How hard is it to prove defamation or slander in a small claims court?
I was in a class action lawsuit in a HOA and I understand the board members cannot be held liable. We do not have a property management company. Our board consist of seven volunteers. Long story short, instead of giving money back to the class members, it was decided to put the money aside and use for our private roads and ditches that are in desperate need of repair. I live in a small community of 450 homes and 1 acre lots. We have a bully for a president and he controls everybody’s opinion on the board. Yesterday he posted on a community website the statement: this is rich coming from a couple who have lived here for many years and have done nothing productive for the HOA. The only thing they have accomplished is to join the contractor lawsuit against the HOA resulting charge of $150,000 in attorney fee could’ve paid a mile of road or fixed and cleaned out a couple miles of ditches for stormwater. Speaking for myself I have done more for this HOA just today than they have done in 25 years. They are happy when they are sewing discontent or spewing conspiracy theories about how corrupt the current Board of Directors are. Listen to them if you must but whenever they post anything on here or their Facebook page know it’s to cause grief about things they have no idea about. Everything in the statement is false. I’ve only lived in the community since 2021. The lawsuit took three years and I never spoke to board members or residents because of the length they lost it. I’m very professional and keep my letters professional, asking questions that any resident in here would ask the Board of Directors.
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Here is how I understand it: This looks like a potential defamation case (more specifically, slander) because the HOA president made a public verbal/post statement accusing you of things that you claim are false and harmful to your reputation. Since slander is harder to prove than libel (written defamation), the key legal issues would be whether the statements were false, whether they were presented as fact (not just opinion), and whether they caused actual reputational or emotional harm.
In small claims court, you'd have to prove damages clearly and show that the statements weren't just rude or annoying, but defamatory and made with reckless disregard for the truth. The situation is also complicated by the fact that this is a community setting, and your involvement in the HOA lawsuit might make them claim it’s “public interest,” which triggers additional legal standards.
Here is the answer generally to your question: You asked how hard it is to prove slander and it's pretty tough, especially in small claims court where discovery is limited. You also asked whether a cease and desist letter is worth doing, and yes, that’s often a smart, low-cost first step. Their response seems to be that the president was "speaking for himself" and posting personal opinions, which complicates proving it was a defamatory "fact" unless you can show he knowingly posted falsehoods.
Here is the more detailed response and what you need to do: You can absolutely send a cease and desist letter. This puts them on notice, makes it clear you’re not going to tolerate defamation, and sets you up for legal remedies if it continues. Keep the letter professional but firm. You can even add that further defamatory posts may result in legal action, including a small claims filing.
A cease and desist letter is basically like a "stop it now and don't do it anymore" letter. You might want to talk to the HOA in writing to ask for a formal response. Ask them to confirm whether the newsletter and posts represent the board’s views or just the president’s personal opinions. This forces them to draw a line, and if they support him, it may open the door to a broader claim against the HOA itself, not just the individual.
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Wondering how hard is it to prove slander as I would be interested in a small claims court to keep costs down — may be interested in a letter saying stop — long story would need more space most likely to share entire story
Lexi, Chatbot
I understand your concern about proving slander. Have you already gathered any evidence to support your claim?
I don't know
Lexi, Chatbot
Can you provide a brief overview of the situation that led to the alleged slander?
I was in a class action lawsuit in a HOA and I understand the board members cannot be held liable. We do not have a property management company. Our board consist of seven volunteers. Long story short, instead of giving money back to the class members, it was decided to put the money aside and use for our private roads and ditches that are in desperate need of repair. I live in a small community of 450 homes and 1 acre lots. We have a bully for a president and he controls everybody’s opinion on the board. Yesterday he posted on a community website the statement: this is rich coming from a couple who have lived here for many years and have done nothing productive for the HOA. The only thing they have accomplished is to join the contractor lawsuit against the HOA resulting charge of $150,000 in attorney fee could’ve paid a mile of road or fixed and cleaned out a couple miles of ditches for stormwater. Speaking for myself I have done more for this HOA just today than they have done in 25 years. They are happy when they are sewing discontent or spewing conspiracy theories about how corrupt the current Board of Directors are. Listen to them if you must but whenever they post anything on here or their Facebook page know it’s to cause grief about things they have no idea about. Everything in the statement is false. I’ve only lived in the community since 2021. The lawsuit took three years and I never spoke to board members or residents because of the length they lost it. I’m very professional and keep my letters professional, asking questions that any resident in here would ask the Board of Directors.
Legal Eagle
Is there anything else the lawyer should know before I connect you? Rest assured they’ll be able to help with slander.
Yes.
Legal Eagle
Hello! Legal Eagle here, and I am an attorney specializing in your area of law. I am more than happy to help you with your situation!
Have you had any prior interactions with the board or the president regarding these issues before the statement was made?
I also asked — we had a board member step off the board 9 months ago — the residents were not informed.
Legal Eagle
Understood! Now that I have this info, what is your legal question for me?
That’s pretty much it. He makes sure every monthly newsletter my name is in it regarding the lawsuit. He points it out every single month, but he doesn’t tell the truth. He posts the settlement, but he won’t post the actual lawsuit.
Legal Eagle
Here is how I understand it: This looks like a potential defamation case (more specifically, slander) because the HOA president made a public verbal/post statement accusing you of things that you claim are false and harmful to your reputation. Since slander is harder to prove than libel (written defamation), the key legal issues would be whether the statements were false, whether they were presented as fact (not just opinion), and whether they caused actual reputational or emotional harm.
In small claims court, you'd have to prove damages clearly and show that the statements weren't just rude or annoying, but defamatory and made with reckless disregard for the truth. The situation is also complicated by the fact that this is a community setting, and your involvement in the HOA lawsuit might make them claim it’s “public interest,” which triggers additional legal standards.
Here is the answer generally to your question: You asked how hard it is to prove slander and it's pretty tough, especially in small claims court where discovery is limited. You also asked whether a cease and desist letter is worth doing, and yes, that’s often a smart, low-cost first step. Their response seems to be that the president was "speaking for himself" and posting personal opinions, which complicates proving it was a defamatory "fact" unless you can show he knowingly posted falsehoods.
Here is the more detailed response and what you need to do: You can absolutely send a cease and desist letter. This puts them on notice, makes it clear you’re not going to tolerate defamation, and sets you up for legal remedies if it continues. Keep the letter professional but firm. You can even add that further defamatory posts may result in legal action, including a small claims filing.
A cease and desist letter is basically like a "stop it now and don't do it anymore" letter. You might want to talk to the HOA in writing to ask for a formal response. Ask them to confirm whether the newsletter and posts represent the board’s views or just the president’s personal opinions. This forces them to draw a line, and if they support him, it may open the door to a broader claim against the HOA itself, not just the individual.
Legal Eagle
Does that help clarify things? I want to make sure I didn’t leave anything out.
Legal Eagle
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