Pennsylvania HOA board meeting notice rules explained

Who this page applies to

This page explains board meeting notice rules for Pennsylvania planned communities (HOAs) governed by the Uniform Planned Community Act (UPCA), 68 Pa. C.S. Chapter 53, specifically § 5308 (meetings) and § 5309 (quorum).

It does not cover:

• Pennsylvania condominiums, which follow the parallel rules in 68 Pa. C.S. § 3308 of the Uniform Condominium Act. The meeting notice rules are nearly identical, but they are separate provisions.
• Cooperatives, governed under a separate chapter.
• Planned communities formed before February 2, 1997, which may not be governed by the UPCA.

The rule in ordinary language

Pennsylvania HOA meeting rules focus on when notice must be given and how — but, unlike every other mid-Atlantic state, appear to say nothing about whether board meetings must be open to owners at all.

10 to 60 days advance notice. Under § 5308(a), the association’s designated officer must cause notice to be delivered to all unit owners not less than 10 nor more than 60 days before any meeting. Notice must include the meeting time and place, and the items on the agenda — including the general nature of any proposed declaration or bylaw amendment, any budget or assessment change, and any proposal to remove a director or officer.

Delivery methods include electronic. Notice may be sent by hand delivery or prepaid U.S. mail. Following Act 115 of 2022 (effective May 1, 2023), electronic notice is also available — by fax, email, or other electronic communication — if the unit owner has agreed in writing to accept electronic notice or if the association’s bylaws permit electronic notices (§ 5308(b)).

Remote participation counts as attendance. Members may participate in meetings by conference telephone or other electronic technology, including the Internet. Participation by remote technology counts as in-person attendance (§ 5308(c), as amended by Act 115 of 2022).

Meetings may be recorded. The board may record meetings by audio or video if the presiding officer announces this at the start. Recordings must be kept available to unit owners for at least six months (§ 5308(e)).

Pre-election candidate session. When there are more candidates than open board positions, the association must hold a special session at least seven days before the election to allow candidates to address unit owners (§ 5308(d)).

Quorum. For association meetings, quorum is persons entitled to cast 20% of the votes (unless bylaws require a larger percentage or set a smaller one, with a floor of 10%) (§ 5309). Board quorum is a majority of board votes present at the start of the meeting.

What is actually different about Pennsylvania HOAs

The open meeting gap. Pennsylvania is the only state among the five mid-Atlantic states studied where the community association act contains no mandatory open meeting requirement for HOA board meetings, and no executive session framework. Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey all explicitly require board meetings to be open to owners (subject to enumerated exceptions). Pennsylvania’s UPCA Chapter 53 appears to address notice, delivery, quorum, and remote participation — but not whether the meetings must be open in the first place.

What this means operationally: a Pennsylvania HOA board that holds closed monthly meetings and provides only the required 10–60-day advance notice to unit owners is in statutory compliance with 68 Pa. C.S. § 5308 as currently written. Whether your specific association’s bylaws or declaration impose additional open meeting requirements is a separate question — and the document that actually governs your community, not the statute.

Act 115 of 2022 added electronic notice and remote participation, not open meeting rules. The most recent significant amendment to the UPCA (Act 115, effective May 1, 2023) focused on modernizing delivery methods and meeting formats for the post-pandemic environment. It did not add an open meeting mandate. This is the current state of the statute.

The notice window is identical to Delaware and the condo act. Pennsylvania’s 10–60-day window for HOA meetings matches Delaware’s DUCIOA window and Pennsylvania’s own condo act window exactly. The notice mechanics are specific; the access rights for owners are not.

Operational questions to ask

If you are on a board:

• Your bylaws and declaration — not just 68 Pa. C.S. § 5308 — determine whether your board meetings must be open to owners. If your governing documents require open meetings or provide executive session procedures, follow them.
• Does your notice delivery process comply with Act 115 of 2022? Electronic notice is now valid if the unit owner has consented in writing or if your bylaws authorize it. Check whether your bylaws have been updated to reflect the current law.
• When holding a meeting at which a declaration or bylaw amendment will be proposed, or at which assessments will change or an officer or director will be removed, does the meeting notice specifically name those agenda items? § 5308(a) requires them to be disclosed in advance.

If you are an owner:

• Check your association’s declaration and bylaws for open meeting provisions. If your governing documents require open meetings, the board must comply with those documents even if the statute is silent. The statute sets a floor; the governing documents can require more.
• You are entitled to at least 10 days’ advance notice of any meeting. If a meeting was held without notice to you, and an action was taken that affects your rights (assessment change, director removal), review what your governing documents say about the effect of improper notice.
• If your bylaws are silent on open meetings, and the board holds closed sessions, that may be lawful under current Pennsylvania statutory law. Understanding which document governs your community is the first step.

What to do next

Verify the current text of § 5308 directly at legis.state.pa.us (Title 68, Chapter 53, Section 8). The Pennsylvania General Assembly website is the authoritative source. Act 115 of 2022 amended several provisions of Title 68 effective May 1, 2023; confirm that you are reading the current consolidated version.

This page is the explainer layer, not a legal memo. Confirm current statute text at the source link before relying on specific procedural details.