Oregon HOA Laws 2026: ORS 94.630 Hearing, No Fine Cap
State Summary
Got an Oregon HOA fine? ORS 94.630 requires notice and a hearing before any fine, and judicial foreclosure protects your home. Free defense guide.
Governing Law: ORS 94.550-94.783 — Oregon Planned Community Act (planned communities; condominiums are governed separately under ORS ch. 100)
Researched by Brandon Sorensen
First, check which Act governs your community. Everything on this page is the Oregon Planned Community Act (ORS 94.550–94.783), which governs planned communities — subdivisions with an HOA and common property. If you own a condominium, your association is organized under a separate statute, the Oregon Condominium Act (ORS chapter 100), and the ORS 94 section numbers cited here — including the ORS 94.630 fine procedure and the ORS 94.670 records right — are not the provisions that apply to you. Check your recorded declaration: it will say whether your community was created as a planned community or a condominium. If it is a condominium, confirm the equivalent ORS 100 provision before relying on any deadline or procedure below.
Oregon HOA law is governed by the Oregon Planned Community Act (ORS 94.550-94.783), establishing one of the most homeowner-protective legal frameworks in the United States. Unlike many states with strict fine caps, Oregon takes a different approach: no statewide fine cap, but strict procedural protections that make enforcement difficult and expensive for HOAs. To see how Oregon compares to other states, check our HOA fine limits comparison by state.
Oregon's statute is homeowner-friendly in several ways: before levying a fine, the HOA must give written notice and an opportunity to be heard and follow a delivered fine schedule (ORS 94.630); HOA assessment liens are foreclosed judicially (ORS 94.709 / 94.719); and homeowners have broad record-access rights (ORS 94.670). Oregon also protects solar energy systems (ORS 94.778) and EV charging stations (ORS 94.762), though an HOA may require an application and reasonable conditions. Similar protections exist in neighboring states like Washington, California, and Nevada.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Oregon HOA law: how to fight violations under ORS 94.630, your records and protected-activity rights, the judicial foreclosure process (ORS 94.709), and how to leverage Oregon's homeowner protections. (Note: Oregon does not have a "mandatory mediation" statute — before suing, a party must only offer county dispute resolution under ORS 94.630, and that offer can be bypassed after 30 days and doesn't apply to assessment-collection suits.) Use the sections below to find the information most relevant to your situation. You can also review our guide on how to respond to HOA violation notices and our guide on landscaping violations and weeds.
Oregon vs. Neighboring States: Oregon's judicial foreclosure requirement provides meaningful homeowner protection — an HOA must go through court to foreclose its lien (ORS 94.709). If your HOA is threatening foreclosure, Oregon law may give you more court protections than you realize.
Max Fine
No statewide cap
Aggregate Cap
Per governing documents
Notice Period
Notice + hearing (ORS 94.630)
Hearing
Opportunity to be heard (ORS 94.630)
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What's Covered in This Oregon HOA Guide
Oregon HOA Laws & Homeowner Rights
Explains board duties under the Oregon Planned Community Act (ORS 94.550-94.783): follow ORS 94.630 before fining (authority, a delivered fine schedule, an opportunity to be heard), provide record access under ORS 94.670 within about 10 business days, and foreclose liens only judicially under ORS 94.709 and 94.719. Also covers solar (ORS 94.778) and EV-charging (ORS 94.762) protections and why no Oregon statute mandates mediation.
Read the full Oregon HOA laws guide →Oregon HOA Fine Limits & Lien Procedures
Details Oregon's fine framework: no statewide dollar cap, but fines must be authorized, tied to a delivered fine schedule, and preceded by notice and an opportunity to be heard (ORS 94.630). Covers judicial foreclosure of assessment liens (ORS 94.709 and 94.719), its 12-24 month timeline, the 30-day deadline to answer a foreclosure complaint (ORCP 7 C(2)), and how Oregon compares to California's $100-per-violation cap.
Read the full Oregon HOA fine-limits guide →How to Fight an HOA Violation in Oregon
Walks through Oregon's enforcement rules under ORS 94.630: a fine is valid only after written notice, an opportunity to be heard, and a fine schedule the association delivered to owners — with no statutory 30-day cure period. Also covers proving selective enforcement, requesting records under ORS 94.670 (generally within about 10 business days), and why Oregon requires only an offer of county dispute resolution, not mandatory mediation.
Read the full Oregon dispute guide →Frequently Asked Questions About Oregon HOA Laws
Is there a maximum fine in Oregon?
No statewide dollar cap. Oregon Planned Community Act does not impose a maximum fine limit. However, ORS 94.630 requires that all enforcement procedures be followed strictly, fines must be authorized by governing documents, and "reasonable" fines are implied by statute. Courts have been reluctant to enforce excessive fines that violate procedural requirements.
Does Oregon require 30 days' notice before an HOA fine?
Not by statute. ORS 94.630 requires the HOA to give written notice and an opportunity to be heard before levying a fine, and to follow a fine schedule it has delivered to owners — but it does not set a fixed 30-day cure period. A specific cure timeframe may come from your governing documents. So focus on whether you got real notice and a genuine chance to be heard, not on a "30-day" rule.
Must my Oregon HOA provide a hearing before fining me?
Under ORS 94.630, before levying a fine the HOA must give you written notice and an opportunity to be heard. The statute does not spell out a formal board-hearing procedure with set notice days — those specifics come from your governing documents — but you do have a statutory right to be heard before a fine, and a fine imposed without it is vulnerable to challenge.
Does Oregon require mediation before an HOA lawsuit?
No. There is no "ORS 94.769," and Oregon has no mandatory-mediation statute. Before filing certain litigation, a party must only <em>offer</em> to use a county dispute-resolution program (ORS 94.630) — and that requirement can be bypassed if the process isn't completed within 30 days, and it does NOT apply to suits to collect assessments. Parties can also agree to mediate voluntarily, but neither side is required to.
Can my Oregon HOA foreclose on solar panels or EV charging equipment?
Oregon protects both: solar energy systems under ORS 94.778 and EV charging stations under ORS 94.762. An HOA cannot prohibit them outright, but it CAN require an application and impose reasonable conditions (for EV charging, the HOA must act on a completed application within 60 days; for solar, it may set reasonable size, placement, and aesthetic requirements). ("SB 180 (2021)," sometimes cited for this, is actually an insurance-notification bill — not the HOA solar/EV law.)
How does Oregon compare to California, Washington, and Nevada on HOA protections?
Oregon requires judicial foreclosure of HOA liens (ORS 94.709), unlike Washington's nonjudicial process. Oregon does NOT mandate mediation — it only requires an offer of county dispute resolution before certain suits (ORS 94.630), which is bypassable and doesn't apply to assessment collection. Oregon has no fine cap but requires notice and an opportunity to be heard; California caps fines (e.g., $100 per violation). Oregon's judicial-foreclosure requirement is its strongest homeowner protection.
Oregon Violation Guides by Category
Explore detailed guides for specific violation types, including your rights, sample response letters, and appeal strategies.
Related expert guides
Browse Other State Guides
Every state has different HOA rules. Compare Oregon's with these high-traffic state guides, or see all 50 in the Max HOA Fine in Every State master table.
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Official Oregon sources
Primary government sources, so you can read the law yourself rather than take our summary for it. Links checked 2026-08-12.
- Governing statute
- Oregon Planned Community Act — ORS 94.550 to 94.783 (official state site)
- State agency with HOA jurisdiction
- None. Oregon has no state agency that resolves HOA disputes; the Planned Community Act is enforced through the courts. The Department of Justice handles general consumer complaints rather than association governance.
- Consumer protection
- Oregon Attorney General consumer resourcesAttorneys General handle consumer fraud. They generally do not adjudicate HOA governance or fine disputes.