Records & TransparencyMS
Getting Your HOA's Records in Mississippi
By The HOARebel Team · May 28, 2026 · 2 min read
When a Mississippi board won't explain where the money goes, the records usually hold the answer — but the hook you use to get them depends on how the HOA is organized. With no general HOA statute, Mississippi homeowners typically rely on the Nonprofit Corporation Act (§ 79-11) and the governing documents. For your specific situation, a licensed Mississippi attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
For incorporated HOAs: § 79-11-285
Most Mississippi HOAs are incorporated as nonprofits, which means the Mississippi Nonprofit Corporation Act controls member inspection rights. Under § 79-11-285, members generally have the right to inspect and copy corporate records on at least five business days' written notice identifying the records sought.
Section 79-11-287 addresses the conditions on that right — including that a member's attorney or other agent may inspect on the member's behalf — and the scope of what's available.
That puts Mississippi's nonprofit-corporation records right roughly in line with what statutes elsewhere call HOA records access, just under a different label and a different chapter of the code.
For the governing documents themselves
Whether incorporated or not, the recorded declaration is always available from the county chancery clerk's office. The bylaws, board-adopted rules, and any fine schedule may or may not be recorded — those are typically obtained from the association itself under the bylaws' member-inspection provisions or under § 79-11-285 if the HOA is incorporated.
For condominiums
Condominiums have the Mississippi Condominium Law (§ 89-9) on top of everything above. The Nonprofit Corporation Act still controls if the condo association is incorporated as a nonprofit.
What owners commonly request
People reviewing the association's books often look at:
- The budget, reserves, and financial statements
- Bank statements and vendor contracts
- The declaration, bylaws, adopted rules, and any fine schedule
- Member-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.
"Proper purpose" and notice
Like most nonprofit-corporation statutes, Mississippi's framework conditions the inspection right on a request that is reasonable in scope and made for a proper purpose related to membership. A request that names the records — "board meeting minutes for the past 12 months," "the vendor contract for landscaping" — fits that framing better than an open-ended demand.
If records are withheld
Section 79-11-285 gives members the inspection right; § 79-11-287 spells out the conditions. When records are still withheld, owners commonly put requests in writing (keeping a dated copy), and for unresolved refusals, consult a licensed Mississippi attorney about enforcement.