Use of Facebook??

Recently an HOA member suggested the HOA create Facebook page to allow members to report acts of vandalism at our playground area/basketball court. Our attorney had previously made comment to the BOD a couple years ago against using social media for this sort of thing. Anybody have a suggestion? The BOD has not been eager to try this approach.

Dennisg7

I'm firmly against using social media for association business. Social media is designed to encourage bad behavior. Board members have enough to do without needing to police Facebook and sort out what needs attention and what doesn't.

Vandalism really isn't much different from any other complaint as far as the reporting goes. What are your options now?

Do you have a community manager who handles the day-to-day business? What happens if equipment is damaged and needs to be replaced - who needs to find out about it?

Does the board have a generic email address that people can send information to? It's as easy as Facebook, but without all of the distractions.

Who receives other violation complaints? Does the board have a form that needs to be filled out? How do homeowners get their hands on the form if they want to complain out their neighbor's dog pooping everywhere, for example?

Dennis,
I view FB just like any dreaded disease. It starts out small and grows rapidly in many cases.

If the board posts something which may be important and someone on the site got a violation letter for anything they will hijack your post and start complaining how they never broke the rules. Half of the people on the site are people that are never happy, and the other half are people that poke those people for the fun of it. If you try and turn off replies to posts no one will check the site.

If anyone tries to tell you it will be problem free they need their head examined.

Do you have a property manager? Does their website have a portal or app to report issues in the community?
There is always email.

I would say avoid this if possible. While there are good intentions, I doubt all users will treat this group as just a place to report vandalism.

I would instead create an online system, even if that's just email, that allows members to send notices to the person who would be responsible for following up on these incidents.

We have an investor that is not happy when he is told no. He is trying to overturn the board and has created a Facebook page that doesn't allow Board Members to join and he is only allowing those that agree with grievances. His current large grievance is replacing his 44+ year old aluminum sliding glass doors and feels like they will never leak even that that are not anywhere near code standard. They are are 22 years past their standard effective use of 20 years, thus the original doors are far beyond their EUL. When the original units were built, continuous sill pans were not installed that presents water leakage into the wall below where building code requirements are today. He feels since they are cover either by the balcony above or a small roof they will not leak.