Michigan has one of the most unusual community-association frameworks in the country. There is no separate general HOA statute — instead, a distinctive structure called the "site condominium" has dominated single-family development since the 1978 Michigan Condominium Act, MCL 559.101 et seq. Most modern Michigan subdivisions of single-family detached homes are actually organized as site condominiums under Chapter 559, not as traditional platted-subdivision HOAs. So even if you live in a single-family detached home with a "homeowners association," there's a good chance Michigan's Condominium Act applies to you. For your specific situation, a licensed Michigan attorney is the right resource. This is general information, not legal advice.
The full Michigan stack typically includes:
- The Michigan Condominium Act, MCL 559.101 et seq. — the controlling statute for both traditional condominiums and site condominiums. Key sections include the assessment lien (MCL 559.208) and the Master Deed framework.
- The Michigan Nonprofit Corporation Act, MCL 450.2101 et seq. — entity law for the incorporated association.
- The Michigan Land Division Act (formerly the Subdivision Control Act of 1967) — governs traditional platted subdivisions; HOAs in true plat-based subdivisions run on covenants plus the Nonprofit Corporation Act.
- The recorded Master Deed (for condos and site condos) or recorded covenants — the operating documents.
- Federal law — Fair Housing Act, ADA, Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, OTARD, and the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act.
Site condominium vs. platted subdivision — which applies to you?
This is the threshold question for Michigan:
- Site condominium — single-family detached homes organized under the Condominium Act. Each home sits on a defined "unit" (the building site itself), surrounded by limited common areas, with general common areas managed by the association. Even though it looks like a subdivision, the Condominium Act and Master Deed control. The unit owners' deed conveys fee simple ownership of the homesite plus an undivided interest in the common elements.
- Platted subdivision HOA — created under the Land Division Act; "lots" rather than "units"; the recorded covenants and the Nonprofit Corporation Act do the heavy lifting. There is no statute parallel to Chapter 559 for these communities.
The difference matters: if you live in a site condo, the Condominium Act's lien, foreclosure, and procedural rules apply. If you live in a traditional plat HOA, your authority comes almost entirely from the recorded covenants. See Which Michigan Laws Govern Your HOA or Condo?.
The statutory lien: MCL 559.208
Under MCL 559.208, "[s]ums assessed to a co-owner by the association of co-owners that are unpaid together with interest on such sums, collection and late charges, advances made by the association of co-owners for taxes or other liens to protect its lien, attorney fees, and fines in accordance with the condominium documents, constitute a lien upon the unit … before other liens" except certain government tax liens and "sums unpaid on a first mortgage of record."
The Michigan statutory lien is unusually broad — it expressly reaches not just assessments but also fines, interest, late charges, collection costs, and attorney fees. That makes a disputed fine, left unaddressed, a real risk in Michigan condos and site condos.
Lien priority has a notable twist: "past due assessments that are evidenced by a notice of lien recorded as set forth in subsection (3) have priority over a first mortgage recorded subsequent to the recording of the notice of lien." So timing of the recorded lien notice matters.
See Can a Michigan HOA or Condo Foreclose Over Dues?.
Notice and foreclosure
MCL 559.208 requires a notice of lien to be recorded in the office of the register of deeds in the county where the condominium project is located, and served on the delinquent co-owner by first-class mail at least 10 days before the foreclosure proceeding begins. Michigan condo liens may be foreclosed by advertisement or by judicial action, with a 6-month redemption period after the sale (potentially shortened to 1 month if the property is determined abandoned).
Records, meetings, and fines
The Condominium Act and the Master Deed and bylaws govern records, meetings, and fines for condos and site condos. Two statutory baselines apply: MCL 559.157(1) provides that the books, records, contracts, and financial statements "shall be available for examination by any of the co-owners and their mortgagees at convenient times," and MCL 559.206(c) describes fines the condominium documents provide for as levied "after notice and hearing thereon." Beyond those, the Master Deed and bylaws typically set:
- How and where co-owners inspect the association's records, and any copying costs
- Notice and conduct rules for co-owner and board meetings
- The fine-and-hearing procedure (how notice is given and how the hearing works)
For condos and site condos, a fine imposed without the notice and hearing MCL 559.206(c) describes is vulnerable; for plat HOAs, the recorded covenants set any fine procedure. See Challenging an HOA Fine in Michigan, Getting Your Michigan HOA's Records, and Attending HOA Meetings in Michigan.
When a rule may not hold up
A Michigan rule has to fit within authority the Master Deed (or covenants) and statute grant, follow the documents' own notice-and-hearing process, and be applied evenhandedly. See When Is a Michigan HOA Rule Unenforceable?.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Michigan single-family-home subdivision actually a condominium?
Quite possibly — if it was developed after the 1978 Michigan Condominium Act, especially in recent decades, it may be a site condominium even though it looks like a subdivision. The recorded Master Deed will tell you. A licensed Michigan attorney can confirm.
What can my Michigan condo association include in a lien?
Under MCL 559.208, the lien reaches unpaid assessments, interest, late charges, collection costs, attorney fees, advances for taxes or protective liens, and fines. That breadth is one of the most distinctive features of Michigan condo lien law.
How does a Michigan condo redemption period work?
After foreclosure under MCL 559.208, the redemption period is generally six months, though it may be shortened to one month if the property is determined to be abandoned. A licensed Michigan attorney can map the specific timeline.
Sources
- MCL 559.208 — Assessment lien; priority; foreclosure
- MCL 559.157 — Books, records, and financial statements; examination
- MCL 559.206 — Default by co-owner; relief (fines after notice and hearing)
- MCL Act 59 of 1978 — Michigan Condominium Act (full)
- MCL Act 162 of 1982 — Michigan Nonprofit Corporation Act