Maine has a detailed Condominium Act (33 M.R.S. Chapter 31), but no comparable statute for non-condo, detached-home planned communities — "planned community" isn't even a defined term in Maine's condo statute, and it doesn't extend to a typical subdivision HOA. Instead, non-condo Maine HOAs run on their own recorded Declaration of Covenants, their bylaws, and the general Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, Title 13-B, since virtually every Maine HOA is incorporated as a nonprofit corporation.

Fines: what your HOA can and can't charge

No Maine statute sets fine authority, caps, or hearing rights for a non-condo HOA — that's entirely a matter of your declaration and bylaws. (Maine's condo statute does give condo associations express fine authority with a notice-and-hearing requirement, but that provision doesn't reach a detached-home subdivision.)

See our guide on how to fight an HOA fine for the general playbook.

Unpaid assessments, liens, and foreclosure

A non-condo Maine HOA has no statutory lien right — any lien has to be created in the declaration itself as a matter of contract. Maine condo associations do get a statutory lien, but it's not a "super lien" — it's subordinate to a first mortgage, confirmed by industry collections guidance describing Maine as not a super-lien state. Enforcement is judicial only: Maine has no non-judicial "power of sale" foreclosure track, so a lien would be enforced through a civil foreclosure action in court. No statutory interest rate is set specifically for HOA assessments — the rate is whatever your declaration specifies.

More on this in our guide to what happens if you don't pay HOA dues.

Meetings and quorum

The Nonprofit Corporation Act sets the defaults here: written notice of a members' meeting must go out 10 to 50 days ahead, and default quorum is 10% of the votes entitled to be cast, unless your bylaws set a different number. Special meetings can be called by the president, the board, or members holding 1/20 of the votes.

Board elections

Maine has no felony bar, no delinquency-based disqualification, and no declarant-control transition statute for non-condo HOAs — all of that is left to your bylaws. Proxies are valid for up to 11 months unless the proxy itself says otherwise. A board member (or the whole board) can be removed at a special meeting called for that purpose, by a 2/3 vote of members entitled to vote for directors, though articles can lower this (not below a majority).

For the general mechanics, see how HOA board elections work.

Buying a home in a Maine HOA

There's no resale-certificate requirement for non-condo HOAs in Maine — that's a real gap compared to many other states (Maine's condo statute does require a detailed resale certificate, but again, that's condo-only). Maine's general seller disclosure law covers physical and environmental issues — water supply, heating, waste disposal, hazardous materials — and says nothing about HOA membership, dues, or assessments.

Worth knowing: Maine's legislature is actively studying whether to adopt a comprehensive Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act covering both condos and non-condo HOAs. A study commission is due to report back by December 1, 2026 — this is genuinely an area to watch for change.

See our full buying checklist for homes in an HOA before you make an offer.

This guide covers general Maine law affecting non-condominium homeowners associations as of 2026, including the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, and is for general education only — it isn't legal advice, and it doesn't cover condominium associations, which follow the separate Maine Condominium Act. For anything binding, talk to a Maine HOA attorney.

Need help with a Maine HOA issue? Find an HOA attorney in Maine, or find a management company in Maine.