Records & TransparencyNC
Getting Your North Carolina HOA's Records
By The HOARebel Team · June 2, 2026 · 2 min read
The North Carolina Planned Community Act gives owners a right to inspect the association's records — and points to the Nonprofit Corporation Act for even broader inspection rights. For your specific situation, a licensed North Carolina attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
The statutory right: N.C.G.S. § 47F-3-118
Under § 47F-3-118(a), "[a]ll financial and other records, including records of meetings of the association and executive board, shall be made reasonably available for examination by any lot owner and the lot owner's authorized agents as required in the bylaws and Chapter 55A of the General Statutes." Two things stand out. The right reaches "financial and other records," including meeting records of both the membership and the executive board, and it runs to an "authorized agent," so an attorney or family member can review on the owner's behalf.
The 10-business-day payoff statement
Section 47F-3-118(b) adds a concrete deadline for one common request: on written request, the association "shall furnish to a lot owner or the lot owner's authorized agents a statement setting forth the amount of unpaid assessments and other charges against a lot," and "[t]he statement shall be furnished within 10 business days after receipt of the request." That statement is often the starting point for confirming what is actually owed before a lien or payoff dispute.
Chapter 55A adds inspection rights
Because § 47F-3-118 ties records access to Chapter 55A, the North Carolina Nonprofit Corporation Act supplies a parallel set of member-inspection rights — including access to certain corporate records on written demand made in good faith and for a proper purpose. For most North Carolina associations, which are incorporated nonprofits, that is a second route to the books.
What owners commonly request
People reviewing the association's records often look at:
- Annual budgets, reserve studies, and financial statements
- Bank statements, vendor contracts, and bids
- The declaration, bylaws, adopted rules, and any fine schedule
- Executive board and membership meeting minutes and notices
- Assessment ledgers and the claim-of-lien filings for the lot
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 and amendments are available from the county Register of Deeds, and any filed claim of lien is on record with the clerk of superior court for the county. Because the recorded declaration is what created the community and its assessment-and-lien framework, it is often the first document owners obtain.
What people generally do
Owners seeking North Carolina records often:
- Put the request in writing, cite § 47F-3-118, and identify the records specifically
- Ask separately for the § 47F-3-118(b) statement of unpaid assessments and calendar the 10-business-day window
- Keep a copy of the request and any response
- Consult a licensed North Carolina attorney if a refusal appears unjustified, since Chapter 55A may supply additional inspection rights