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In my effort to get people to behave considerately here and to get our block run properly, I sent a very polite email to a couple of the Executive Committee and was told in no uncertain terms it was an invasion of privacy having their email address and emailing them ('Who gave it to me?' they demanded) and I need to do all this through the Strata Manager who is nicknamed 'Fob-off Fred'.
The committee behave in a mildly intimidating or bullying fashion and their identities are not widely known. I came by their email addressees quite innocently and thought it would be another good way to try to get things fixed here.
Am I in the wrong?
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Let me turn that question around. Why would they want to be on the Executive Committee if they don't want anyone to contact them (by the least intrusive and most anonymous means there is)? Put a motion up at your next AGM that all EC members will display their names and either email address or apartment number on the EC minutes and/or the notice board of the building.
If they don't want anyone to contact them then they are obviously on the EC for their own benefit and no one else's and they need to get off and let more community minded people on board.
Sending someone an email in their capacity as a fellow member of the Owners Corporation is not a breach of privacy. Sending their phone number to all and sundry would be. They need to ask themselves why they stood for election in the first place.
The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.
We have an information booklet in a loose leaf binder in each unit (townhouse). The first page is changed each year and has, among other things, the name, unit number, phone number and email addresses of each executive committee member and their role (chair, treasurer, community fire unit chief, 'cluster reps' (we have units arranged in 5 clusters and try to get an EC member from each cluster, not alway successfully). Owners regularly email us on diverse matters. Some are more polite than others, as might be expected!
As an EC member and secretary of our OC, I can't see why anyone on the EC should be upset at a resident or owner contacting them. Isn't that our job as EC members?
I'm regularly emailed or otherwise contacted by unit owners. It's not hard to redirect people to the strata manager when necessary.
Our EC members' names and unit numbers are usually listed on the noticeboards (2 buildings in complex). We also invite residents to contact us via the secretary's mailbox. From time to time we update our list of email and other contacts for residents and owners, so that we can keep people informed about what's going on.
I like PeterC's suggestion of the regularly updated information folder… though at the moment I'd be happy to ensure that EC members have something similar to help them do their job(s) properly.
I am on our EC and I am surprised that people don't contact us. Recently the EC was “attacked” at an EGM when we were informed that we hadn't fixed someones balcony because of termite damage. When we asked if they had contacted us, they said no, because they didnt know how. We all live in the same complex and they have seen us when they are going to or coming home from work.
If you find someones email address on the EC and if you have an EC problem, then you are in your rights to contact them.
We are currently in the process of trying to set up a central webpage/portal with email addresses for the different groups (EC, Owners, Strata and EC, etc…) so that people can contact us. This may solve the issue for your EC people, who may not want to give out their personal email address, but can be contacted by email if needed….
This Broncos17 said:
I am on our EC and I am surprised that people don't contact us. Recently the EC was “attacked” at an EGM …
Sadly, that is the pattern for us-some are more willing to communicate than others but it is always the EC's fault for 'poor communication'. We even were accused of poor communication when we recently called an information evening meeting so that we could communicate a complex issue just about as soon as possible after it happened, with an invited expert to explain and answer questions!
We have some accommodating, understanding and appreciative owners who will diligently, helpfully and reasonably get in touch about matters of interest or concern but many tend to be reluctant to bother the EC. Then we have some frequent communicators who (if not overtly complaining) always include a sarcastic sting in the tail of any superficially helpful comment to imply that the EC has in some way been negligent, fraudulent, partisan or worse.
You just have to be available for communication and keep spirits up by sharing the occasional bouquets around the committee.
We set up an email address for the EC. We advised owners/residents that general requests could be sent to this email address however but it was not a vehicle to give permission for any changes. Residents were advised that the SM was the main contact point. They were there 5 days a week, 9-5 whereas the members of the EC worked and were not contactable as often. Should an emergency occur, the SM had contact details to get an EC member (or two) immediately. We stressed to all owners the importance of communicating any problems that need attention in writing so as to have a record on which to act.
I was interested to read Broncos17's post were the EC were “attacked”. At each and every AGM owners complain that our EC didn't do this or that. However, there is no record that anyone has ever mentioned these problems to either the EC or the SM. One owner cornered me in the driveway to complain about an issue that had not been addressed. I asked when they had notified the SM or EC about it. They hadn't told anyone except me that day. Apparently those on the EC need to possess powers of ESP.
If our EC has to have their details “published” for all to see, then we definitely wouldn't have an EC at all (we only have one person on it these days). I would not like my phone number or email given out. It was bad enough that owners knew my unit number when I was on the EC. I had people coming to my door and wanting me to personally give them permission for work there and then (without consultation of knowledge to any other EC members, SM or checking that it was indeed an OC issue). So phone numbers and email as well! No thanks! And I would fully support anyone who, in the future, puts their hand up to be on the EC.
I believe going through the SM leaves a “official” paper trail. I have had owners put notes under my door (that went under the mat and were not found until another note asking why I hadn't replied!). Our SM follows up on whether we have made a decision on a matter that they have passed on to EC.
So totally agree with struggler and I think this issue has been gone over previously in another topic.
As a Committee member being very active in my building and in the past giving my details to residents with 'issues', I have had more than one resident knocking on my door mainly to abuse me and hold me personally responsible for Committee decisions not in their favour and such. My name then also ends up on any CTTT submissions rather than the EC. Awful! Very stressful, I would never in my life do anything that would have me involved in any type of legal action but just because I was acting on behalf of a committee I am!
There is also the fact that you may feel uncomfortable living in your home being a target from said individuals.
There is never any thanks when you may have resolved some issue for a resident after much use of your own time without pay! So totally over it! Our Committee has now resolved to have all communications go via the SM. So much better, responsibility is evened out. The SM acts on our behalf. We are consulted and we are able to prioritise issues. It does have a paper trail and also takes the “shoot the messenger” out of the equasion.
I hope the posters who would like all EC Members contact details available consider the flack taken by these volunteers.
Cheers,
CBF
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