She opened a folder.
"I want you to see how the cleanup charges were processed."
I leaned forward.
She placed a printed report on the table.
It listed eleven incidents classified as emergency sanitation violations during the previous fourteen months.
Each involved a private residential property.
Each had been referred to ClearWater Community Remediation.
And in several cases, the work order had been opened before the homeowner reported or acknowledged the condition requiring cleanup.
I studied the dates.
The first case involved debris allegedly found beside a garden shed.
The second described a contaminated patio.
The third concerned refuse near a swimming pool.
Several others involved fences, storage areas, and outdoor equipment.
I looked toward the new president.
"Have you contacted the homeowners?"
She nodded.
"Some."
"What did they say?"
Her expression became serious.
"Several reported that the condition appeared suddenly."
I stared.
She continued.
"One homeowner says she found a pile of trash beside her shed the morning after arguing with the former president."
I thought about the garbage bags in my pool.
The new president turned another page.
"Another says a contractor arrived with an estimate before she had even received a violation notice."
I leaned back.
That detail mattered.
An ordinary emergency cleanup might be scheduled quickly.
But the association's own records suggested some jobs had been planned before the relevant conditions were documented.
I looked toward the attorney.
"Is the board preserving the original records?"
She nodded.
"Yes. We're arranging independent review and preventing alteration or deletion of material within the association's control."
The new president continued.
"The company received payments for inspection, cleanup, remediation, and administrative handling. Some jobs have clear records. Others don't."
I examined the report.
"How much?"
She took a breath.
"The preliminary total is approximately two hundred and eighteen thousand dollars."
I stared.
That was more than I expected.
The association had spent a substantial amount of money on a program whose supporting documents now raised serious questions.
But the total alone didn't prove wrongdoing.
Some services might have been legitimate.
Some contractors may have performed real work.
And some homeowners might genuinely have needed sanitation assistance.
The investigation would have to distinguish those cases.
The new president seemed to understand that.
She pointed toward the folder.
"We're not assuming every invoice is fraudulent. We're checking each one."
I nodded.
"That's the right approach."
Then she removed another document.
"This is what worries me most."
It was a copy of a vendor disclosure form.