Getting Your HOA's Records in Maine

When a Maine board won't explain where the money goes, the records usually hold the answer. Where your records rights come from depends on whether your community is a condominium or a non-condominium HOA, and whether the association is incorporated. For your specific situation, a licensed Maine attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.

Condominiums: the Condominium Act (§1603-118)

For condominiums, the Maine Condominium Act requires the association to keep records and make them available to unit owners. Section 1603-118 ("Association records") directs the association to keep financial records detailed enough to support the year-end statement owners are entitled to, and to make records available for examination. The statute frames this as an owner right, not a favor the board grants.

Non-condominium HOAs: the Nonprofit Corporation Act

Most non-condominium HOAs are incorporated as nonprofits under the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act (13-B M.R.S.). That layer supplies member rights to inspect corporate records — books of account, minutes, and membership records — subject to the conditions the Act imposes. For HOAs that aren't condominiums, this is the principal records framework, alongside whatever the bylaws provide.

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
• Board and member meeting minutes and notices
• The current statement of any assessment or charge against the unit

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

For the recorded documents themselves

The recorded declaration is always available from the county registry of deeds for the property. The bylaws, adopted rules, and fine schedule may or may not be recorded — those typically come from the association under the Condominium Act, the Nonprofit Corporation Act, or the bylaws.

If records are withheld

Owners commonly put requests in writing (keeping a dated copy), name the records specifically, and consult a licensed Maine attorney about an unresolved refusal — under the Condominium Act for condos, or the Nonprofit Corporation Act for incorporated HOAs.

Sources

• 33 M.R.S. §1603-118 — Association records
• 33 M.R.S. Ch. 31 — Maine Condominium Act (table of contents)
• 13-B M.R.S. — Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act