Then reminded me not to conduct my own confrontations or attempt to obtain evidence from people unwilling to provide it.
I agreed.
I wasn't trying to become a detective.
I was trying to understand why a woman who claimed to be protecting community water resources appeared surrounded by a trail of damaged irrigation systems and expensive contractor bills.
And that trail was beginning to lead toward the HOA's finances.
The HOA's next move came on Monday.
Patricia sent a letter to every homeowner in Mesa Verde Estates.
The subject line read:
IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING COMMUNITY WATER CONSERVATION AND RESIDENT NONCOMPLIANCE
I opened the email at my desk shortly after nine.
The message was carefully written.
It described the neighborhood's responsibility to reduce water waste in a desert environment. It praised the HOA's efforts to modernize aging irrigation infrastructure and emphasized that residents had an obligation to maintain attractive, efficient landscapes.
Those were reasonable goals.
Then the message changed.
Patricia claimed that certain homeowners had become hostile toward the conservation program and were spreading misinformation about its requirements.
She warned that damaged irrigation systems could create significant expenses for the association.
Then she described an incident in which a resident allegedly confronted an HOA official during an emergency compliance inspection.
My jaw tightened.
She didn't name me.
But everyone on our street knew whose backyard had been visited by police.
I read farther.
The association remains committed to enforcing adopted standards without being intimidated by residents who believe their personal preferences supersede community responsibilities.
I stared at the screen.
Then opened the attachment.
It contained a photograph of a broken sprinkler.
My sprinkler.
Patricia had apparently taken the picture before the police arrived.
I felt anger rise.
She'd entered my yard.
Smashed the equipment herself.
Then used a photograph of the resulting damage to suggest that my property represented a water-conservation problem.
For a moment, I wanted to reply to everyone.
I wanted to attach the video.
Show the hammer.