Permanent ban from a local Facebook group for asking a simple question

Got myself banned from a neighborhood Facebook group in Austin last month. I asked why the HOA board voted to spend $12,000 on new landscaping when the pool equipment is 15 years old and failing. The admin messaged me saying I was 'creating division' and muted me for 30 days, then when I replied asking which rule I broke, they perma-banned me. Has anyone else run into admins who just don't like being questioned and ban you for it?

2 comments

2 Comments

richardknight1mo ago

Not gonna lie, I read your post and I see it a little different. You said the admin said you were "creating division" and honestly, that sounds like they thought you were stirring up trouble on purpose. Maybe they've dealt with a ton of HOA drama before and just snapped. I'm not saying banning you was right, but sometimes people run groups as a hobby and don't have the patience for debates, even fair ones. If you really wanted answers, going straight to the board members or a city office might have worked better than airing it in a public group. That's just how those groups work sometimes, you know?

oliver_mitchell1mo ago

Not gonna lie, I used to be on the admin's side in situations like this. I figured anyone getting banned probably pushed too hard or said something wrong. But hearing your take on it, especially the part about going to board members directly, actually flipped a switch for me. I guess I never considered that the admin might just be bad at handling any disagreement at all, not just fights. So while I still think posting in a public group gets faster answers, I get now why that can backfire if the mods don't have the right mindset. Have you ever seen an admin actually apologize after banning someone for a debate like this?