Richard nodded stiffly. Emily sat down, and I stood with the blue binder in my hand.
"Before I respond, I'd like to ask a question," I said.
Richard gestured for me to continue.
"Is this hearing about whether I violated a specific HOA rule, or whether Linda objects to how I responded when I asked her to identify one?"
Linda made a dismissive sound. Richard's expression tightened. "It's about conduct."
"Which conduct?"
"Harassment, threatening behavior, and interference with board operations."
"Then let's look at those claims in order."
I opened the binder to the first tab. Instead of describing Linda's character, I began with the dog. I explained that Odin was a six-month-old black Labrador being raised as a future service dog, that we were taking him to visit Emily's parents, and that I had briefly handed the leash to Emily while disposing of his waste. Then I turned toward her.
"Emily, were you holding the leash?"
"Yes."
"Was it attached to Odin's collar?"
"Yes."
"Was he beside you under control?"
"He was sitting beside my leg the whole time."
Linda interrupted. "That wasn't the point of the conversation."
"It was the first accusation you made," I replied. "You said he wasn't leashed. He was."
Richard raised a hand. "Let's avoid arguing directly. Mr. Dalton, proceed."
I nodded. "Fine. We left without a citation or any dog-related notice. Three weeks later came the first grill incident."
I distributed copies of the HOA provision that Richard had shown me. I read the relevant language slowly, then explained that when Richard directed me to shut down the grill pending clarification, I had done so. I did not claim the rule was meaningless or that the board could never adopt a stricter policy on its own property. I explained that I'd asked for a written provision and had complied with the immediate direction while researching it.
Susan leaned forward. "You're saying you shut the grill down during the first encounter?"
"Yes. I removed it from the common area."
She turned toward Richard. "Is that your recollection?"
He cleared his throat. "He did shut it down after I spoke with him."
"And no formal violation notice was issued at that time?"
"No. We provided a warning."
I continued. "Richard also said further grilling violations could lead to fines against Emily's unit and police involvement. I took that seriously, so I checked the documents."
I passed along the recorded plat and municipal parcel information. The board members bent over the maps. Susan held one copy alongside the aerial image and followed the boundary with her finger.
"That strip beside the road belongs to the city?" she asked.
"According to the recorded documents and city information, yes."
She looked at Richard. "Did we know that?"
"We know it now," he replied.
"Did we know when the police complaint was made?"
He hesitated. "No. We believed the landscaping area belonged to the association."
"Who verified that belief before the call?"