Pennsylvania homeowners associations are governed by the Uniform Planned Community Act, 68 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 5101 et seq. The Act was substantially modernized in 2022 (electronic meetings, remote voting, a new independent-election-reviewer rule for large communities) — worth keeping in mind if you're comparing what your association actually does against what the law now requires.
Fines: what your HOA can and can't charge
Pennsylvania sets no statutory dollar cap on fines — the amount is a governing-documents matter. What the Act does require is real due process: the board may levy "reasonable fines" and suspend voting, committee, or common-facility rights only after notice and an opportunity to be heard. Separately, any board action that would materially impair a unit's quiet enjoyment requires that owner's written approval first — a meaningful check on aggressive enforcement.
See our guide on how to fight an HOA fine for the general playbook.
Unpaid assessments, liens, and foreclosure
Pennsylvania's lien is automatic — the association doesn't have to record anything to create it:
- Automatic lien: the association has a lien on a unit for any assessment or fine from the moment it becomes due; recording of the declaration itself puts everyone on notice.
- Interest: capped by statute, generally not more than 15% per year on past-due assessments.
- Six-month super-priority: the association's lien is usually junior to a first mortgage — except for the six months of common-expense assessments immediately before a foreclosure sale, which get paid ahead of that mortgage. A 2024 Pennsylvania Superior Court decision (Foxfield at Naaman's Creek HOA v. Eventoff) confirmed this protection follows whichever mortgage is senior at the time of the sale, even if it's a refinance rather than the original purchase loan.
- Foreclosure: proceeds like an ordinary mortgage foreclosure through the courts — complaint, service, sheriff's sale.
- Payment order: payments are applied to interest, then late fees, then collection costs, then the principal assessment.
More on this in our guide to what happens if you don't pay HOA dues.
Meetings and quorum
Associations must give members 10 to 60 days' notice of a meeting, and owners may participate remotely by phone or other technology that lets everyone hear each other — that counts as being present. When there's a contested board election, the bylaws must provide for a candidates' session at least 7 days before the vote, giving everyone equal time to speak. Default quorum for a membership meeting is 20% of eligible votes, though bylaws can adjust it (not below 10%); the executive board itself needs 50% of its members present to have quorum, and bylaws can only raise that number, not lower it.
Board elections
The Act doesn't set a statewide plurality-vs-majority rule for contested races — that's left to your bylaws — but an unopposed election can simply be declared by acclamation. To vote in a board election, you generally need to be in good standing (not delinquent). Owners can remove any elected director, with or without cause, by a two-thirds vote — except directors the developer appointed during its control period, who can't be removed by owner vote. Vacancies are filled by the remaining board, not a special election. Communities with 500 or more units must use an independent reviewer to tally and certify election results — a rule added in 2022 that many associations still haven't fully adopted. Pennsylvania doesn't have a felony-conviction bar on board service in its planned-community statute; that would only come from your own bylaws.
For the general mechanics, see how HOA board elections work.
Buying a home in a Pennsylvania HOA
What you're entitled to depends on whether you're buying new construction or an existing home:
New-construction buyers get a public offering statement before signing (or at least 7 days before closing if there's no signed contract), with a 7-day right to cancel if it's delivered late or later amended in a way that hurts them.
See our full buying checklist for homes in an HOA before you make an offer.
Need help with a Pennsylvania HOA issue? Find an HOA attorney in Pennsylvania, or find a management company in Pennsylvania.