A tabbed county sealed agreement 31 pages executed in 2008 renewed in 2016 active through 2031. The commission chair, a methodical man named Gerald Foss who had run these hearings for 19 years, put on his reading glasses and began at the cover page. The room waited. Gerald Foss read for 90 seconds.
Then he set the document down and removed his glasses. Commissioner Elaine Marsh leaned forward. For the record, the franchise holder, Ridgecrest Power Services LLC, is the owner present today. Richard gestured toward me.
Yes, I said. I am. Marsh looked at me then at Margaret Chen then back at me. She wrote something down slowly as if she wanted the pen to record every letter.
The room shifted. It was subtle. People don't gasp in commission hearings but I felt it. The change in air pressure when something that has been framed one way is suddenly framed another.
Foss folded his hands and looked across the table at Margaret Chen. Mrs. Chen, this document establishes Ridgecrest Power Services LLC as the sole licensed utility provider for the Ridgecrest Meadows development holding exclusive franchise authority over all utility infrastructure serving the property. He tapped the cover page once. Can you confirm that the work order you signed authorized an outside contractor to perform physical work on this infrastructure?
Margaret's attorney leaned toward her. She listened, then looked at Foss. The board was acting under its authority to enforce community standards as established by the CC&Rs. "That's not what I asked."
Foss's voice didn't change in temperature. "Did you authorize a contractor to physically disconnect utility connections at a property served under this franchise agreement?" A pause. "We were not aware of the franchise agreement at the time of the action."
"The record indicates you were verbally informed of a private franchise agreement covering Ridgecrest Meadows utility infrastructure approximately 3 weeks prior to issuing the work order. Is that accurate?" Margaret's attorney put his hand on her arm. She said nothing.
Richard set the second document on the table. "The property plat for Ridgecrest Meadows, surveyed and recorded, shows the precise routing of utility infrastructure across the development. Every line, every junction, every point of connection. The infrastructure FastCut Electrical worked on," Richard said, "runs entirely on private property. Specifically property either owned by or under exclusive licensed franchise to Ridgecrest Power Services LLC. It is not HOA common area by any definition in the recorded plat."
The third document was FastCut Electrical's license record from the state contractor board: "Class B residential. Renovation, repair, standard panel work. Nothing above it. The work performed on September 14th required a Class A utility contractor license and prior written approval from this commission. Richard kept his voice conversational. Neither was obtained."
The gray suit attorney stopped straightening his papers.
"The fourth document was work order 2241: Margaret's signature, HOA seal, FastCut Electrical named as contractor, my address, my lot number, authorizing the work in her own handwriting." Foss looked at it, then at her. Margaret was looking at the table. One of her board members, the one who always sat to her left, leaned away from her.