Condo Communications – Best To Put A Stamp On It!

V.C. from New London County, Connecticut writes:

Dear Mister Condo,

Is there a law that states that communications/letters must be mailed to unit owners if requested?  I generally hand deliver to each unit as we all live within a few hundred yards of each other.  One unit owner refuses to give her e-mail or phone number to the Board and won’t answer her door if we knock.  I e-mail communiqués to people who have e-mail and leave letters by homeowner’s doors for those who don’t. This homeowner says that the law requires us to mail letters.  My objection is the cost of the stamps/envelopes and time it takes to address and mail. Thanks for your help.

Mister Condo replies:

V.C., you would think that in this modern age of electronic communications most folks would prefer electronic to printed and mailed communications. However, that just isn’t true. And even if they did, unit owners do have the right to refuse to participate in electronic communication. I understand your desire to be frugal and save time by using your preferred method of electronic and hand-delivery of communications but your hold-out unit owner is correct that you must use mail delivery if requested which this homeowner is doing. To be clear, I am not an attorney so I am not giving you strict legal advice as to whether or not you are breaking any laws by not offering mailed communication. CIOA does allow for electronic communications but it does also require that unit owners be given an option to receive mailed communication if they prefer. My advice is to go ahead and mail this unit owner whatever communications are needed. Also, be sure that the balance of your unit owners has agreed to accept their communications electronically. You can do this with a simple form that the unit owners have signed indicating that they agree to receive their communication electronically.