HOA membership list and email addresses

Started by TomW • 5 replies • 2984 views

💬 Join us to post & get advice from 50,000 HOA & Condo leaders.

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in

TomW (Utah)
Posts: 31

Posted:

Our HOA Board refuses to provide a listing of our association membership which makes it very difficult to contact other unit owners across the country in our ski area condo. Getting the postal address information from the tax records is very time consuming, and costly to print and mail objections to the actions of the Board. Email addresses would be the best way to communicate. Is the Board required to provide this contact information to the membership?

SamuelB (North Carolina)
Posts: 83

Posted:

Probably not required to do so. It is a privacy issue. Our board also refuses to distribute that information without a sincere business reason to do so. It really comes down to obtaining permission from each home owner to distribute their personal information. Look at the issue from the other side. Would you want to be SPAMmed by people you don’t know, possibly over and over, just because you are a home owner and your board gave out your personal information?

I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things . . . - Antoine de St-Exupéry

TomW (Utah)
Posts: 31

Posted:

The contact information would be used for matters only relating to the governance of our HOA and the actions of our Board. The existing Board has been in place for many years, and has been able to keep owners from effectively communicating with each other. By not providing contact information, they have complete control on the information that is provided to our membership. For example, our bylaws state that the election of Trustees should be by secret ballot, but in the past the Board and the MC have requested that owners not attending the annual meeting send their proxies to them, and then they re-elect the same Board members over and over.
I have suggested that a website be setup for communication purposes with no success.

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

TomW, if your HOA is incorporated I believe there may be a state law which requires the release of the names and addresses to members upon demand. It does not include phone or e-mail addresses. It appears that you have a Board that either has control problems or doesn't know how to effective handle release of confidential information.

Perhaps you can convince your Board with the following example. We put out annual directories for HOAs which includes names, address, phone number, and e-mail addresses which the individual members chose to have published. In addition we created Rules and Regulations advising owners that this information is not for public distribution and that they will be fined for any violation. This has worked to get most owners to provide all of this information for other homeowners.

Good Luck,
RogerB

HaroldS (Arizona)
Posts: 906

Posted:

Tom - if you live there, you can get that information at your county courthouse. How do you think you get so much mail from those wanting you to refinance your home? Unfortunately home ownership information is not as sacred as your BOD would have you believe. Harold

LisaS (Illinois)
Posts: 341

Posted:

Depending on your state, it is also very easy to get the information from tax databases online.

🎯 You've read this entire discussion

Join the conversation with 50,000 HOA & Condo Leaders:

✓ Ask follow-up questions
✓ Share your experience
✓ Get expert advice
✓ Access 350,000 discussions

Create Free Account →

⚡ Takes 30 seconds

Already a member? Log in here