According to the provisions of the Civil Law, if there is a dispute over the use of the housing maintenance fund, the time limit for bringing a lawsuit to the court is three years, counting from the time when the parties know that their rights have been infringed.
People's Republic of China (PRC) Civil Code
Article 188 The limitation period of ordinary litigation and the longest period of rights protection shall be three years. Where there are other provisions in the law, those provisions shall prevail.
The limitation period of action shall be counted from the date when the creditor knows or should know that the right is damaged and the debtor knows it. Where there are other provisions in the law, those provisions shall prevail. However, the people's court shall not protect the rights that have been damaged for more than 20 years. Under special circumstances, the people's court may decide to extend the time according to the application of the obligee.
Article 281 Ownership and Disposition of Maintenance Funds for Buildings and Their Ancillary Facilities The maintenance funds for buildings and their ancillary facilities belong to the owners. With the consent of the owner, it can be used for local maintenance, renewal and transformation of elevators, roofs, external walls and barrier-free facilities. The collection and use of maintenance funds for buildings and their ancillary facilities shall be announced regularly.
In case of emergency, if the building and its ancillary facilities need to be repaired, the owners' assembly or the owners' committee may apply for the maintenance funds of the building and its ancillary facilities according to law.
Second, how to use the housing maintenance fund
Housing maintenance funds are used for the maintenance and renewal of the main structure, public parts and public facilities and equipment after the warranty period expires. The main load-bearing structures of houses include foundation, internal and external load-bearing walls, columns, beams, floors and roofs. Public parts refer to outdoor walls, hallways, stairwells, corridors, etc. Public facilities and equipment refer to water pipes, elevators, facades, fire-fighting facilities, green spaces, roads, ditches and other facilities and equipment used by owners in houses and related supporting areas.
1. Maintenance funds can only be used to repair and update the public parts and facilities of the property after the warranty period expires. The specific owners shall share the cost proportion according to the determination standard of voting rights.
2. When the maintenance funds are idle, it is forbidden to use them for other purposes except purchasing government bonds or risk-free financial management.