Use of Phone number or email list

Howard,

Our small HOA provides a list of names, addresses, phone numbers and email contacts to Membership. We send all of our Updates via email (everybody's connected) and snail mail our dues packets each year. Nobody has ever complained. But if someone did, we'd be happy to delete their info from the distributed list, though continue to use it for individual communications to the deletees.

Howard,

Frankly I don't understand what the problem is. What else would be used to send newsletters and other notifications to the members? It's a requirement that the HOA have a membership list and most bylaws will state that ballots are to be mailed to the members. I don't understand why that requirement cannot be extended to newsletters and other notifications.

In the text of the email, make sure that you place a standard "Opt-Out" clause in your email. "If you dont' wish to receive the association's email newsletters, please reply with OPT OUT in your subject line.

We're trying to significant increase the number of email newsletters in order to cut expenses. Besides, isn't this the "Green" thing to do?

Lo and behold we just addressed this issue at our January meeting. It was quite dramatic!

Here's a story:

Last year a homeowner e-mailed me and asked me for the association's e-mail list to use for his annual Cancer Drive fundraiser, which, in the past he has done door-to-door, with much success, I might add! I told him that I thought the use of the HOA e-mail list should be used for association and neighborhood business only, and not for solicitation purposes. But that's just me, and what I would do, is e-mail the 'hood and ask what they wanted, if that's what he would like me to do. Well, I never heard back from him. In the meantime, his daughter died from cancer.

This winter when we were all digging out of two feet of snow, a few of us got into a conversation about the wild and rockin' weather, when it was just us two left, me and Mr. Smith. He turned to me and said, "I just want you to know that I think you are cold and heartless for not letting me use that e-mail address. And I was going to come and tell you to your face, but I was too mad!" Knowing the man was broken in half with grief I calmly said, "I'm so sorry you feel that way. I wish you wouild have. But, it's not my call to distribute anyone's personal information without their permission. When I did not hear back from you asking me to do so as I offered, I figured you just went door to door." He said, "Well, I wouldn't come to your door because you didn't give the last time I came by." I ignored that and said, "You know what? I had another incident happen involving this same thing, not long after your request. The neighbor boy's school fundraiser, to which I've given for the past seven years, decided to do it on-line this year. So my neighbor's mother gave her son my e-mail address to this monster magazine company, and the only way I could extricate myself from their system was to go through the electronic hoops for about 20 minutes! I was dismayed! So, I went over to my neighbor's house, and nicely told her that I wasn't happy with my e-mail address being given out without my permission and for solicitation. She, of course, immediately got defensive, and said, "Well, he came by, and you weren't home." I reminded her I've given every year to his school and have him come by that evening and I would again. Well, of course, he didn't so he lost out. So, Mr. Smith, this is most definitely going to be an agenda item in January, and we will let the association vote. Because it is not up to me or any individual homeowner."

That's the history. At the meeting, when we got to this on the Agenda, I opened with, "A homeowner asked me to give him the HOA e-mail list to use for his charity's annual fundraiser. I told him I thought the list should be used for HOA and neighborhood business only, but that it was not up to me, and I would e-mail y'all to see what you wanted, if he wanted me to do that. Well, I never heard back from him." Then I told them the story of the on-line school fundraiser. I finished with, "I would like to open the floor to discussion on this matter." I had no need nor intention of outing poor ole' Mr. Smith. Well, Mr. Smith jumped out of his chair, and said, "That was me, and I think you were cold and heartless! This is a good cause, and as you know I lost my daughter this year to cancer, and I do this every year, we're all neighbors, etc. etc., and sat down. The room got very quiet. I began with, "As I told Mr. Smith, with 72 adults, and a 2.5 children in every household, we cannot open our e-mail list to everyone's personal fund drive. . ." and was interrupted by the ever springy Mr. Smith, who started going off again. I started channeling Obama and became uber-calm and said, "Mr. Smith, I am addressing the group right now. You've had your say, so it's time for everyone else to have theirs."

Within 10 minutes the unanimous vote of NO! was motioned, seconded and approved, to use the HOA e-mail list for HOA and residential business only. Anyone wanting to solicit can ask individual homeowners for permission. Bing, bang, boom Ernie Banks!

Mr. Smith does not care for me. Sigh. . .

Dorothy

Mary,
There is not a cell in my body that holds anything but sorrow for this man. Unfortunately, he was a blowhard before this bone-cracking trauma, and is now on the Architectural Committee, all puffed up and raising hell. This morning we just received a complaint against the ARC for its recent approval of a prohibited playstructure, and the Board will meet with the ARC on Wednesday to try to sort this thing out. Mr. Smith throws terms around like "Police State," and "A man's home is his castle." He's always been extremely biased, hot-headed, and difficult. Now, with this hole inside him, there is no filling it, except with more anger, more pain and endless misery. He's to be handled with great care, indeed, but if he is dismissing the facts of the CC&R's due to his personal biases, it's a problem.

Dorothy