Chicago’s Horizon Realty Group Sues Woman For $50,000 Over A Tweet
Jul 28th, 2009 | By James Lewin | Category: General, Microblogging
Chicago’s Horizon Realty, a property management company, filed a $50,000 libel lawsuit Monday against a former tenant, Amanda Bonnen, over one of her alleged Twitter posts.
Horizon argues that Bonnen libeled the company with her May 12th tweet, which read in part “Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon Realty thinks it’s okay.”
Bonnen’s alleged twitter account, abonnen, is no longer active. But, based on information in Google’s cache, it appears that Bonnen had 22 followers.
“The statements are obviously false, and it’s our intention to prove that,” said Horizon’s Jeffrey Michael. “We’re a sue first, ask questions later kind of an organization.” Michael added that the company has a “good reputation it wants to preserve.”
Sue First, Ask Questions Later
Horizon may be breaking new ground in public relations with its response.
By suing Bonnen for $50,000 over a tweet that was probably seen by a fraction of abonnen’s 22 followers, the company is bringing Bonnen’s complaint to tens of thousands of readers on Twitter, in blogs and in news stories that the situation will generate.
Instead of preserving the company’s “good reputation”, Horizon Realty is establishing itself as a “sue first, ask questions later” kind of company.
The kind of company that will sue you for $50,000 if you have something bad to say about one of their apartments.
If Horizon’s lawsuit goes forward, fixing the damage it will do to the company’s reputation will take a lot more than $50,000.
Horizon’s response looks like a textbook case of what not to do when faced with a new media PR problem. What do you think the right response would have been?
Update: Horizon has responded to the controversy over the lawsuit, saying that their lawsuit was part of their response to a class action lawsuit filed by Ms. Bonnen. (pdf)
Horizon Realty is now the top search result for Twitter lawsuit in Google.
Amanda Bonnen’s Twitter stream (Google cache) shows that Horizon was one of many targets of her complaints:
- Top five of worst flights ever. Never again spirit air.3:45 PM Jul 9th from mobile web
- All of these people eating McDonalds is making me want to hurl.12:28 PM Jul 9th from mobile web
- I can tell im on the right flight for fort meyers, the average age tends to be about 70.12:09 PM Jul 9th from mobile web
- Damn you Ohare and your 2hr security lines.11:25 AM Jul 9th from mobile web
- Whoever designed the train with the bi-fold doors was a duche.4:30 PM Jul 2nd from mobile web
[...] Chicago Realty Group Sues Woman For $50,000 Over A Tweet – Chicago’s Horizon Realty, a property management company, filed a $50,000 libel lawsuit Monday against a former tenant, Amanda Bonnen, over one of her alleged Twitter posts. [...]
[...] came across a post on Podcasting News about how Horizon Realty, a property management company, filed a $50,000 libel lawsuit Monday [...]
I don’t think Horizon Reality is doing the right thing! I mean its way to harsh.
I was ranting all morning about it and I put some of it down in words.
http://yovia.com/blogs/lgrenville/2009/07/29/twitter-libel-or-freedom-of-speech/
Is everyone missing the point here? The Twitter suit *IS* a counter-suit. Bonnen STARTED this, by suing Horizon for something that every other tenant in her complex felt was resolved.
This isn’t about Freedom of Speech, it’s about one woman, who, by all things I’ve seen, is never happy about anything, filed a frivolous lawsuit, and is being counter-sued on principle, pretty common.
Don’t use ONE ARTICLE to form your opinion.
Jeffrey Michael – horizon realty group – jmichael@horizonrealtygroup.com
4242 N. Sheridan Road #120 – Chicago, IL60613 – 773-529-7200
RAISE HELL – CONTACT FOR FUN – RAISE HELL(O) – PUBLISH AND MAKE A STINK!!!
OH YEAH!!
Horizon better change their name and change their business practices if they want to continue in business.
[...] Horizon Realty Group must want Googlers to find that they are a sue first ask questions last kind of company; I’m certainly glad to help! [...]
Dear Horizon:
Nice to know you are a sue first and ask questions later kind of company.
What exactly did you expect to accomplish with your lawsuit? Bully others into not tweeting bad things about your company should they find sub-standard suites that are full of mold and bed bugs? Boost your Google ranking?
You have now seen the awesome power of Twitter. You COULD have been using it to BOOST your image but it is kind of late for that now.
I wonder how many university and college students were considering renting from you who may have changed their mind. I can’t help but wonder how a story like this would spread through a college campus. Classes start soon you know.
Cheers!
[...] La comunidad twitter ardió con la noticia, los noticieros la captaron, la empresa salió con declaraciones que no hicieron mejor las cosas: “nuestra polÃtica es demandar primero, preguntar después”. no se la acabaron en [...]
Why take this to court when you can settle the case at AllRise.com – An online community court room.
Just enter click on the case link http://www.allrise.com/cases/Chicago_Realty_Group-vs-Amanda_Bonnen/208
Debate over it, and cast your vote to influence the real verdict.
[...] Yes the dangers are real. But apparently these dangers extend beyond mere physical health. In case you’ve been hiding in a hole I invite you to find out about Amanda Bonner and Horizon Realty. [...]
I am a tenant of Horizon Realty Group. I can tell you first hand that there is no mold in these apartments. While it may be a little over kill to have sued Bonnen because it is a much bigger problem now than it would have been otherwise, if she made a false claim- they have every right to sue her.
Besides, if you look at some of her past tweets you can see that she complained about everything. If you ask me, someone that pissed off had it coming.
As for everyone saying they wouldn’t rent for horizon now- don’t believe everything you read. Most of the news articles fail to include that horizon is suing Bonnen as a counter suite. She filed a suite on them earlier. Learn to read morons!
Also, FYI: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/breaking-tweets-chicago/2009/07/horizon-realty-issues-press-release-regarding-twitter-lawsuit.html
[...] other bloggers started talking about it too. In fact, my friend Sonia Simone, writing at Internet [...]
[...] La comunidad twitter ardió con la noticia, los noticieros la captaron, la empresa salió con declaraciones que no hicieron mejor las cosas: “nuestra polÃtica es demandar primero, preguntar después”. no se la acabaron en [...]
[...] Chicago Realty Group Sues Woman For $50,000 Over A Tweet [...]
“Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon Realty thinks it’s okay.â€
is not the same as “My apartment is moldy.”
I’ve been a member of the dev program for over a year and still have yet to produce an app, maybe it’s development writer block
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