Whether you want to bring the camera or are uncomfortable because someone else has, here's everything you need to know about videotaping condo, HOA and cooperative board meetings in Florida

While condominium and HOA members in Florida have the right to videotape board and membership meetings, cooperative owners can only videotape board meetings. However, this right is still subject to the reasonable rules and regulations of the board.

Why people want to record

Some feel that this is the only way to accurately capture what happens at a meeting, especially when the board does not provide timely or accurate minutes afterward. Others have abused this right and used it as a way to harass or annoy another community member, but this is the exception rather than the rule.

Privacy and security concerns

There are some privacy and security concerns that arise when these videos are posted to sites like YouTube and other public forums. Tapes of community meetings can reveal the names and faces of board members and other sensitive information. While boards can pass a rule stating that videotapes of meetings cannot be posted on social media and other public forums, enforcing the rule may prove difficult.

The ideal solution

Amending the statute would be the surest course of action against this kind of distribution because legislation would clarify how and where the recordings could be used. It would allow community members to have documentation of what the board said if their memory becomes cloudy or they do not routinely create accurate or timely minutes, but would prevent those records from going public.

In the meantime, however, a rule prohibiting the distribution of these videos on a public platform could be defended as a reasonable board rule.

Have a legal question about implementing or enforcing a rule regarding videorecording in your association meetings? Contact PeytonBolin's association attorneys today.