Community associations are held hostage to rising prices. When prices go up, assessment increases soon follow. The recent postal stamp increases are no exception. The size of your association and amount of mailings during the year can really take a toll on the budget. Why not give your association a quick financial boost by sending electronic notices rather than paying for all those stamps? Electronic notices can be used for all sorts of official notices; however, there are a few prohibitions. In Chapter 718, governing condominium associations, and Chapter 719, governing cooperative associations, the word “electronic”, including variations such as “electronically”, appears 24 times, while in Chapter 720, only 17 times.
Both the Condominium and Cooperative Acts specifically authorize, legalize and legitimize bylaw provisions that provide for giving notice by electronic transmission whether as originally recorded or even by later amendment. The term “electronic transmission” can refer to a facsimile and, just as easily, to an e-mail or any other transmission that, well, simply put, transmits to the intended recipient electronically. (How is that for circular logic?) With that in mind, the clever, cost-conscious association should start to gather its members’ e-mail addresses and consents for the association’s use of e-mail for meeting notices.
E-mail can be utilized for notice of membership meetings, board meetings and even committee meetings. It can be used for election notices, too. In order for an association to notice by e-mail, the association’s bylaws must provide for providing meeting notices electronically and each member must specifically consent, in advance. Take a look at your association’s bylaws to see if your association is already authorized to start gathering its members’ consents to receive e-mail notices. If it is not already there, then talk to your association’s lawyer about amending the bylaws to include this simple cost saving solution and protection against rising postal costs.
Condominium, homeowner and cooperative associations are responsible to maintain the e-mail addresses and facsimile numbers of unit owners consenting to receive notice by electronic transmission.
The e-mail addresses and facsimile numbers of the association’s members are not accessible to the association’s other members if the member whose e-mail address or facsimile address did not consent to receive notice by electronic transmission. The association would be advised to obtain such consent in writing.
The Condominium, Homeowner and Cooperative Association Acts provide that an association may print and distribute to parcel owners a directory containing the name, parcel address and telephone number of each parcel owner and that any owner can exclude his or her telephone number from the directory by so requesting, in writing, to the association. Oddly, e-mail addresses are not mentioned which can be remedied through a bylaw amendment that specifically provides that the directory can include e-mail addresses of those members who consent to receive their association notices electronically unless advised, in writing, by the owner, to the contrary.
On the bright side, the association is not liable for an inadvertent disclosure of the e-mail address or facsimile number for receiving electronic transmission of notices.
Neither facsimile nor e-mail can be used as a method of giving notice of a recall meeting. In addition, electronic notices cannot be used by condominium associations that previously voted to forego retrofitting, when the unit owners next consider the issue.
To start your savings, check your association’s bylaws for the required authorization and start gathering those e-mail addresses. It’s good for the environment, too!