Maine HOA Open Meeting Laws

Maine HOA open meeting laws depend heavily on the type of community association involved. Maine does not currently have one comprehensive statute governing open meetings for every type of homeowner association. The Maine Condominium Act, however, contains specific meeting requirements for condominiums, including annual association meetings, notice requirements, homeowner attendance at executive board meetings, and limits on executive sessions. Maine’s Nonprofit Corporation Act can also apply to an HOA organized as a nonprofit, while the association’s declaration, bylaws, and other governing documents may establish additional requirements. Maine enacted a 2026 resolve creating a commission to study whether broader residential community ownership association laws should be codified.

Featured Snippet Answer: What has the Maine HOA open meeting laws?

For Maine condominium associations subject to the Maine Condominium Act, unit owners generally have the right to attend executive board meetings, provided they follow reasonable rules established by the board. The board must give timely notice of meeting dates, times, locations, and proposed topics. Executive sessions are limited to specified subjects, and the board cannot take a final vote or action during an executive session.

Open Meeting

An open meeting is a meeting that eligible homeowners or association members are permitted to attend. For Maine condominium associations covered by Title 33, §1603-108, executive board meetings are generally open to unit owners except when the board properly enters an executive session for a permitted subject.

Does Maine Have a Statewide HOA Open Meeting Law?

Not in the same broad sense that some states have a dedicated HOA or common-interest-community open meeting statute.

This distinction matters because the phrase Maine HOA open meeting laws can refer to several different legal frameworks. A community may be a condominium association governed by the Maine Condominium Act, a nonprofit corporation governed in part by the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, or another type of residential association whose meeting procedures depend primarily on its governing documents and applicable general law.

The Maine Condominium Act specifically applies to condominiums created under the Act and establishes detailed association governance requirements.

Maine is also examining whether its laws should be expanded or reorganized for residential community ownership associations. In 2026, the Legislature finally passed and the Governor signed Resolve 2025, Chapter 167, creating a commission to study the need to codify or recodify laws concerning residential community ownership associations, including consideration of the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act.

Maine HOA Meeting Rules at a Glance

Issue	Maine condominium association rule	Why it matters
Annual association meeting	Required at least once a year	Owners have a formal opportunity to participate
Notice of association meeting	Generally, 10–60 days in advance under §1603-108	Owners need sufficient notice
Board meeting notice	Timely notice reasonably calculated to inform owners	Owners should know when and what the board will discuss
Owner attendance at board meetings	Generally permitted	Owners have a statutory attendance right
Executive sessions	Permitted only for specified subjects	Private sessions are not unlimited
Final vote in executive session	Not permitted	Final action must occur outside executive session
Meeting minutes	Must be retained for non-executive-session meetings	Creates an association record
Records inspection	Available subject to statutory exceptions	Supports homeowner oversight

The condominium-specific requirements come primarily from Maine Revised Statutes Title 33, §1603-108 and §1603-118.

What Does Maine Law Require for HOA Board Meeting Notice?

For condominium associations governed by the Maine Condominium Act, the executive board must give timely notice reasonably calculated to inform unit owners of the date, time, place, and topics proposed to be discussed at an executive board meeting.

The statute does not require that individual notice be delivered to every homeowner. Notice may be provided through methods such as posting in a prominent location, email, or another reasonable method. The statute also states that failure of a unit owner to receive notice does not invalidate action taken at the meeting.

This is different from the notice rule for an association-wide meeting.

Notice of Association Meetings

Under §1603-108, the bylaws must identify the officer responsible for providing meeting notice. Notice must generally be provided not less than 10 and not more than 60 days before the meeting.

The notice must identify:

• The time of the meeting
• The place of the meeting
• Items on the agenda
• The general nature of a proposed declaration or bylaw amendment
• Any proposed budget changes
• Any proposal to remove a director or officer

The statute also permits notice by electronic means when the unit owner has specifically designated an electronic address for that purpose.

Can Homeowners Attend HOA Board Meetings in Maine?

For condominium associations covered by §1603-108, yes. Unit owners have the right to attend executive board meetings, subject to reasonable rules established by the executive board.

This means an HOA board generally cannot simply declare every board meeting private if the Maine Condominium Act applies to the association.

The statute specifically gives unit owners an attendance right while also recognizing that the board may establish reasonable rules governing attendance.

What Can Reasonable Meeting Rules Cover?

The statute does not provide an exhaustive list of every permissible attendance rule. In practice, reasonable procedures may address matters such as:

• Where owners sit during the meeting
• How homeowners participate
• Orderly discussion
• Meeting decorum
• Time management
• Procedures for owner comments

The important distinction is that reasonable meeting procedures are different from completely eliminating the statutory right to attend.

If a homeowner believes a board rule effectively prevents attendance rather than simply regulating the meeting, reviewing the association’s governing documents and the applicable statute is important.

Can an HOA Hold a Private or Executive Session in Maine?

Yes, but for condominium associations governed by the Maine Condominium Act, executive sessions are limited to specific subjects.

The executive board may restrict or prohibit attendance during executive sessions. However, the statute identifies the subjects that may be discussed privately.

Permitted Executive Session Topics

Under Title 33, §1603-108, executive sessions may be used to:

1. Consult with the association’s attorney about legal matters.
2. Discuss existing or potential litigation, mediation, arbitration, or administrative proceedings.
3. Discuss labor or personnel matters.
4. Discuss certain contracts, leases, and commercial transactions currently being negotiated when premature disclosure could disadvantage the association.
5. Protect a person’s privacy when the board determines that public knowledge of the matter would violate that person’s privacy.

These categories are important because an executive session is not simply a general-purpose private meeting.

Can the HOA Vote During Executive Session?

No final vote or action may be taken during an executive session under Maine’s condominium meeting statute.

That rule is particularly important when a board tells homeowners that a significant decision was made privately. A board may discuss an eligible matter in executive session, but §1603-108 expressly prohibits final action from being taken there.

What Is the Difference Between an HOA Meeting and an Executive Board Meeting?

The distinction can be confusing because Maine law treats association meetings and executive board meetings separately.

Meeting type	General rule for Maine condominiums
Annual association meeting	Must occur at least once each year
Special association meeting	May be called according to applicable law and governing documents
Executive board meeting	Owners generally have a right to attend
Executive session	Attendance may be restricted for statutory reasons
Final action in executive session	Not permitted

For association-wide meetings, Maine law establishes specific notice requirements. For board meetings, the statute instead focuses on timely notice of the meeting and the topics proposed for discussion.

Are HOA Meeting Minutes Required in Maine?

For condominium associations governed by the Maine Condominium Act, association records must include minutes of meetings of unit owners and the executive board other than executive sessions.

The association must also retain records of actions taken without a meeting and actions taken by authorized committees on behalf of the association.

This gives homeowners an important source of information when trying to determine what the board actually decided.

Can Homeowners Inspect HOA Records?

Generally, yes, subject to statutory exceptions.

Under §1603-118, association records must generally be available for examination and copying by a unit owner or the owner’s authorized agent. The request must be made with at least 10 days’ written notice reasonably identifying the specific records requested, and inspection must occur during reasonable business hours or at a mutually convenient time and location.

Some records can be withheld, including certain personnel and medical records, current commercial negotiations, and existing or potential litigation or dispute-related materials.

Does Maine’s Freedom of Information Law Apply to HOAs?

Generally, homeowners should not assume that a private HOA is subject to Maine’s public-meetings law simply because it manages a residential community.

Maine’s public-meeting requirements apply to public proceedings of governmental bodies and agencies. A private homeowners association is not automatically converted into a public body simply because it performs community-management functions.

For HOA homeowners, the more relevant sources may be:

• The Maine Condominium Act
• The Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, when applicable
• The association’s declaration
• Bylaws
• Rules and regulations
• Board resolutions
• Other governing documents

This distinction prevents homeowners from applying Maine’s governmental Right to Know Law to a private association without first establishing that the law actually covers the organization.

What If a Maine HOA Is Organized as a Nonprofit?

A Maine HOA that is organized as a nonprofit corporation may also be subject to provisions of the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, depending on its organizational structure and governing documents.

For example, Title 13-B §602 addresses meetings of nonprofit corporation members, including annual and special meetings and remote participation. Section 603 establishes notice requirements for members’ meetings unless the articles or bylaws provide otherwise.

However, nonprofit corporate law should not automatically be treated as a substitute for the more specific condominium requirements.

If an HOA is a condominium association, the Maine Condominium Act may provide specific rules concerning board meetings, homeowner attendance, executive sessions, and records.

What About Nonprofit Board Meetings?

Title 13-B §705 provides rules concerning notice and participation for directors’ meetings of nonprofit corporations. Importantly, this provision addresses the corporation’s directors and does not itself create the same homeowner attendance right found in Maine’s condominium statute.

That distinction can be critical when analyzing whether homeowners are legally entitled to sit in on a particular board meeting.

What Should a Maine Homeowner Do If an HOA Holds a Closed Meeting?

If you believe your HOA improperly excluded homeowners from a meeting, avoid relying on a general statement that the meeting was “illegal.” First determine which law and governing documents apply.

Step 1: Identify the Type of Association

Determine whether the community is:

• A condominium
• A planned residential community
• A nonprofit homeowners association
• Another type of common-interest community

The applicable law can differ significantly.

Step 2: Review the Governing Documents

Locate the:

• Declaration
• Bylaws
• Articles of incorporation
• Meeting rules
• Board policies
• Amendments

Look specifically for provisions addressing meeting notice, attendance, owner comments, executive sessions, voting, and minutes.

Step 3: Request the Meeting Information in Writing

Ask the association for:

• The meeting notices
• Agenda
• Meeting minutes
• The legal or governing-document basis for an executive session
• The action taken after the executive session

Keep the request factual and specific.

Step 4: Determine Whether Executive Session Was Proper

For a condominium association subject to §1603-108, compare the stated reason for the closed session with the statutory categories.

If the subject does not appear to fall within an authorized category, ask the association to explain its legal basis.

Step 5: Check Whether Final Action Occurred Privately

If the board claims that it made a final decision while in executive session, compare that conduct with §1603-108, which states that final vote or action may not be taken during an executive session.

Step 6: Escalate When Necessary

For a serious dispute involving substantial financial consequences, legal rights, assessments, liens, or litigation, consider obtaining advice from a Maine attorney familiar with condominium or community-association law.

Does Maine Require Homeowners to Be Given a Chance to Speak at Every Board Meeting?

The Maine Condominium Act gives unit owners a right to attend executive board meetings, subject to reasonable board rules. The statute does not state in §1603-108 that every owner has an unrestricted right to speak whenever they want during every board meeting.

That means attendance and participation are separate issues.

An association’s bylaws or meeting procedures may establish rules governing homeowner comments. Homeowners should therefore check the governing documents before assuming that attendance automatically means unlimited speaking time.

Is Maine Changing Its HOA Laws?

Maine is actively examining the broader legal framework for residential community ownership associations.

In 2026, the Maine Legislature enacted Resolve 2025, Chapter 167, creating a commission to study whether Maine should codify or recodify laws concerning residential community ownership associations by adopting the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act.

This is significant for homeowners because Maine’s current legal framework can differ depending on whether a community is organized as a condominium, nonprofit association, or another type of residential community.

The study itself does not mean that the proposed Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act is currently Maine law. Homeowners should distinguish between existing statutes and legislation or policy proposals being studied.

Maine HOA Open Meeting Laws: Key Takeaways

The most important points for Maine homeowners are:

• Maine does not currently have one comprehensive open-meeting statute covering every HOA.
• The Maine Condominium Act contains specific open-meeting requirements for covered condominium associations.
• Condominium unit owners generally have a right to attend executive board meetings.
• The board must provide timely notice of board meetings and proposed topics.
• Association meetings have separate notice requirements, generally between 10 and 60 days.
• Executive sessions are limited to specific subjects.
• A final vote or action cannot be taken during a condominium executive session.
• Non-executive-session meeting minutes must be retained under the condominium records statute.
• Nonprofit HOA corporations may also be subject to Title 13-B requirements.
• An HOA’s declaration, bylaws, and other governing documents remain important when determining meeting procedures.
• Maine enacted a 2026 study commission concerning broader residential community ownership association laws, but the study should not be confused with an enacted statewide HOA open-meeting statute.

Frequently Asked Questions About Maine HOA Open Meeting Laws