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Amanda Bonnen Sued for Twitter Libel
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by Truemorist | July 29, 2009 at 09:31 am
2324 views | 7 Recommendations | 14 comments
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A single tweet has become the basis of a lawsuit. Amanda Bonnen posted a tweet to her twitter account (currently offline) complaining about mold in her apartment.
Horizon Group Management is now suing Amanda Bonnen for $50,000 as they breathlessly cry "defamation! Libel!"(The lawsuit pdf).
That Amanda Bonnen only had 20 followers, and now the whole world knows about the potential mold in the building was clearly not an outcome that Horizon Group Management considered, though I have no idea why they wouldn't have thought this through a bit more completely.
Lawsuits over tweets: it was really only a matter of time.
If you tweet "frivolous", you still have 131 characters left.
Horizon Group Management's complaint says the claim of mold is false — though it offers no evidence — and seeks $50,000 plus court costs.
It begs this question: What IS a tweet anyway? Is it really considered publishing?
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at 10:20 on July 29th, 2009
Better not tweet "Fire" in a crowded theater.
at 10:25 on July 29th, 2009
Horizon Group Management need to check the MOLD problem first. If the MOLD is really serious it's going to cost more for clean up and to relocate the tenant. Then suing for the 50,000
at 10:36 on July 29th, 2009
Jeffrey Michael, whose family has run Horizon for more than 25 years, said: "We're a sue first, ask questions later kind of an organization," he said, noting that the company manages 1,500 apartments in Chicago and has a good reputation it wants to preserve.
The original SunTimes article can be found http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1687436,CST-NWS-twitter28web.article
at 10:40 on July 29th, 2009
Gee, what if there is a fire in the theater??
The biggest problem I see for Horizon Group Management is that there is at least one other complaint about mold in their buildings published online. Therefore, unless they are willing to prove, with a preponderance of the evidence, that there has never been a mold problem in their buildings, then they couldn't possibly be "defamed" by the truth.
It sounds to me like they have just created a massive public relations problem for themselves. Now they appear, to me anyway, to be a "bully" company: one that, rather than just address a customer complaint in a rational way, decides to beat the crap out of the customer with a lawsuit.
My personal opinion is that such behavior is stupid ... stupid ... stupid. They took an opportunity to behave like a company that cares about it's customers, grabbed said opportunity by the neck, and strangled the life out of it. Then, they dug a shallow grave for it, dumped it in ... and walked away thinking they'd solved that problem.
at 10:59 on July 29th, 2009
The best defense in a libel case is the truth. All she will have to do is produce pictures of the alleged mold and the case will be thrown out. That a PR nightmare for the management company. They are not very smart for pushing this issue.
-Nick
at 13:34 on July 29th, 2009
Well…it’s one thing to say that your apartment has mold…quite another to say: “Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon realty thinks it's okay,” as the Sun-Times quotes Ms. Bonnen’s tweet as asserting.
I don’t disagree that the company is acting stupidly here—presuming that they actually desire to preserve their good reputation—but legally, I’m thinking they may well have a case. Does Ms. Bonnen truly possess persuasive evidence that Horizon believe it’s safe to rent moldy apartments? If not, then her post seems reckless, at best.
at 13:06 on July 29th, 2009
My IT Prof (90's) foretold these type of scenarios. Basically, privacy (or at the very least, the definition of) in a technology driven society will cease to exist. Ah, isn't technology a powerful thing.
at 13:34 on July 29th, 2009
Interesting lawsuit.
at 13:52 on July 29th, 2009
Real Property Management Colorado is suing for $100,000 in liable case.
at 17:11 on July 29th, 2009
this is absolutely ridiculous.... one Horizon has now nationally brought attention to their mold problem and two what is such a supposedly reputable company so worried about tweeting anyways. I am from where Amanda is from and i know that she has actual photos of this mold. I think maybe Horizon jumped into action too fast without learning the truth about their own problems within their properties`.
at 23:09 on July 30th, 2009
It doesn't matter weather the apartment had mold or not. The only thing that matters is that this is merely an opinion. "Moldy" is based on the opinion of the person. There could be no mold in the apartment, but the fact remains it is simply a perception. It's the same as saying an apartment is dirty. How do you prove that?
Second, there is no way to know what the the people at Horizon are thinking. So, that also falls under the category of opinion.
Slander and Libel only hold up if it is fact and not opinion.
at 09:23 on July 31st, 2009
IMHO, all she has to do is show some mold picks from the apartment. around the bath tub, under the sink, under the fridge, kitchen, a utility closet if there is a water heater.
maybe someone should read a couple of books by Jeffery C May.
i sure hope she took a few swabs of the mold and had it analyzed.
at 15:35 on August 5th, 2009
Really Horizon? You know you made this a bigger deal now that you are a sue first, ask questions later business.
at 19:31 on August 19th, 2009
I hope she succeeds in her cry for help. it is frustrating to be in a molded place and have all of your belongings ruined from mold contamination. I would say to the first person who thinks mold is not a problem....pray it does not happen to you or your family!!!!