Terms of Service

By creating an account on Common Elements (“CE,” “the platform,” “we,”) or by visiting the site, you agree to these Terms. If you don’t agree, please don’t use the platform. If you’re using CE on behalf of an organization (a homeowners association, condominium association, management company, vendor business, law firm, insurance agency), you represent that you have authority to bind that organization to these Terms.

You’re responsible for safeguarding your password and any actions taken under your account. Notify us promptly at security@commonelements.com if you suspect your account has been compromised. You must be at least 18 years old to use Common Elements.

You agree not to:

• Misrepresent your role, organization, or credentials. False statements on the verification surface or directory profile are grounds for immediate termination.
• Submit RFPs, proposals, or reviews that you don’t intend to honor in good faith. The platform is a tool for actual commercial activity, not a solicitation channel.
• Use the platform to harass, defame, or threaten any user. The forum is a professional space.
• Scrape, enumerate, or harvest data about users, organizations, or RFPs outside the explicit product surface.
• Reverse-engineer, probe for vulnerabilities, or attempt to bypass authentication, authorization, or rate limits.
• Use the platform in violation of applicable law, including statutes governing community associations in your state.

Common Elements verifies certain credentials (LCAM, state-issued contractor licenses, attorney bar admissions, insurance licenses, organizational ownership). Verification chips reflect the credentials we’ve confirmed at a point in time. They are not endorsements, recommendations, or warranties of fitness for any specific engagement. You remain responsible for the diligence appropriate to your role — boards, managers, and counsel should verify credentials at the source for any engagement that warrants it.

Common Elements is a workflow platform, not a party to any agreement between a posting organization and a vendor. Conversations, proposals, and acceptance decisions you record on the platform document the relationship — they don’t replace the contract between you and the counterparty. The binding agreement is whatever the parties sign outside CE (purchase order, services contract, retainer letter).

You retain ownership of content you post (forum posts, RFP drafts, proposals, reviews, messages, profile content). You grant Common Elements a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to host, display, and transmit that content as needed to operate the platform. You agree not to post content that infringes another party’s rights or violates applicable law.

The Common Elements name, logo, and platform design are our intellectual property. Use them outside the product without our written permission only as fair use permits.

Our handling of your data is described in the Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Common Elements is in pilot. Boards, management companies, and verified vendors use the core platform free of charge during this period. Paid tiers may be introduced after pilot; we’ll notify you in advance and never auto-charge an account that hasn’t explicitly opted into a paid plan.

You may close your account at any time from the settings page or by emailing hello@commonelements.com. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms — typically after warning, immediately for severe violations (fraud, security threats, harassment).

Common Elements is provided “as is.” To the fullest extent allowed by law, we disclaim implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. The platform is informational and operational tooling — it is not legal, accounting, insurance, or professional advice for any specific situation.

To the extent allowed by law, our aggregate liability for any claim arising out of these Terms or your use of the platform is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim or (b) US $100. We aren’t liable for indirect, consequential, or incidental damages.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising under these Terms is subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

We may update these Terms as the platform evolves. Material changes are announced via in-app notification and email at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

Questions about these Terms? Email hello@commonelements.com.