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Facebook page for your HOA?

Started by LowellH1 • 15 replies • 1491 views

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LowellH1 (Georgia)
Posts: 21
Posted:
I was wondering if any of you guys have a Facebook page for your HOA. We are mulling the idea over as a way for our neighbors to ask questions and have access to files and the like. Does anyone of you have one? If so, has it been useful or has it become a problem? Thanks!
HenryS6 (Arizona)
Posts: 111
Posted:
We have a community page that is not run the by HOA, but serves people in who in our HOA as well as surrounding HOAs. The admins of the group are not board members but manage it out of their own goodwill (and so they know the gossip in the neighborhood). It works well.

It generally is not recommended that the HOA run a Facebook group for liability and other reasons. Also it can become a sounding board for complaints if people realize it is run by the board.

I would recommend seeking out a community volunteer to run a group for your neighborhood and have the board take more of a listening than active role.

I personally do not like having files uploaded to the group because they become hard to maintain. We had one out of date file uploaded to our group, and then people started using it which caused mail to go to the wrong PM. It became complicated to fix. I don't like that functionality.
JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265
Posted:
Lowell

I have said it before and I will say it again. An interactive site can turn into a bytching session over night. I say post all kinds of information, finances, Covenants, Bylaws, R&R, ARC, Minutes, etc. but do not let people respond. Make the site informational only.
CathyA3 (Ohio)
Posts: 6,299
Posted:
We don't, and our lawyer recommends not having a social media page unless it is informational only and locked to prevent posting by anyone other than the board and maybe the PM. Reasons:

* The association/board is legally liable for anything posted on official websites or other publications. It's why websites that allow users to post generally have extensive Terms of Service agreements that are enforced.

* Social media tends to collect misinformation, flame wars, photos of minors posted without parents' permission and other privacy violations, copyrighted or plagiarized materials, and other undesirable items. It provides a free platform for someone with an axe to grind.

* If open discussion is allowed, someone will have to monitor the page to remove inappropriate posts. This is time consuming, and the board and PM are already too busy without this added burden. The authors of the removed posts will also be outraged and will post more junk.

* If a board member participates in discussions, it will be misinterpreted as "the board says" no matter how many disclaimers the person adds that he's only speaking for himself. A board response to one discussion and not others can be viewed as favoritism (silly but it happens).

* Social media is fine for lost pet notices, requests for babysitters, and stuff that is not association business. It is not an appropriate platform for association business.

That's it in a nutshell.

BenA2 (Texas)
Posts: 1,273
Posted:
We have a FB page and have had no problems. Anyone can post comments but I believe we can remove them if they become uncivil. As long as you monitor the content, I don't see a downside.
GwenG (Florida)
Posts: 669
Posted:
Stumbled across this and here's my 2 cents. Facebook has now become entwined in our HOA business to a shocking degree and has caused shocking community divisiveness. It has been mandated in our records and has become the host platform of Board Meetings. One must be a member of the Facebook group to view these meetings "on demand".

It is a heavily censored site and has become an echo chamber of board agenda. Issues are distilled and spun on the site in favor of board agenda. Members are not allowed in unless the board thinks they are pro-board. The comments have become increasingly negative, partially in response to the boards messages creating divisiveness over issues. The board publicly whines about the "disrespect" and "baiting" that occur on this BOARD site and other member "sister" sites which have popped up as "rebuttal" groups.

In sum, it is a VERY bad idea to use the social media platform for business purposes and will surely cause not only potential liability problems for the Association but very harmful social interaction within the community.

CathyA3 said it best.
MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836
Posted:
Facebook is a social platform. Would not recommend it as a professional option for a HOA. I would recommend it's own WEB PAGE. A place to post notices, rules, meeting notes, and HOA business. Maybe can have a "FAQ" section. Have an email for people to send questions/issues into the board.

A facebook page may be good for the neighborhood to have that is not part of the HOA. Our HOA we have a "neighborhood" page that is not associated with the MC or HOA. It is a place we can post lost pets/kids, misplaced deliveries, help for something, post for sale, or just general neighborly things.

Things will flow over between the two. The HOA just needs to learn to keep focus on keeping the 2 unrelated. It's like keeping the finger on the pulse of what is going on in the neighborhood. It's not getting sucked into the void where lose sight of business.
Former HOA President
LisaB21 (Texas)
Posts: 97
Posted:
We have a Facebook page run by the HOA Board and we also have a community website. The community website holds the "official" information (Board meeting notices and agendas, links to EMR application process and ACC Guidelines, as well as copies of CCRs for all our sections, amenities info, etc.) The Facebook page is used for general announcements of events, neighborhood information, and assorted general content post (lawn tips, holiday greetings, home maintenance/improvement tips). The Facebook page is set up so that all posts are either initiated by the page moderator (HOA Board member) or must be approved by the moderator. No advertising is allowed. We also use it as a place for us to post notices of lost or found pets. Homeowners must send us an email giving permission to post the info and their contact info and we will post the picture and content to help find the lost pet and how to contact the owner or finder. Comments are accepted on all posts but we can remove them if needed. That has only happened once in 12 years. We keep it as a positive space and our homeowners seem to respect that.
BarbaraT1 (Texas)
Posts: 821
Posted:
The community I manage has a Facebook page and I hate it!

Almost nobody looks at the actual association website or reads the email newsletters I send out because “ I can just check Facebook”. They ONLY check Facebook. The board does try to keep up with posting information there too but as I repeatedly have to explain to people who say “but I didn’t know!” Facebook decides what posts to show you in what order. And posts quickly disappear from the front page as new posts are added.

Misinformation is posted all the time. People ask “are we allowed to ______” and neighbors chime in with answers that are almost always wrong. Nobody ever suggests or links the comprehensive website with all the documents and FAQ.

It’s also full of drama. Complaints about speeding, dogs pooping, parties, fireworks. . About once a month there’s major drama - a photo of someone’s yard and an angry demand “why hasn’t the HOA done something about this!!!” Or “To the person in the white SUV that cut me off…”

When sprinklers are running nonstop or there’s poop in the pool, nobody calls me, they post it on Facebook then complain that it wasn’t taken care of fast enough.

When the assessment was increased, there were weeks of long rambling posts accusing the board and me of everything from incompetence to theft. “I bet they only got one bid for landscaping and didn’t even compare prices!” And again - since people refuse to go anywhere other than Facebook for information the correct info (we got 9 bids in fact!) goes unreported.

I used to post on the page during the development phase because I just could not get people to go anywhere else for info. Now that there is a homeowner board I left the page and they are doing the daily battle.
GwenG (Florida)
Posts: 669
Posted:
Your post is nearly identical to the problems that have developed over the last 2 years in my HOA with a board-managed Facebook group. Except for the sprinkler complaints, we got it all! The decision to use the Facebook platform and herd people to "short newsbites" had unintended consequences that will stay with the community for the next generation.
MarshallT (New York)
Posts: 414
Posted:
Hello,

While Facebook is free and accessible, it may be better to use a more secure forum or platform for sharing files and maintaining communications. Facebook can be hard to moderate, and it can be a liability for HOA boards it something bad transpires there.

An HOA software solution may be more effective.
CathyA3 (Ohio)
Posts: 6,299
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MarshallT on 12/06/2021 6:17 AM
Hello,

While Facebook is free and accessible, it may be better to use a more secure forum or platform for sharing files and maintaining communications. Facebook can be hard to moderate, and it can be a liability for HOA boards it something bad transpires there.

An HOA software solution may be more effective.

I agree. The association has little control over Facebook. And people forget that they're not Facebook's customers, they're unpaid content providers - the customers are the businesses that Facebook sells people's information to.

In addition to the lack of security and privacy, in order to protect against liability for what people post on the association's official page, the association needs to publish and enforce a Terms of Service agreement which should include removing access for those who repeatedly violate the Terms. This is a problem if you rely on the page to communicate important information to homeowners, and it's why social media is not an appropriate vehicle for association business.

Your association's attorney and insurance agent should have more info about the steps you need to take for any online sites that you use.
MichaelH34 (North Carolina)
Posts: 179
Posted:
Barbara, "The community I manage has a Facebook page and I hate it!"

Does the HOA actually manage that page?

If yes, get with your other board members and work to get them to agree to delete the page.

If the homeowners want to set up a new page/group make it clear that it will be without HOA involvement and that the only purpose it will serve is for people to vent. HOA communication should come through a medium that the HOA and neighborhood have control of.

The transition will be painful, but eventually you'll be better off for it.
MichaelS56 (Minnesota)
Posts: 858
Posted:
We do not have one in our Association that the Board is aware of. Owners may have their own connections in social media. Cannot do anything about that.
BarbaraT1 (Texas)
Posts: 821
Posted:
Quote:
Posted By MichaelH34 on 12/06/2021 3:08 PM
Barbara, "The community I manage has a Facebook page and I hate it!"

Does the HOA actually manage that page?

If yes, get with your other board members and work to get them to agree to delete the page.

If the homeowners want to set up a new page/group make it clear that it will be without HOA involvement and that the only purpose it will serve is for people to vent. HOA communication should come through a medium that the HOA and neighborhood have control of.

The transition will be painful, but eventually you'll be better off for it.

Yes the board manages the page. I have advised them to delete it, so has their attorney. They don’t want to.
DavidG45 (Delaware)
Posts: 994
Posted:
Already been covered, but my two main points:

* The BOARD should absolutely NOT endorse any social media site

* If a resident chooses to do so, it generally is bad for the community. It has been for ours.

However, if a resident does do it I would suggest the following:

* Do not allow any board member or committee members to post on the page

* Ask for a sit down with the resident who chooses to run the page, and try to maintain a good relationship with them. Explain to them the legal reasons why the HOA cannot be official involved, warn them of the possible damage it can cause, and ask them to monitor the content strictly. Ask them to create board rules that negativity is not tolerated, that the purpose of the page is to allow residents to exchange information in a friendly and supportive environment, and to foster community not create division.

* Monitor it closely and respond quickly to the admin if false or negative information is being spread, so that admin can take corrective actions.

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