2026-09-12 · Maine · Legislation

The finding. A chapter-by-chapter check of Title 33 of the Maine Revised Statutes — the property title — confirms it: of 39 chapters running from chapter 1 to chapter 45, exactly three touch common-interest housing, and none of them governs a homeowners association of single-family homes.¹

• Chapter 10 — the Unit Ownership Act, §§ 560–589-C, enacted by P.L. 1965, c. 357
• Chapter 10-A — time shares
• Chapter 31 — the Maine Condominium Act, §§ 1601-101 to 1604-118, enacted by P.L. 1981, c. 699

That is the whole list. There is no planned-community chapter, no homeowners-association chapter, and no general common-interest-community chapter anywhere in the title.

The condominium split, and the date that decides it

Maine's two condominium statutes divide on a single line of text. The Condominium Act says so itself, at § 1601-116:

“Effective date. This Act shall be effective on January 1, 1983.”

So a condominium created on or after 1 January 1983 runs on chapter 31. A condominium created before that date runs on the 1965 Unit Ownership Act, unless it has converted. Several sections of the older act, §§ 560–587, remain independently applicable through the newer act's own savings clause at § 1601-102.

Which statute governs your condominium is therefore a function of your recording date — not of your size, your structure or your documents.

And if you are not a condominium

A Maine planned community — detached houses, a road association, a shared beach or dock, an association that collects dues — is governed by:

• its recorded declaration and CC&Rs, which are the operative law;
• the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act, Title 13-B, for corporate governance where the association is incorporated; and
• common law.

The Condominium Act is condominium-only. Its provisions should not be read across to a planned community, however closely the two resemble each other in practice.

1. Maine Revised Statutes, Title 33 — official chapter index (39 chapters, ch. 1 to ch. 45) ↩
2. 33 M.R.S. ch. 10, Unit Ownership Act, §§ 560–589-C (P.L. 1965, c. 357) — full chapter text ↩
3. Maine Condominium Act, 33 M.R.S. ch. 31 — full chapter text, including § 1601-116 effective date and § 1601-102 savings clause ↩
4. 33 M.R.S. § 576-A, Electric vehicle charging stations allowed — reaches any common interest community ↩