Transparency is real leverage in Oregon. ORS § 94.670(9) (HOA) and § 100.480(9) (condo) require the association's documents, financial records, minutes, and other records to be 'reasonably available for examination and, upon written request, available for duplication' by an owner, or by a mortgagee acting in good faith for a proper purpose. That's a broad default: declaration and bylaws, rules, minutes, budgets, financial statements, and the association's other records are generally open to you. The statute then lists specific, narrow categories the board can withhold without needing anyone's approval: personnel matters and medical records, contracts or business transactions currently under negotiation, attorney-client communications tied to those two categories or to pending litigation, anything disclosure of which would violate other law, materials prepared for a lawful executive session, and — importantly — the individual files of other owners (your own file is still yours to see).
Records access isn't just curiosity; it's how you check the board's math. Both statutes require the board to prepare an annual financial statement within 90 days of the fiscal year's end and distribute it to every owner. If the association's annual assessments exceed $75,000, § 94.670(5) and § 100.480(5) require that statement to be independently reviewed by a certified public accountant within 300 days of the fiscal year's end; associations under that threshold can still be forced into a review if a majority of owners petition for one, and any association can only skip a required review by an affirmative vote of at least 60 percent of owners.
Use the 10-business-day statement to check what you actually owe
Beyond the broader records right, § 94.670(8) and § 100.480(8) give you a faster, narrower tool: on written request, the association must provide, within 10 business days, a statement of the assessments due and unpaid from you, broken out into regular and special assessments, fines and other charges, accrued interest, and late-payment charges, plus the interest and late-fee rates it's using. The one exception: the association doesn't have to comply if it has already filed a lawsuit against you and that litigation is pending. Pull that statement before you argue about a balance — it forces the board to show its math in a format the statute controls, not one it picks.
The authority
The statutes behind this
Cited by name as authority, for your own reading. Informational only, not legal advice.
ORS § 94.670(9)
Requires HOA records to be reasonably available for examination and, on written request, duplication by an owner or good-faith mortgagee, subject to specific, limited exemptions.
ORS § 100.480(9)
The condo parallel, with the identical structure of a broad default right and the same list of narrow exemptions.
ORS § 94.670(5)–(7)
Requires an annual financial statement and, above a $75,000 annual-assessment threshold, an independent CPA review within 300 days — reviewable by petition below that threshold, and waivable only by a 60 percent owner vote.
ORS § 94.670(8)
Gives an owner the right to a written statement, within 10 business days, itemizing assessments, fines, interest, and late charges owed (condo equivalent: § 100.480(8)).
Step by step
How to request HOA or condo records in Oregon
A clean, statute-anchored records request invoking § 94.670 (HOA) or § 100.480 (condo) and preserving your remedies.
- 01
Put it in writing and date it
Email or mail (certified is ideal) a written, dated request. A documented request is what you'll need if the board stalls or refuses.
- 02
List the specific records
Name the categories: declaration and bylaws with amendments, rules, association and board meeting minutes, the annual financial statement, and the association's other financial records.
- 03
Cite the statute and ask about exemptions by name
Reference § 94.670(9) (HOA) or § 100.480(9) (condo). If the board withholds anything, ask it to identify which specific exemption — personnel, active negotiation, privileged legal communications, executive-session material, or another owner's individual file — it's relying on.
- 04
Check the annual financial statement and CPA-review status
Confirm you received the 90-day annual financial statement, and if assessments exceed $75,000 a year, ask whether it was independently reviewed within 300 days, or properly waived by a 60 percent owner vote.
- 05
Pull the 10-business-day statement before disputing a balance
Use § 94.670(8) / § 100.480(8) to get assessments, fines, interest, and late fees broken out separately, then challenge only the parts of the total that are actually wrong.
Straight answers
Common questions
What HOA or condo records can I see in Oregon?
Under ORS § 94.670(9) (HOA) and § 100.480(9) (condo), the association's declaration, bylaws, rules, minutes, financial records, and other records must be reasonably available for examination and, on written request, duplication, subject to a specific, limited list of exemptions.
Are there HOA or condo records the board can legally withhold?
Yes. Personnel and medical matters, contracts currently under negotiation, related attorney-client communications, materials from a lawful executive session, anything disclosure of which would violate other law, and other owners' individual files can be withheld — your own file is still yours to see.
Can the association charge me for copies?
The statute doesn't set a specific copy-fee cap the way some states do. Inspection of the records is the core statutory right; if the board tries to charge a fee, ask it to point to a reasonable, cost-based basis rather than accepting a fee as a reason to withhold the underlying documents.
How do I know the board's numbers are actually being checked?
If annual assessments exceed $75,000, § 94.670(5) / § 100.480(5) require an independent CPA review of the annual financial statement within 300 days. Below that threshold, a majority of owners can petition for a review, and the board can only skip a required review with a 60 percent owner vote.