Tag: social media

A homeowners association in Las Vegas is facing not just a staggering jury verdict in favor of the family of a teenager who was injured by playground equipment in the community, but also questions from confused members, some of whom feel misled.

In 2015, a swing set crossbar in the community’s common area fell on the 15-year-old boy’s head, causing permanent brain damage that will worsen over time. Court records show the association did not have a maintenance and inspection plan on their playground equipment.

A homeowners association in Las Vegas is facing not just a staggering jury verdict in favor of the family of a teenager who was injured by playground equipment in the community, but also questions from confused members, some of whom feel misled.

In 2015, a swing set crossbar in the community’s common area fell on the 15-year-old boy’s head, causing permanent brain damage that will worsen over time. Court records show the association did not have a maintenance and inspection plan on their playground equipment.

It seems as if drones—unmanned aerial vehicles without a human pilot aboard—have been increasingly in the news for their use by the military, commercial businesses, and private recreational users. The use of drones in combat has long been talked about, the retail giant Amazon has launched a new service that uses drones to deliver packages, and drones are common at parks and open spaces. 

By Andrea Brescia

More and more Americans are getting—and sending—their information through social media in real time: from politics and breaking news to sharing family photos and learning about events. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are the favored community forums for staying in the know. Facebook pages, Twitter streams, and even community-designed apps are popping up all over homeowners associations—sometimes both officially and unofficially.

Regardless of how well you manage a condominium building or planned community, inevitably, some homeowners will complain. Not everyone will agree on decisions that are made. And the way in which associations operate—homeowners live essentially under the rule of elected leaders—can breed resentment. Sometimes, complaints are well founded, but it’s not surprising that others are mean-spirited or have no basis in fact.

Regardless of how well you manage a condominium building or planned community, inevitably, some homeowners will complain. Not everyone will agree on decisions that are made. And the way in which associations operate—homeowners live essentially under the rule of elected leaders—can breed resentment. Sometimes, complaints are well founded, but it’s not surprising that others are mean-spirited or have no basis in fact.

Social media, email, and the Internet have vastly improved some aspects of business. Your association may have a website or use Facebook or Instagram to promote the benefits of living in the community or condominium building you manage or to post pictures of community events. But when employees spend work hours sending personal emails, going online to shop, or checking their social media channels, it leads to a decrease in productivity.

With the proliferation of social media, YouTube, and photo-sharing websites, it may seem like personal information is everywhere—and easy to get. But in an era of what some people call “oversharing,” association managers need to remember that members still are entitled to some measure of personal privacy. You could be faced at some point with a member’s request for a membership list. Prepare yourself for this request by having a plan for protecting the association when it divulges that information.

Misuse of social media by management staff and members of the community you manage can lead to liability for your company and bad publicity for the association. You don’t have to let social media run amok. A two-step plan can help you use social media in your favor:

While social media can be used to positively promote your management company and the associations it manages, there are also two inherent dangers in this type of communication. First, social media may be used improperly by your employees, leading to liability for the company. Second, the association’s members may use it as an outlet for complaints, leaving the board and manager to undo the damage—undesirable impressions of the community that negative comments have created.