email lists maintained by HOA

Started by BillM10 • 7 replies • 1889 views

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BillM10 (Florida)
Posts: 1

Posted:

Our HOA has a volunteer who maintains a list of residents emails. The board uses this system for board related business announcements. Residents want to expand this to include community service things like lost and found, announcements of death of residents (only when requested by family) and other notices of interest to residents. Residents would be invited to opt in or out of the system at any time. Are there any legal implications to this? Some say there are privacy issues, but I fail to see how.

BrianB (California)
Posts: 2,820

Posted:

i agree with you Bill, i don't see any privacy issues either (i can see some potential issues, but not privacy). Here's a trick my dad taught me, works well in these situations.

Say to the people who say "there's issues": I am sorry, I am not as familiar with those as you are, it seems. So that I can learn, can you please provide me the documents/laws/polciies/handbooks/guides, so i can see them myself and be better educated.

SureshD
Posts: 268

Posted:

Doubtful that there is anything wrong at the federal level as Fla. allows "electronic" notification of meetings.

This is cut/paste from Fla. Statues [720] regarding meeting notices:

"...The bylaws or amended bylaws may provide for giving notice by electronic transmission in a manner authorized by law for meetings of the board of directors, committee meetings requiring notice under this section, and annual and special meetings of the members; however, a member must consent in writing to receiving notice by electronic transmission."

MaryA1 (Arizona)
Posts: 7,043

Posted:

Bill,

I see nothing wrong with this. If there even is a privacy issue it would only arise if the email addressess were being given to members of the assn. This can be prevented by using the BCC (blind copy) function on the emails being sent.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,059

Posted:

Bill,

I agree with Mary, as long as the addresses aren't published when sending the e-mails there shouldn't be an issue. I suspect that you would work it similar to my Churches prayer chain. Residents wanting e-mail sent send it to one person who has access to the list. This one person then sends out a group e-mail with all addresses as bcc so none are visible.

Tim

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Bill, We build email groups of those members who agree to be included. Emails are sent by blind copy. One must always be careful to protect information.

DeborahB6 (New York)
Posts: 34

Posted:

Bill,

If homeowners are freely giving their email addresses for the purpose of obtaining Association information, I don’t see an issue either... as long as the email list is kept confidential. What a good way to have ongoing communication with community members!

Deborah

SteveM9 (Massachusetts)
Posts: 3,699

Posted:

Quote:

...want to expand this to include community service things like lost and found, announcements of death of residents

You could let the people who signed up for the list vote on it. Use one of the many free web sites to take a YES or NO poll.

http://wufoo.com/
http://polldaddy.com/

I prefer google docs. It can do voting through email or a web page form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzgaUOW6GIs&feature=related

The problem I see with expanding it without their permission is..... if people feel they are being spammed by these unwanted emails and start labeling it as spam, they wont get any email from your HOA.

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