Introduction
The Methuen Lake Cottage Association (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.
Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of personal information:
Account Information: When you register as a member, we collect your name, email address, phone number, and cottage/property address. This information is necessary to manage your membership and provide access to member-only resources.
Contact Form Submissions: When you contact us through our website, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message so that we can respond to your enquiry.
Membership Renewals: When you submit a renewal application, we collect your contact details and any information required for membership processing.
User-Generated Content: Content you voluntarily submit such as marketplace listings, lost and found posts, photos uploaded to galleries, and book club contributions.
Technical Data: We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and pages visited. This information is used to maintain the security and performance of our website.
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to manage memberships and provide access to member-only areas of the website, to communicate with members about association news, events and activities, to respond to enquiries submitted through the contact form, to facilitate community features such as the marketplace, lost and found, and emergency contact lists, to maintain the security and proper functioning of our website, and to send email communications you have opted in to receive.
Information Sharing
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to outside parties. Your information may be shared in the following limited circumstances:
Within the Association: Contact information may be shared with the MLCA executive committee for legitimate association purposes. The emergency contact list is accessible only to registered members.
Service Providers: We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and conducting our affairs, provided they agree to keep this information confidential.
Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information where required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities.
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information. These include encrypted password storage, secure HTTPS connections, and access controls that restrict data to authorised users only. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Cookies
Our website uses session cookies that are essential for the functioning of the site, particularly for user authentication and maintaining your login session. These cookies are temporary and are deleted when you close your browser. We do not use tracking cookies or third-party advertising cookies.
Your Rights
You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, to request correction of any inaccurate information, to request deletion of your account and associated data, to withdraw consent for any optional communications, and to lodge a complaint with a relevant data protection authority. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.
Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy, or as required by law. When your membership ends, we may retain basic records for a reasonable period for administrative purposes before securely deleting them.
Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such information, we will take steps to delete it promptly.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us through our contact form.