Getting Your HOA's Records in Alabama

When an Alabama board won't explain where the money goes, the records usually hold the answer. Alabama's records framework depends on whether your HOA falls under the 2016 Act or operates under older law and the Nonprofit Corporation Act. For your specific situation, a licensed Alabama attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.

Post-2016 HOAs: 30 days under § 35-20-13

For HOAs created on or after January 1, 2016, the Alabama Homeowners' Association Act provides a defined records right:

"shall maintain records and information to be made available to each member or potential purchaser, upon written request, within a reasonable time not to exceed 30 days from the date of the request, and upon the payment of reasonable associated costs" — Ala. Code § 35-20-13

Two things stand out: the 30-day outer limit, and the express extension of the right to potential purchasers as well as current members.

Section 35-20-5 separately requires the organizational documents to provide for "full and complete financial records of the association available to any member at a reasonable time and place."

Older HOAs: the bylaws and the Nonprofit Corporation Law

If your HOA was created before January 1, 2016, the 2016 Act generally doesn't apply. Records access typically comes from two other places:

• The declaration and bylaws — many bylaws expressly give members inspection rights.
• The Alabama Nonprofit Corporation Law (§§ 10A-3-1.01 et seq.) — for HOAs incorporated as nonprofits, the corporate-law layer governs members' rights to inspect corporate records.

See Which Alabama Laws Govern Your HOA or Condo? for why the threshold question is so important.

What owners commonly request

People reviewing the association's books often look at:

• The annual budget, reserves, and financial statements
• Bank statements and vendor contracts
• The declaration, bylaws, adopted rules, and any fine schedule
• Meeting minutes and notices
• The current statement of any pending assessment

Records frequently feed other disputes — questioning a fine or a lien usually starts with the underlying documents.

"Reasonable costs"

The statute allows the association to charge a reasonable copying cost. A charge that functions as a barrier rather than a copying cost is something an owner can question.

If records are withheld

For post-2016 HOAs, § 35-20-13 makes records available on written request within 30 days — outright refusal or indefinite delay runs against the statute. Owners commonly put requests in writing (keeping a dated copy), and for unresolved refusals, consult a licensed Alabama attorney about enforcement.

Sources

• Ala. Code § 35-20-13 — Records
• Ala. Code § 35-20-5 — Organization; financial records
• Ala. Code Title 10A Chapter 3 — Alabama Nonprofit Corporation Law