States
Arizona special assessments: what your board must do.
Condo owners can reject budgets; HOA assessment hikes over 20% need member approval.
Condos
Does the board need an owner vote?
Arizona law does not set a separate owner vote for special assessments; your declaration decides. It does say that, unless your declaration says otherwise or expressly lets the board adopt and change budgets, a budget or budget amendment must be ratified by the owners at a meeting 14 to 30 days after the budget summary is mailed. It is ratified unless a majority of all owners (or a larger vote your declaration specifies) rejects it, whether or not a quorum is present.
A.R.S. 33-1243(D)What notice must owners get?
Notice of an owners' meeting must be hand delivered or mailed 10 to 50 days ahead and must state the purpose, including any changes in assessments that require owner approval. After the developer hands over control, board meetings need at least 48 hours' notice with an agenda, except in an emergency.
A.R.S. 33-1248(B), (D)Your right to see the records
The association must make all its financial and other records reasonably available to you or your written representative, and cannot charge you to look at them. It has 10 business days to let you examine them or to provide copies, and may charge up to 15 cents a page for copies. Some records can be withheld, such as attorney communications and pending litigation.
A.R.S. 33-1258Payment plans, late fees and liens
The sections cited set no dollar cap on condo late charges or interest; the board sets the interest rate subject to your condo documents, and late charges may be imposed only after notice that the assessment is overdue. Before authorizing an attorney or an outside collection agency to begin collection, the association must send a certified-mail notice giving you 30 days. It can foreclose only if you have been delinquent for 18 months or owe $10,000 or more, whichever comes first (for a special assessment of $10,000 or more, only the 18 months applies), and the board must make reasonable efforts to offer you a reasonable payment plan first.
A.R.S. 33-1256(A), (L); 33-1255(B); 33-1242(A)(11)HOAs (houses and townhouses)
Owner vote
The association cannot impose a regular assessment more than 20 percent above the previous year's without approval of a majority of the members, unless your community documents set a lower limit. The statute speaks of regular assessments and says nothing separate about special assessments, so your declaration decides that.
A.R.S. 33-1803(A)Notice
Notice of a members' meeting must be hand delivered or mailed 10 to 50 days ahead and must state the purpose, including changes in assessments that require member approval. After the developer hands over control, board meetings need at least 48 hours' notice with an agenda, except in an emergency.
A.R.S. 33-1804(B), (D)Records
The association must make all its financial and other records reasonably available to you or your written representative, and cannot charge you to look at them. It has 10 business days to let you examine them or to provide copies, and may charge up to 15 cents a page for copies. Some records can be withheld, such as attorney communications and pending litigation.
A.R.S. 33-1805Payment, late fees and liens
A late charge is limited to the greater of $15 or 10 percent of the unpaid assessment, may be imposed only after notice that the assessment is overdue, and a payment is late only after 15 days unless your documents allow longer. Before authorizing an attorney or an outside collection agency to begin collection, the association must send a certified-mail notice giving you 30 days. It can foreclose only if you have been delinquent for 18 months or owe $10,000 or more, whichever comes first (for a special assessment of $10,000 or more, only the 18 months applies), and the board must make reasonable efforts to offer you a reasonable payment plan first.
A.R.S. 33-1803(A); 33-1807(A), (L)Summarised from the statutes in November 2026. Not legal advice; your declaration and bylaws may add more rules.