Harrison County, MS HOA Rules: Board Governance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- UDC § 501.03, Master Planned Community District
- Minimum tract size
- 500 acres
- Enforcement body
- Community's own self-governing entity, not the county
- County's role
- Approves master plan after public hearing
- Plan changes
- Material changes need Board of Supervisors review
Summary
Harrison County has no general HOA statute; the closest local rule sits inside its Master Planned Community Overlay District. UDC § 501.03 requires the development's own self-governing entity, created by the property owners, to administer, manage, and enforce the covenants, land-use restrictions, and design standards in the approved master plan.
The Master Planned Community, through a community self-governing entity created by the owners of the property, shall administer, manage, and enforce the land use restrictions and covenants, land use designations, design standards, and any other private agreements, lawful limitations or restrictions on land and buildings provided in the master plan for the Master planned Community.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Harrison County has no general homeowners-association statute of its own; the county's only HOA-related requirement lives inside the Unified Development Code's Master Planned Community (M-1) Overlay District, created under Article V, § 501, for large tracts of at least 500 acres combining residential, commercial, and other uses under one master plan. 02 lets the developer's master plan define the permitted land uses within the district. 03, titled "Governance," then places enforcement responsibility on the development itself rather than the county: "The Master Planned Community, through a community self-governing entity created by the owners of the property, shall administer, manage, and enforce the land use restrictions and covenants, land use designations, design standards, and any other private agreements" set out in the master plan.
In practice, that self-governing entity is the project's homeowners' or property owners' association, and it, not the county Planning Department, is responsible for day-to-day covenant enforcement once the district is approved. 04, the Board of Supervisors must review the master plan and hold a public hearing before approval, and that approval is treated as an amendment to both the county Comprehensive Plan and the Zoning District Map, with the approved boundary recorded with the Chancery Clerk. Modifications to an approved master plan that materially change land use regulations or design standards likewise require Board of Supervisors review, so the self-governing entity's authority operates inside limits the county itself continues to control.
Violations & Fines
The UDC doesn't penalize private covenant disputes inside a Master Planned Community directly: those are enforced by the community's own self-governing entity under its recorded covenants. A material, unapproved change to the master plan's land use or design standards, however, is a zoning violation the county can pursue under § 1409.03, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $100 per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Harrison County enforce my HOA's rules?
What is a Master Planned Community under Harrison County's code?
Can a developer change the master plan's covenants later?
Who records the boundaries of a Master Planned Community?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Harrison County
Compare Harrison County to another location·View the Mississippi hoa rules overview
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