Special assessment from your Oregon HOA — what do ORS 100 and 94 require?

Oregon at a glance

Reserve study and funding required — but no minimum

Oregon requires a reserve study with annual review and a funded reserve account (ORS 100.175 for condos, ORS 94.595 for HOAs). But the statute sets no minimum funding percentage, so a board can keep reserves thin and still comply — and then special-assess for deferred maintenance. The study's recommendation versus the actual balance is the number to check.

The declarant-control vote

While the developer still controls the association, a capital-improvement special assessment requires owner approval by more than 50% of votes (ORS 94.704) — a protection in newer communities. After turnover, the threshold is whatever the governing documents say. There's no statutory cap on the amount or frequency.

Wildfire and quake costs

Increasingly, Oregon special assessments are insurance-driven: as carriers raise master deductibles (which can exceed $10,000 by board resolution) and pull back in wildfire zones, the gaps land on owners. A building in Bend, Ashland, or a Cascadia-exposed metro should expect insurance to be a recurring assessment driver.

Sources

• ORS 100.175 — condominium reserve study & funding(High)
• ORS 94.704 — special-assessment voting(High)
• ORS 100.450 — condo lien priority (90-day notice)(High)

Educational only — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Confirm against the current statute and, where it matters, a Oregon-licensed professional.