Then she claimed the board was putting itself at risk by refusing to address possible hazards.
Sandra looked directly at her.
"What specific hazard has been verified?"
Linda hesitated.
"Potential electrical issues."
The treasurer frowned.
"By whom?"
"Clearwater."
"Do we have a qualified inspection report establishing the condition?"
Linda looked annoyed.
"We have preliminary assessments."
Sandra held out her hand.
"Then let's see them."
For several seconds, Linda stared.
Finally, she said the documents were still being finalized.
Sandra leaned backward.
"Then we shouldn't represent the pool as having a confirmed dangerous defect."
Several directors nodded.
Linda's face reddened.
The board voted to suspend additional payments related to the proposed pool program pending independent review.
It also directed the management company to stop advertising community access to Devon's property.
Linda was furious.
The vote threatened the project she'd spent months trying to control.
And it created immediate financial problems for the affiliated programming business.
The expected revenue was disappearing.
Clearwater's invoices were under scrutiny.
And the president's undisclosed interests were becoming harder to explain.
After the meeting, Linda returned home and called Victor Sloane.
Her voice was shaking.
"We're losing everything."
Victor sounded frustrated.
"Then stop making it worse."
She stared at the phone.
For a moment, she couldn't believe he'd said it.
Then she answered.
"No. I'm not letting him win."
And that was the moment the dispute began moving toward the dangerous confrontation beside Devon's swimming pool.
Victor Sloane had begun regretting the entire arrangement.
When Linda first approached him, the proposal looked like an attractive business opportunity. Her HOA wanted recreational programming, an existing swimming pool was available, and she assured him that obtaining the necessary permissions would be a routine administrative matter.
But months had passed.
The homeowner continued refusing.
The association's treasurer was questioning invoices.
And one of Clearwater's own employees had begun raising concerns about the way the project was being handled.
Victor's attorney had advised him to preserve all relevant records and avoid making further representations about the property's safety or access rights without reliable documentation.
The advice frightened him.
He'd built Clearwater around relationships and repeat business.
A scandal involving unauthorized access to a private pool could damage everything he'd worked for.
He called Linda on Monday morning.
"We need to close the project."
She stared at her phone.
"What?"
"We don't have an access agreement. The board suspended the spending. We can't continue."
Linda stood beside her kitchen island.
"You're abandoning me?"
Victor sighed.
"I'm telling you the project isn't authorized."
She glanced toward a folder containing the financial projections.
Months of planning.
Event bookings.
Vendor proposals.