At issue was the use of Facebook email or other email service like Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc to communicate information to the HOA or its representative to the community and the lack of contact email or phone numbers for our board members.
Are these email communications official communications?
Several examples were sought from local Yelm HOA's . In fact, all of the local Yelm HOA's cited as examples, offer some type of electronic communication or phone number contact with its board members for community members - and the extended community.
In February of 2012, it finally appeared that TWO board members revealed email addresses and a board member indicated that an official board email address was underway. All good news!
The official website lists members of the board as contacts, but no contact information is given and official communications policy's are not communicated to the membership. Nothing is stated officially by the HOA to the community concerning its official policy of electronic communications OR the official policy of communications from a member of the community to a specific board contact.
How can community members be certain that questions are forwarded to the appropriate board members?
What does the HOA do with email it receives from community members?
Are electronic communications regarded as official communication both to and from the HOA?
How does the HOA handle property standards complaints or questions from the community by email?What I have found is that the majority of information in Washington state Homeowners Association Law is absent surrounding the use of email. Common sense dictates that if the official HOA website offers an email address, then email received would be considered OFFICIAL communication as well as email sent from the HOA. This is why allowing a board member to utilize private email IS NOT RECOMMENDED - all emails received at that private email address would be subject to legal scrutiny.
Washington's Community Association Institute offers a little advice on how an HOA may use email for community news, events, or even conducting board meetings and board actions by email. Much information is left out of this advice concerning the best practices in forming an electronic communication policy or formalizing a general office communication procedure, outside of a written formal complaint. I hope that the new board email address, will be able to formalize some type of communication for the community.
Here are other articles on email and HOA's.
Should Your HOA Use Email? AND Email Board Business - HOA Community Solutions, "Provide helpful information for individuals trying to improve their single-family, planned residential community experience."
Proper Protocol for a Board’s Use of Emails - Condo and HOA Law
How to Protect a Board's Personal Emails - HOA Brief
Association Records: Navigating the Electronic "Paper" Trail -Colorado Homeowners Association Law AND Email & Governance: A Good Fit?(This blog offered what I believed to be the best advice to HOA's so far as recommending an official email policy.)
