You asked for the minutes. They sent you a paragraph describing what the board “discussed and decided.” You asked for the vendor contract. They told you “the board approved it.” That is one of the most common records tactics there is — and it isn’t compliance. Arizona law entitles you to the record itself, not the association’s explanation of what the record says.
The right is to the record, not a summary
The statute says the association’s records shall be made available for examination and copying:
“…all financial and other records of the association shall be made reasonably available for examination by any member…” — § 33-1805(A)
“Records” means the actual documents — the meeting minutes, the signed contract, the general ledger, the bank statements, the reserve study. A narrative from the manager (“here’s what happened at the meeting”) is a substitute the law doesn’t authorize. You’re entitled to see the primary document and check it yourself.
How to respond when they send an explanation
Keep it short, factual, and in writing:
“Thank you. To confirm, my request under A.R.S. § 33-1805 is for the records themselves — specifically [the board minutes for the June 3 meeting / the executed landscaping contract / the general ledger for January–June]. Please provide the documents, scanned to PDF and emailed, within the statutory time. A summary or description is not responsive to the request.”
Note the ask for PDF by email — that also closes off the “come to the office” and per-page copy-fee stalls. See how to communicate for the tone that serves you.
Track every request
Records disputes are won on the timeline. For every request, keep:
- What you asked for — specifically, so “we didn’t understand the request” doesn’t fly;
- The date you sent it — the 10-business-day clock starts;
- The delivery you requested — PDF by email;
- What came back — and crucially, whether they produced the record or only an explanation;
- Every follow-up, with dates.
The Records Request Tracker in your account does this for you — it calculates the deadline and flags when a response was “explanation only,” not the record.
Other moves to watch for
- Partial production — a few pages of a longer record. Ask for the complete document.
- Over-redaction — blacking out more than the narrow statutory exceptions (attorney-client, pending litigation, individuals’ private data). Ask which exception applies to each redaction.
- “We’ll get to it” — the 10-business-day deadline is the law, not a suggestion.
- Fees to look — examining records is free; only copies are capped at 15¢ a page.
If they still won’t produce the record
A missed deadline, a summary instead of the document, or improper fees or redactions are exactly what the ADRE petition process is for. Bring your tracked timeline — it’s the case.