Condo law: 75% of owners can charge a common-area improvement to everyone.
Massachusetts condo law sets no owner vote for an ordinary special assessment in the sections cited; your master deed, trust and by-laws decide. For an improvement to the common areas, if 75% or more of owners agree, the cost can be charged to all owners as a common expense, and if 50% or more but under 75% agree, only the owners who agreed pay.
M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 18; s. 6(a)The sections cited set no notice period for adopting a special assessment; that comes from your master deed, trust or by-laws, which must say how common expenses are collected. Common expense assessments must be made at least annually, based on a budget adopted under those documents.
M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 6(a); s. 11(b)You can inspect the association's master deed, by-laws, minutes and financial records (receipts and expenditures, invoices, bank statements, reserve fund records, audits, contracts and current insurance policies) during regular business hours, and photocopy them at your own expense. Minutes, to the extent they are kept, must be available to owners by email on request, and records must be kept at least seven years. This section sets no deadline for the association to respond.
M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 10(c)Once your share of common expenses is 60 days late, the association must send you a notice of the amount by certified and first class mail. The lien can include late charges, interest, fines and collection costs, and it is enforced through a court case, with a court order needed before a sale. The sections cited set no cap on late charges and no right to a payment plan.
M.G.L. c. 183A, s. 6(a), (c); c. 254, ss. 5, 5AIn Massachusetts, the same rules cover condos and HOAs.
Summarised from the statutes in November 2026. Not legal advice; your declaration and bylaws may add more rules.