Oregon • Special assessment notice
Special assessment from your Oregon HOA — what do ORS 100 and 94 require?
Oregon is stronger on reserves than most states — it requires both a study and a funded account — but it left out a funding minimum, so the gap that drives special assessments is still there. And wildfire and earthquake costs are now feeding into those assessments.
The short answer
Oregon requires a reserve study and a funded reserve account (ORS 100.175 / 94.595), but sets no minimum funding level — so underfunding still drives special assessments. During declarant control, a capital-improvement special assessment needs over 50% owner approval (ORS 94.704). CondoSignal reads your notice against Oregon's acts. Free.Oregon at a glance
Reserve study
Required + funded
But no minimum funding %.
Declarant-control vote
> 50% owners
For capital improvements (ORS 94.704).
Assessment cap
None
No statutory cap.
Condo super-lien
Notice-based
Only with a 90-day lender notice.
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.
Your rights in Oregon
Oregon owners are entitled to a reserve study and funded reserve account (ORS 100.175 / 94.595), and to an owner vote on capital-improvement special assessments during declarant control (ORS 94.704). None of this is legal advice — confirm against ORS ch. 100/94 and Oregon counsel.
What to check
- Compare the reserve study's recommendation to the actual balance.
- Confirm whether the association is still under declarant control.
- If so, check for the required >50% owner vote on capital work.
- Ask whether the assessment is really an insurance-deductible gap.
- For wildfire/quake zones, check master coverage and deductibles.
- Request the budget and special-assessment history directly.
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.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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