Not legal advice
This guide is general information for Pennsylvania community associations, based on the cited statutes as of the last-reviewed date. It is not legal advice — statutes change and your recorded declaration and bylaws control the specifics. Consult a licensed Pennsylvania attorney for your situation.
Which statutes govern Pennsylvania associations
The Pennsylvania Uniform Planned Community Act, 68 Pa.C.S. §§5101–5414, governs planned communities created on or after February 2, 1997; certain of its provisions apply retroactively to older communities. Day-to-day governance still runs on the recorded declaration and bylaws, which the Act frames and constrains.
Condominiums created on or after November 30, 1980 are governed by the Pennsylvania Uniform Condominium Act, 68 Pa.C.S. §§3101–3414 (older ones remain under the prior Unit Property Act unless amended in). The two acts parallel each other closely.
Meetings, records, and owner access
Under the UPCA, unit owner meetings require notice (68 Pa.C.S. §5308), and the association must keep sufficiently detailed financial records and make records reasonably available for examination by unit owners (§5316).
The condominium act mirrors both duties: owner meetings require notice under §3308, and financial records must be kept in sufficient detail and made reasonably available to unit owners under §3316.
Assessments, liens, and collections
Unpaid assessments — plus late charges, fines, interest, and costs — constitute a statutory lien on the unit from the time they fall due (68 Pa.C.S. §5315), including a limited six-month priority portion over earlier encumbrances in foreclosure contexts, enforceable in the manner of other real-property liens.
The condominium lien works the same way under §3315: unpaid assessments with late charges, fines, interest, and costs are a statutory lien with a limited six-month priority component, foreclosable like other liens on real estate.
Common questions about Pennsylvania HOA law
Which Pennsylvania HOAs does the UPCA cover?
Planned communities created on or after February 2, 1997 (68 Pa.C.S. Chapter 51), with certain provisions applying retroactively to older communities. Condominiums are covered by the Uniform Condominium Act, Chapter 31, instead.
Do Pennsylvania owners have a right to see association records?
Yes. The association must keep detailed financial records and make records reasonably available for examination by unit owners (68 Pa.C.S. §5316; condominiums §3316).
How does a Pennsylvania assessment lien work?
Unpaid assessments plus late charges, fines, interest, and costs are a statutory lien on the unit from the time due (68 Pa.C.S. §5315; condos §3315), with a limited six-month priority portion over earlier encumbrances in foreclosure contexts.
Do meetings require notice in a Pennsylvania association?
Yes — unit owner meetings require notice under 68 Pa.C.S. §5308 (condominiums §3308), and the bylaws frame open governance on top of that.