Other homeowners had lost money.
Some had lost vehicles.
And many had accepted the outcome because they believed fighting would cost more than complying.
That was what made the situation serious.
Not my Porsche.
Not Sandra's personality.
The possibility that a private enforcement system had become profitable precisely because ordinary people were afraid to question it.
The first person from Stonebridge to tell investigators a substantially different story was Jeff Bell.
He was the man who had attached the yellow wheel clamp to my Porsche.
On the afternoon of the incident, he looked frightened when the deputies arrived.
But during his initial interview, he'd insisted that he was merely following company instructions.
That explanation wasn't necessarily false.
Employees often followed instructions.
The question was whether the instructions were lawful and whether Jeff knew the removal was unauthorized.
For nearly two weeks, he avoided speaking with anyone beyond his attorney.
Then something changed.
Stonebridge stopped scheduling him for work.
His supervisor told him the company had been embarrassed by the incident.
The owner suggested Jeff had made the situation worse by speaking too freely with the sheriff's deputies.
And the company refused to reimburse several expenses Jeff incurred while responding to the investigation.
He became angry.
Then frightened.
Because he began realizing that the people who gave him the instructions were preparing to blame him for following them.
Jeff contacted an attorney.
Through that attorney, he arranged to provide a fuller account to investigators.
I wasn't present.
I didn't want to influence his statement.
But I later learned the relevant facts through the evidence and lawful proceedings.
Jeff explained that Stonebridge had developed a standardized procedure for certain HOA vehicle removals.
Employees received a work order.
A vehicle description.
A location.
And paperwork described as an association enforcement authorization.
They were told to identify themselves as community security personnel.
If a homeowner objected, the team was instructed to remain firm and refer the complaint to the HOA.
Sometimes the vehicle was removed immediately.
Other times, a clamp was attached while a towing operator prepared equipment.
Jeff had never received formal police powers.
He knew that.
But he believed the company's contracts gave it some authority to carry out the removals.
At least, that's what he'd told himself.
Then investigators asked about private driveways.