Many people have watched the prosecution of George Zimmerman and the recent not guilty verdict. For Mr. Zimmerman’s past neighbors, however, a much more intimate lawsuit was resolved in April 2013. George Zimmerman lived in a community association (HOA). After Mr. Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin, Trayvon’s family filed a lawsuit against the HOA. Hopefully there was insurance coverage for the HOA, but either with our without insurance, a lawsuit against the HOA can be a very stressful process. The case was settled in a confidential settlement in April 2013 and we think it is safe to assume that some payment was made to Trayvon’s family.
This incident highlights the serious legal issues involved in community associatoin neighborhood watch programs and with any sort of self policing of associations. Morris Sperry is pleased to post on our website a helpful overview of HOA neighborhood watch programs provided by Beat Koszinowski of the Buckner Company. Go to the Resources tab of this website and look under Articles for the Neighborhood Watch article. At a minimum, any community association considering a neighborhood watch program should talk both to their legal counsel and their insurance agent.