Maintaining homeowner privacy

MichaelT21 (Arkansas)
Posts: 200

Posted:

We used to do HOA business in a fairly private fashion, now we are being asked for more and more transparency. This means more and more homeowner information is being circulated in our community. We are a community of single family homes and I do not agree with the amount of information that is being circulated around.

How do your Boards maintain homeowner privacy while also being transparent?

JohnT38 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,631

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MichaelT21 on 02/13/2023 4:32 PM
We used to do HOA business in a fairly private fashion, now we are being asked for more and more transparency. This means more and more homeowner information is being circulated in our community. We are a community of single family homes and I do not agree with the amount of information that is being circulated around.

How do your Boards maintain homeowner privacy while also being transparent?

There is no way to answer this without examples of what you are talking about.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

What is being circulated that threatens any individual owner's privacy??? HOW is this info being circulated?

In HOAs, more "transparency" generally means HOA boards keeping owners informed of their decisions about the common areas and your common assets and how and why they make them. It means whenever possible boards inviting owners to open board meetings instead of meeting in secret behind closed doors (even if permitted by law)

"Transparency" in HOAs doesn't mean boards revealing to the entire community any individual owner's violation of the rules or individual delinquencies.

Please be specific MichaelT, and non-evasive.

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

We refer everyone by Lot numbers only. No names. Lot numbers are easily figured out but can take effort. Lot numbers are what we go by.

Former HOA President

MichaelT21 (Arkansas)
Posts: 200

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By KerryL1 on 02/13/2023 5:51 PM
What is being circulated that threatens any individual owner's privacy??? HOW is this info being circulated?

In HOAs, more "transparency" generally means HOA boards keeping owners informed of their decisions about the common areas and your common assets and how and why they make them. It means whenever possible boards inviting owners to open board meetings instead of meeting in secret behind closed doors (even if permitted by law)

"Transparency" in HOAs doesn't mean boards revealing to the entire community any individual owner's violation of the rules or individual delinquencies.

Please be specific MichaelT, and non-evasive.

We are single family homes. People have to submit ACC applications for front and backyard renovations. The applications inlcude the names of the contractors and details about the front and backyard renvoation. While fine for presenting at a meeting, I wouldn't want my details about my backyard renovation to be circulated for years afterwards in the community. This isn't public information and I don't think other homeowners have the right to know the name of the designer of a project that I am doing on my private property, just because we have an HOA.

MaxB4
Posts: 3,513

Posted:

Just when I thought I heard it all.

MelissaP1 (Alabama)
Posts: 13,836

Posted:

Would the contractor NOT be "Public" company? Why the need to keep it secret? What if I want to hire them? What if you had problems with them? Would others not like to know who or not to hire? It's weird want to keep this information "secret" considering the people who are doing it should be public business.

Former HOA President

JohnT38 (South Carolina)
Posts: 1,631

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MichaelT21 on 02/13/2023 8:07 PM

Posted By KerryL1 on 02/13/2023 5:51 PM
What is being circulated that threatens any individual owner's privacy??? HOW is this info being circulated?

In HOAs, more "transparency" generally means HOA boards keeping owners informed of their decisions about the common areas and your common assets and how and why they make them. It means whenever possible boards inviting owners to open board meetings instead of meeting in secret behind closed doors (even if permitted by law)

"Transparency" in HOAs doesn't mean boards revealing to the entire community any individual owner's violation of the rules or individual delinquencies.

Please be specific MichaelT, and non-evasive.

We are single family homes. People have to submit ACC applications for front and backyard renovations. The applications inlcude the names of the contractors and details about the front and backyard renvoation. While fine for presenting at a meeting, I wouldn't want my details about my backyard renovation to be circulated for years afterwards in the community. This isn't public information and I don't think other homeowners have the right to know the name of the designer of a project that I am doing on my private property, just because we have an HOA.

Wow!

KellyM3 (North Carolina)
Posts: 2,239

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By MichaelT21 on 02/13/2023 4:32 PM
We used to do HOA business in a fairly private fashion, now we are being asked for more and more transparency. This means more and more homeowner information is being circulated in our community. We are a community of single family homes and I do not agree with the amount of information that is being circulated around.

How do your Boards maintain homeowner privacy while also being transparent?

Michael,

HOA business, as approved and rejected in open board meetings, should be reported out to dues payers in a manner that's transparent. We post minutes on our website.

Dues payer complaints to the HOA over matters of covenant violations should not be discussed publicly and people reporting alleged violations should not be publicly exposed unless there's a safety or health reason to do so (and I can't think of what that might be).

The dues player who complains about violations is NEVER entitled to updates on whether the violator brings the violation into compliance. The violation is between the HOA and the violator.

HOA contracts with vendors should certainly be accessible to dues payers upon request but I'd not keep contracts publicly exposed.

Dues payers' personal accounts and account status is never discussed openly or publicly except when the HOA board must take action (votes) towards foreclosure or a person openly addresses the HOA board in a meeting. Even then, the HOA board can hold that particular discussion in executive session.

The HOA board doesn't address gossip and community grumbling. The HOA doesn't get involved in matters where police/animal control are first contact point. The HOA preserves all "email blast" communications to HOA business only.

KellyM3 (North Carolina)
Posts: 2,239

Posted:

Regarding ACC applications, your plans for a renovation should be kept on file and your neighbors should be informed on your plans and scope of project. When approved, there is no controversy. There is no privacy expectation implied by ACC requests and you forfeited that privacy by willingly purchasing in an HOA-protected community.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

I think Kelly sums it up well. Since plans for renovation must be submitted for ACC approval, it IS assn. business, not your private biz. When you sell your house, buyers need to know you got the correct approvals to make the exteriors changes. Neighbors see trucks with names on them at your home and learn who the contractors are.

In our condo buildings, all renovations are only inside Owners' "separate interest" units and the drawings are not available to other owners. Every week, though, management eblasts a list of which Units are having work done that requires ACC approval, including a brief summary of it, e.g., "replace all flooring with hard surface; replace bathrooms' and kitchen counters" The contractor's name is included on the list. The list lets residents know to expect noise.

I don't even know what "I wouldn't want my details about my backyard renovation to be circulated for years afterwards in the community" means. Who would want to "circulate" it, anyway? How would they circulate it. Why? Why would that upset you?

ND (PA)
Posts: 792

Posted:

I think this is a non-issue being unnecessarily inflated for the purposes of another post and added drama. But to add a few different thoughts/ideas . . .

- Research your docs and state HOA law about what the actual "records" of the association are and what owners are entitled to review. Not every document, electron, file, or piece of paper generated during HOA operation is a record that must be retained and must be made available to owners upon request. Maybe ACC applications are considered records, maybe they aren't. You'll have to investigate. So even if you compile ACC documents, simply because someone says they want to see them, doesn't mean you have to allow it. Then again, why wouldn't you anyway?! Who cares?

- Reconsider the type and amount of info you actually require and collect. If info being collect isn't needed for any real reason, then don't collect it. That way you don't need to worry about keeping it private or releasing it because it no longer exists. If ACC application contents are something that you think contain too much detail and isn't something you'd want released, then consider the necessity for the info to be collected in the first place. Your example: named copntractors. Does a deck HAVE to be installed by a professional and/or named contractor, or can a homeowner install their own deck? If you're willing to accept a homeowner doing their own work, then what does it matter to the HOA exactly what company would be hired by an owner to install a deck? Likely it does not and it's info being collected for no real purpose. In most cases, why would an HOA care who a homeowner hires to do work? That is an agreement between homeowner and the hired person/company. All risk and liability is between the two and the HOA is not involved.

ND (PA)
Posts: 792

Posted:

Follow-up . . . my response pertained mostly to single family home HOAs which is what I think teh OP lives in. Things would ne different in a condo, townhouse, and/or high-rise type HOA that others live in or are involved with.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

As too often happens, MichaelT fails to respond to some thoughtful contents.