But she had given me a stage. She just didn't understand that yet. 63 homeowners filed in over 20 minutes. I counted.
63 out of 96, the largest community turnout in the development's history as far as anyone could remember. People who hadn't attended a board meeting in years, people who had been afraid to come to any meeting, people who had read Margaret's community safety notice and needed to see for themselves what was happening at number 14. They filled the folding chairs, lined the walls, stood near the door with their coats still on. Margaret was at the front table with her two board members flanking her, a laptop connected to a projector, and a presentation she had clearly spent time preparing.
The slide behind her read, "Ridgecrest Meadows HOA Community Standards Enforcement Update." Tom Garza stood near the back wall, arms folded. Mrs. Patterson sat three seats to my left, handbag in her lap, hands clasped over it. They hadn't come together.
They'd arrived separately. But when Tom caught my eye across the room, he gave me the smallest nod I've ever received from another human being. I set the manila folder on my knee. I did not open it.
Margaret opened without acknowledging anyone by name. "On September 14th, the board took authorized compliance action at 14 Elmcrest Drive in response to documented infrastructure violations under Section 12 of the community CC&Rs. The homeowner was provided 30 days prior notice. The work was performed by a licensed contractor. The board acted to protect the safety of every home in this community."
She clicked to the next slide. A photograph of my exterior meter panel, the same one from the prior board meeting, now blown up to fill the projection screen. Beside it on the slide, a copy of work order 2241.
"The homeowner has refused to cooperate with the compliance process. He has declined to pay the assessed fine. As a result, the board has filed a formal lien against the property. If cooperation is not forthcoming, the board is prepared to pursue further legal remedies up to and including foreclosure proceedings."
She said "foreclosure proceedings" without any particular emphasis. The way someone mentions a tool they've used before and expect to use again. The room was very quiet. A man near the front raised his hand.
The Birchwood Lane husband, the one who'd called me about the trash can fine. What exactly was non-compliant about his utility connections specifically? Margaret looked at him pleasantly. Our compliance team documented multiple deviations from community standards under the applicable CC&R provisions.
Can you show us which section? That documentation will be provided during any formal legal proceeding. She moved to pick up the next page. He started to say something else.
She was already moving on. The board members nodded. They had been nodding since she started. They would nod until she stopped.
I watched Mrs. Patterson watching them. She had the expression of someone recognizing a pattern they had hoped they were wrong about. The presentation ran 18 minutes. When it ended, Margaret looked directly at me for the first time all evening.