Records & TransparencyAR
Getting Your HOA's Records in Arkansas
By The HOARebel Team · May 28, 2026 · 2 min read
When an Arkansas board won't explain where the money goes, the records usually hold the answer. Arkansas's records framework depends on whether your community is under the Horizontal Property Act and whether the HOA is incorporated as a nonprofit. For your specific situation, a licensed Arkansas attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
The HPA is light on records
Arkansas's Horizontal Property Act (Ark. Code §§ 18-13-101 to 18-13-120), where it applies, is concise. It does not lay out a detailed records-access timeline or a comprehensive list of records the association must produce on request. That isn't unusual for older condominium-style statutes — but it means the records framework Arkansas owners actually rely on usually comes from elsewhere.
For incorporated HOAs: the Nonprofit Corporation Act of 1993
Most Arkansas HOAs are incorporated as nonprofits under the Arkansas Nonprofit Corporation Act of 1993 (Ark. Code § 4-33). That layer supplies member rights to inspect corporate records — books of account, minutes, and similar — subject to the conditions the Act imposes. For HOAs incorporated as nonprofits after December 31, 1993, this is the principal records framework.
So the practical records framework in Arkansas is layered: the HPA where it applies, but for most disputes the Nonprofit Corporation Act + the bylaws do the heavy lifting.
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 / master deed, bylaws, adopted rules, and any fine schedule
- Board and member meeting minutes and notices
- The current statement of any pending assessment
Records frequently feed other disputes — questioning a fine or the assessment lien usually starts with the underlying documents.
For the recorded governing documents themselves
The recorded declaration / master deed is always available from the county recorder's office for the property. The bylaws, adopted rules, and fine schedule may or may not be recorded — those typically come from the association under the bylaws or the Nonprofit Corporation Act.
If records are withheld
For incorporated HOAs, the Nonprofit Corporation Act makes member inspection rights enforceable. Owners commonly put requests in writing (keeping a dated copy), name the records specifically, and consult a licensed Arkansas attorney for unresolved refusals.