When Neighboars tange Online The Best

On two Brooklyn cooperatives, for example, people who are not satisfied have launched a publicly accessible websites critical of the board members and how they are managed buildings. In response, members of the board on both buildings have filed defamation lawsuits against shareholders.

When such disputes leave the building, even people who have nothing to do with the board or website can be affected. If the public reputation damaged buildings, property values may suffer. Buyers may reconsider making a bid if a cursory web search appears catalog of suffering and misfortune.

"Social media has given more people a platform to speak their minds, especially because they can do it behind closed doors - they do not have to deal with people who argue with them," said Stacey R. Patterson, an attorney representing the real estate and condominium cooperative in New York and New Jersey. "Between chat rooms and Facebook pages, you arrange anything and you can start a war.Photo

As moderator of a Google Group for the owner at the Edge in Brooklyn, Dennis Lin makes things civil. Emon Hassan credits for The New York Times

"This is just the start," said Dean M. Roberts, corporate counsel for Trump Village Section 4, the complex of 1,144 units in Coney Island, Brooklyn. "As the building is getting a web presence and people generally become more aware of the web, you will begin to fight dissidents on the Internet."

At Trump Village Section 4, the conflict between shareholders and management of the building went public three years ago when residents launched a website, TV4 States or TV4News.org. Last year, the building and Igor Oberman, who was then president of the council, sued Julia Bezvoleva and Inna Yeselson, along with seven other people who use a pseudonym, for defamation. Among the defendants John Doe is "Josef Stalin," who posted comments like, "Why do we let the dirty no good politician [sic] investment destroy us?" According to court documents.

In August, a judge decided that the case was already quite an achievement to proceed, rejecting the defense argument that board members are public figures. For public figures to sue for libel, he must prove that the critics know that the information was inaccurate and have malicious intent. Barriers to prove defamation is lower for citizens.

Village rump Section 4 was built in 1964 by Donald J. Trump's father, Fred C. Trump. Today, a three-bedroom apartment there sells for about $ 450,000, according to real estate agent who is familiar with the building.

Search the web for building and TV4News.org name soon appeared, with dozens of critical writing Mr. Oberman, who, like many residents, who came from the former Soviet Union.

One post questions such as the benefits of an article published in a bulletin of the building on the carnival was canceled. "The fact that this newspaper is completely controlled by Mr. Oberman reminiscent of communism," reads. "It makes us wonder, who use the communist KGB tactics?"

Mr. Oberman, critics say, running a complex with an iron hand. "I do not know what the problem is, but he just does not like people who disagree with him," said Eugene Ovsishcher, 45, resident of the village Trump who is not part of the lawsuit. Mr Ovsishcher successfully fought eviction suit a few years ago, triggered by the need for emotional support dogs, Shih Tzu, when the complex is prohibited pets.

Department of Housing and Urban Development stepped into the fray in January, charging Mr. Oberman and Trump Village Section 4 with discrimination against Mr. Ovsishcher and his wife. The case has since been referred to federal prosecutors.

Mr. Oberman said the board has gone out of its way to comply with HUD rules. Board members have been through training and building HUD has changed policy to allow the pet to pet.

Although the language can be heated, TV4News not raise legitimate issues. Long post questioning the tactics of the election board, inspection rules and eviction policy. Jim Quinn, a lawyer representing the two defendants named, which denies involvement in the website, said he believes the lawsuit is intended to silence critics. "If you live in a building and you think that someone mishandling of the building," he said, "you'll want to talk about it."

Mr. Oberman states that criticism represents a handful of shareholders are not satisfied with his method, such as using drones to look for listed AC in the window. "Every time you try to enforce the rules you have lots of people who say it's not fair," he said. As for the election, he said, the board uses an outside vendor to handle the ballots.

In the past, if the people want to fight the board, they have to find a time and place to meet. But with a website, a neighbor who could be harmed sympathy 24/7.

"If someone is doing something wrong and you can share the experience with other people, you can talk yourself down from the ledge," said Justin W. Patchin, director of the Cyberbullying Research Center. "But there are also concerns of a mob mentality."

And sites can be misleading. A site filled with angry comments could represent the thoughts and opinions of dozens of citizens or it could be a platform for a loud sound.

"What do you do when Mrs. O'Leary, crazy cat lady in 5C, began installing the posts and you are trying to sell your apartment?" Said Mr Roberts. "It's hard to describe the truth of some of the things the Internet for comments crazy cat lady looks the same as the board president's comments."

These days, even the business review sites like Yelp filled with critical writing various apartment complexes. Some buildings play offense with the management-sanctioned chat room on platforms like BuildingLink.com.

Even the tamest of online forums can turn testy.

"You have a lot of keyboard warriors," said Douglas Lee, 33, a member of the Google Groups in Edge, a condominium in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

"We must remember that just because you read on the Internet does not mean that it does not hurt," said Sherry Turkle, author of "Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Speech in the Digital Age" (Penguin 2015). "Face-to-face conversation is work. Back to it is work, but the work that we know how to do it and it was a job worth doing."

For targeted online attacks, emotional fallout takes its toll. Friends, business associates and relatives often ask Mr. Oberman, 42, around TV4News, he said. Potential shareholders have asked about it in an interview board, he said.

"Being a punching bag is one thing," said Mr. Oberman, who resigned from his post as president of the board in June to take a paid position as property manager of the complex. "Being hung, four different and crucified."

Internet search of the name of Mr. Oberman attracted over TV4News first, followed by articles on the investigation HUD and $ 7,500 fines Mr. Oberman received last year from the city Conflicts The purpose of the Board for violations of campaign made when he ran for City Council fails. But Mr. Oberman, an interesting decision of the board, said other negative press does not carry the same personal sting. Website "basically said we were criminals and we cook the books," said Mr. Oberman. "I think it's very annoying."
Photo

A pier near the Edge, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where the field of upset members of the population Google Group. Emon Hassan credits for The New York Times

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Mr. Oberman said that because of the criticism, he plans to sell his three-bedroom and moved to Staten Island.

Brokers who sell at Trump Village 4 suspect fights have persuaded some buyers.

"I've had good sales there, but I could have a better sales? Can I have more buyers? I do not know," said John Cerrone, a salesman at Douglas Elliman. "To say that people openly express dissatisfaction and said that it can not have an effect, I think it was naive."

On the website of the 2800 Coyle Street, co-op in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, residents were divided into two groups:. "Bad Boys" "Good Guys" and

Topping the list of "bad guys" is Svetlana Marble, who became president of the board of the co-op for eight years and has two apartments in the building 157 units. He described the site as "a bitter woman who is upset that he has achieved nothing in life."

Content of the website, along with the email sent by the shareholders to the citizens and recipients outside, convinced Ms. Marble and two other board members to sue five shareholders named and two anonymous defendants for defamation in 2013.

"To become president, it's not easy," Ms. Marble, 69, said. "Believe me, it's not easy."

Judging by the website, hostility in the building ahead of Hurricane Sandy, which has a severe impact on 2800 Coyle Street, where peeling paint and crumbling plaster had not been repaired. And the damage caused by the storm escalate the situation that has been debated.

"This is a disaster, it's like a homeless shelter," says Vadim Germany, 54, accused in a libel suit, the ground floor apartments sustained $ 29,000 in damages from the storm.

Residents dissatisfied 2800 Coyle Street accused the management did not make the necessary repairs after a storm, compounding the old claims of corruption, mismanagement and engaged in a pattern of intimidation.

Alec Sauchik, co-op board of the company, argues that the real victim was a member of the board who has been repeatedly criticized and harassed for doing their jobs, including trying to make building repairs. "There is hunting lasted for nearly a decade by a small group of people who are basically trying to unseat the board," said Mr. Sauchik.

Mr German said he does not know who created the website. He said he wrote an important email from leadership. "If I call the company's president pirate, I do not know whether it is slander," he said. "If that is true, why slander?"

Mr Sauchik refused to say why his client believed the defendant created a website.

Not all online forums plunged into battle mode. On the Edge, condominium in Williamsburg, residents start a Google Group in 2011, a year after the building opened. Initially, they used an email listserv to vent about the challenges of living in new construction - How do you make a refrigerator stop chirping?

Residents do not have control over the condominium board (and still does), so that the forum provided space to discuss issues away from the supervision of the sponsor.

Dennis Lin, one of the original members, has been awarded almost since the beginning, read each email resident wrote. He never deleted the post, but he weighed when flare.

"Many times when I say, 'Let me find out more,' it calms everyone down," said Mr. Lin, which is 38 and works in the field of finance.

Now, the group has more than 600 members, all owners. Tenants can not join, nor can the residents of the affordable housing component of the Edge next door. Membership is by invitation from an existing member or former. Mr Lin agreed to a request to confirm ownership through city records.

Group members use to ask a neighbor to water their plants, to sell their goods and to organize parties. But it is also used to address the problem, giving members a platform to organize so that they have a greater voice in the building and the environment than they might otherwise.

When citizens have complaints about garages, said car scratched and slow, Lin collected photos and stories of incidents, providing 17 pages of evidence to the parking management company.

And when members disturbed by people making noise along the edge of the public in the evening, members of coordinated calls to 311 and collected photos from the events. Last year, Mr Lin, who is now a member of the board of condominiums and other buildings representatives met with members of the local City Council, Parks and Police of noise concerns.

Most members seem to understand that, in the complex where the penthouse was recently sold for $ 3,812,000, airing complaints can have consequences.

"People realize that although this is a private, invitation-only group, email the email and they can get passed on to anyone," said Mr. Lin. But in the end, the benefits outweigh the risks. "We are the people," he said. "We have a tremendous benefit by having this group."