Comments on: FREE SPEECH in HOA ELECTION – I Can Say Whatever I Want in My Candidate Statement! http://condolawguru.com/2009/12/free-speech-i-can-say-whatever-i-want-in-my-candidate-statement/ Condo Law & HOA Law for Boards & Owners Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:13:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Beth Grimm http://condolawguru.com/2009/12/free-speech-i-can-say-whatever-i-want-in-my-candidate-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-423 Beth Grimm Sat, 16 Jan 2010 21:42:25 +0000 http://condolawguru.com/?p=127#comment-423 You, and a lot of others, would like to slam management or the board in candidate's statements. I do not believe that kind of thing makes a candidate look very good. I think a candidate is better served by stating all of their <strong>good qualities</strong> and their positive intentions. Just take a look at the result of mud slinging in public elections - it brings the population down. I feel it is better for candidates to communicate their views about bad management or bad board actions in a direct communication from the owner to members, and only if they can back their statements up with real facts, not assumptions or personal dislikes. HOA owners have a right to receive a membership list with addresses, or a means of sending out a communication to owners. Sorry you were disappointed with an answer. My goal is to try and provide useful information, however, being there are different perspectives involved, it is easy to miss a point a reader would like to have heard more about, so thanks for the comment. You, and a lot of others, would like to slam management or the board in candidate’s statements. I do not believe that kind of thing makes a candidate look very good. I think a candidate is better served by stating all of their good qualities and their positive intentions. Just take a look at the result of mud slinging in public elections – it brings the population down.

I feel it is better for candidates to communicate their views about bad management or bad board actions in a direct communication from the owner to members, and only if they can back their statements up with real facts, not assumptions or personal dislikes. HOA owners have a right to receive a membership list with addresses, or a means of sending out a communication to owners. Sorry you were disappointed with an answer. My goal is to try and provide useful information, however, being there are different perspectives involved, it is easy to miss a point a reader would like to have heard more about, so thanks for the comment.

]]> By: Vanya (Matzek) http://condolawguru.com/2009/12/free-speech-i-can-say-whatever-i-want-in-my-candidate-statement/comment-page-1/#comment-402 Vanya (Matzek) Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:02:04 +0000 http://condolawguru.com/?p=127#comment-402 I was disappointed by the (curent) ending of your Q&A on FREE SPEECH in HOA ELECTION. The question mentioned two possible candidate assertions, but you addressed only one. I understand that a candidate should not be allowed to promote or detract from the election of another candidate, but I believe that a candidate should be able to declare in his or her statement a position on how the candidate would vote on hiring or firing a contractor, such as Management, Landscaping, or Security. What do you say on this issue? Would this free speech extend even to the firing of a specific employee of the Association? Early this year I was prepared to run for a Board set in order to advocate the replacement of our Management Company. By mid-year the Board beat me to it and did hire new Management. If that had not happened, I would have put DOWN WITH MANAGEMENT in my candadate statement. I was disappointed by the (curent) ending of your Q&A on FREE SPEECH in HOA ELECTION. The question mentioned two possible candidate assertions, but you addressed only one. I understand that a candidate should not be allowed to promote or detract from the election of another candidate, but I believe that a candidate should be able to declare in his or her statement a position on how the candidate would vote on hiring or firing a contractor, such as Management, Landscaping, or Security. What do you say on this issue? Would this free speech extend even to the firing of a specific employee of the Association?

Early this year I was prepared to run for a Board set in order to advocate the replacement of our Management Company. By mid-year the Board beat me to it and did hire new Management. If that had not happened, I would have put DOWN WITH MANAGEMENT in my candadate statement.

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