If your neighborhood group is willing to work together I think you can save some expenses.

A few years ago the neighborhood we lived in went through the process of forming a statutory road association.  We did it with minimal assistance from an attorney.  We started with the Guide to Forming A Road Association handbook and the template that you can get from the state website.  We also were able to get a copy of bylaws from several other road associations.  A group of 6-8 of people used this as a guide to craft our bylaws.  The bylaws we had reviewed by an attorney who also helped us in drafting the other paperwork for the first association meeting.  We spent less than $500 on attorney fees.  

The initial mailings and printing cost us about $425 to complete that requirement for the first meeting. We made sure one of the votes at the first meeting was to switch to email notifications for future communications to reduce costs.

Insurance is expensive and is probably going up.  Insurance costs for that new association of 65 members was around $1400 per year.  We included both Directors and officers along with liability for the association.  Since I don’t live there any more I am not sure of the current costs.

Our experience was similar in that we had a nonprofit which failed for lack of participation.  At the time we had 35 members, and only a dozen were paying.  With two miles of road, we didn't even have enough funds to pay the plow bill.  So in 2012 we folded the non-profit and started a new Statutory association.  We did it all ourselves, no attorney involved (since we had no funds.)  We just followed the instructions and used the forms available through MARA.  Each year after that, our paying membership increased.  Thanks to several large lots having been further divided, we now have 55 members.  Of those, there are just a couple who have not paid last year's dues, plus two longer term non-payers.  We have only used the Notice of Claim process on members who had not paid in over two years.  Only one of those remains unpaid.  Mostly, when people saw that the road was getting regularly plowed, they were more willing to pay.  As more paid, we were able to mow the roadsides, start addressing adding gravel, grading, etc.  In our annual letter, we let people know what we've accomplished, and we remind them of how important access is to their property value.  (I think that has helped especially to get payments from those who own undeveloped land, who are seldom there to see what is being done.)  As for insurance, our two miles cost us $750 per year through Oberg Insurance in Bridgton.  If people are not willing to have their signatures on the initial warrant, remind them of the alternative - sporadic plowing and further deterioration of the road.

I agree with the comments about following the statutes to the letter.  The attorneys who speak at the Annual MARA Conference have reminded us repeatedly that the slightest omission in the procedure can give an attorney a reason to pursue a case.  If there are no such omissions, an attorney will be unlikely to want to take on a case against you.  But don't let that scare you off - just read the statutes carefully and follow them, and you'll be fine.

One resource on the MARA resources page that can be very useful is the Windham Binder (See the last link under paragraph 6 of the Resources.)  Although it was written specifically to assist residents on private roads in the Town of Windham, a great deal of the information it contains applies anywhere.  In particular, the Order of Filling Out Documents, section 3 of the binder, walks you step by step through all the proper filings and the initial meeting.  and if you're unsure of something, Don't hesitate to ask the Forum!  We are fortunate to have several experienced members who contribute answers on a regular basis.