Know Your LawUT
Which Utah Laws Govern Your HOA or Condo?
By The HOARebel Team · June 1, 2026 · 2 min read
Utah is one of the more straightforward states to map: planned communities run on the Community Association Act, condos on the parallel Condominium Ownership Act, and both have the unusual feature of statutory damages when the association ignores statutory rights. For your specific situation, a licensed Utah attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
Planned communities: the Community Association Act (§§ 57-8a-101 et seq.)
The Utah Community Association Act is the main statute for HOAs and planned communities. It is unusually owner-protective for what it both grants and enforces:
- Open board meetings — 48-hour written email notice, owner-comment opportunity, $500-or-actual-damages remedy (§ 57-8a-226)
- Records access — physical or electronic, with a $25-per-day penalty for noncompliance after the fifth day (§ 57-8a-227)
- Fines with an informal hearing — 30-day window, no interest or late fees during the hearing, electronic-participation right (§ 57-8a-208)
- Assessment lien — capped at assessments delinquent no more than 180 days (§ 57-8a-301)
Condominiums: the Condominium Ownership Act (§ 57-8)
If you live in a Utah condominium, the Condominium Ownership Act governs instead, with parallel provisions for records, fines, and the assessment lien. A licensed Utah attorney can map the differences for your specific situation.
Why the dollar-penalty provisions matter
Most state community-association statutes describe owner rights and leave enforcement to general civil litigation. Utah does something different: in two places (records and meetings) the statute spells out a concrete dollar consequence for ignoring the right. That changes the practical incentive for boards to comply, because a sustained pattern of stalling produces accumulating money owed to the owner — not just a theoretical claim. It also means written, dated requests matter; the clock runs from when the request was made.
The Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act (§ 16-6a)
Most Utah associations are incorporated nonprofits under the Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act. That entity law supplies director duties and member-meeting and voting procedures that supplement the Community Association Act.
How the layers fit
- The recorded governing documents — declaration, bylaws, and rules. The Community Association Act sets the floor; the documents add detail but cannot subtract statutory owner rights.
- The Community Association Act (§§ 57-8a-101 et seq.) for HOAs and planned communities — or the Condominium Ownership Act (§ 57-8) for condos.
- The Utah Revised Nonprofit Corporation Act (§ 16-6a) for the incorporated entity.
- Federal law — Fair Housing Act, ADA, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, OTARD, and the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act.
From records to fines to the assessment lien, the Community Association Act is the starting point for most Utah homeowner questions.