I'm a Neighborhood Watch 'Block Captain'.

[yardwork]

11. Some members of the HOA spoke in support of Zimmerman at first. They've gone quiet.

The HOA may be legally liable for Zimmerman's actions, since he was a volunteer and apparently they knew it. See this article:

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/experts-warn-homeowners-associations-of-perils-of-using-volunteer-security/1221352

The killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watchman in Sanford should be a cautionary tale for homeowners associations, experts say.

The circumstances — a volunteer watchman carrying a gun, and questions over whether he did enough to avoid shooting the unarmed teenager — could put the homeowners association where the incident took place in legal hot water.

And in many cases like this one, the residents don't know they could be liable until a tragedy occurs, when they find out that their homeowners association only carries insurance for directors and board officers, not volunteers who patrol streets or maintain common areas.

"There are ripple effects on everybody in a community," said Donna DiMaggio Berger, a managing partner with the statewide law firm of Katzman Garfinkel & Berger, which represents more than 2,000 homeowners associations. If volunteers take matters into their own hands, "the association is going to get sued."


The article goes on to say that Trayvon's Martin has not sued the homeowner's association, but more legal and HOA management experts are quoted as saying that they may have grounds to do so, especially if the HOA board knew that he carried a weapon.