He opened it.
Victoria wrote that she had responded to “a longstanding disputed-use issue involving association-access land” and contacted police “out of an abundance of caution.”
She stated that officers “declined to resolve the underlying civil dispute.”
Technically clever.
Also profoundly misleading.
She did not mention being trespassed.
She did not mention the recorded plat.
She did not mention entering Aaron’s yard before police arrived.
Aaron closed the app.
Then reopened it.
He hated himself.
Another resident commented:
Isn’t that whole yard on Aaron’s deed?
Someone replied:
The old walking path was never built.
Another:
My closing survey doesn’t show that easement either.
Then a name Aaron recognized.
Linda Price.
Wait. Victoria told me last year the rear eight feet of my yard was HOA access too.
Aaron sat upright.
Another resident:
Same here. She photographed my shed from behind the fence and said it was common access.
Another.
She told us our trampoline crossed an HOA corridor. We paid a fine.
Aaron stared at the screen.
This was no longer about him.
He put the phone down.
Then picked it back up.
He called Rachel Kim.
His real-estate attorney.
She answered with the exhausted voice of someone who regretted sharing her mobile number with clients.
“Sunday.”
“I know.”
“People have families, Aaron.”
“You have a cat.”
“He is family.”
“Victoria called police on me yesterday.”
Rachel became fully awake.
“What?”
He explained.
By the time he finished, she was typing.
“You have video?”
“Yes.”
“Incident report?”
“Number.”
“Survey?”
“Obviously.”
“HOA post?”
“Yes.”
“Screenshots now.”
Aaron sent them.
Rachel read.
“She is careful.”
“Meaning?”
“She says civil dispute rather than admitting the police found no HOA ownership.”
“She says safety response rather than false complaint.”
“Is it false?”
“Careful.”
“I’m asking.”
“We know her conclusion appears unsupported.”
“Lawyers are exhausting.”
“You hired me.”
Aaron told her about other residents commenting.
Rachel paused.
“That matters.”
“Why?”
“Because if this association has been enforcing a nonexistent easement across multiple parcels, you may have assessment and title issues.”
Aaron looked toward the backyard.
“How could they not know?”
“Oh, they can know.”
Rachel’s voice became drier.
“Organizations often know many contradictory things simultaneously.”
That sounded correct.
“What should I do?”
“Nothing.”
“I hate that answer.”
“I know.”
“Can I ask neighbors for documents?”
“You can.”
She paused.
“But don’t turn yourself into an investigator because you are angry.”
Aaron sighed.
“You and Danielle talk?”
“No.”
“You sound the same.”
“She sounds intelligent.”
Aaron hung up before the insult continued.
Monday morning, the HOA management company emailed every resident.
Emergency board meeting.
Thursday, 7 p.m.
Topic:
Clarification of Recreational Access Areas and Recent Law Enforcement Incident.
Aaron forwarded it to Rachel.
Her reply:
I’m attending.