Be Proactive To Manage Expectations About
Board Member Accessibility
Some community members seem to think that their HOA board should
be available 24/7 to listen to every and any complaints,
suggestions and comments.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/public/339.cfm >
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HOA Board Members: How to Avoid Being On Call 24-7
Living in the same place that you volunteer as a board member
means you're always visible and available through a simple knock
on your door. And there's no question some owners take advantage
of that accessibility. But being a board member doesn't have to
be that way. Here are tips for setting boundaries so that members
know that you and your fellow board members aren't your
association's 24-hour resident managers.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/338.cfm >
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HOA Management Fees: Beware These Questionable Fees; How Your
Association Can Address Them
Here, White and other attorneys who represent associations reveal
fees they've seen slipped into their clients' management
contracts and invoices. They also offer tips for addressing them.
Click here to read full article:
< http://www.hoaleader.com/members/335.cfm >
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