Got asked a question I couldn't answer at a community Q&A in my town hall

I was volunteering at our local 'Ask Anything' night at the Springfield library last week. A guy stood up and asked for the exact legal steps to fight a property line dispute with his neighbor. I froze because I'm not a lawyer, just a guy helping run the event. I told him honestly I didn't know, but I wrote his contact info down and promised to find a free legal clinic resource for him. It felt bad in the moment, like I failed the whole point of the night. But later, I emailed him a link to the county's mediation service website. Should I have tried to give a general answer anyway, or was admitting I didn't know the right move for this kind of forum?

3 comments

3 Comments

emery19916h ago

Honestly used to think you had to have an answer for everything at those events. Saw a guy at a PTA meeting once try to bluff his way through a zoning question and gave totally wrong advice that caused real problems. What you did was way better. Getting the right resource, even if it takes a day, beats giving a wrong answer in the moment. That follow-up email is what actually helped him.

ward.jamie11h ago

Exactly, that follow-up email is what actually helped.

mark_mitchell12h ago

Learned the same lesson when a neighbor asked me about tree trimming laws. Told him I'd check and got back with the city's actual permit page the next day.