The homeowner had requested controlled key issuance precisely because of the suspected intrusions.
They documented the number of keys supplied.
Two for the household.
One spare sealed for the owner's records.
No HOA copies.
No unrestricted service key.
The contractor opened his installation paperwork.
Then checked the service notes.
For several seconds, he read silently.
Finally, his expression changed.
He looked up.
"There's a follow-up entry."
The engineer felt his chest tighten.
"What kind?"
The contractor turned the document.
It showed a request for a duplicate key submitted through the company's office two days after installation.
The request purported to be authorized by the property owner.
It listed the pool address.
The gate hardware.
And a collection contact associated with an HOA maintenance service.
The engineer stared.
"I never submitted that."
The contractor's face tightened.
He looked closer.
Then said quietly.
"This needs to go to our compliance manager."
The engineer nodded.
"Yes."
He did not accuse the contractor personally.
The man had completed the original work correctly.
But somebody had apparently convinced another employee at the security company to create an additional key.
The records would need examination.
The request could have contained a forged authorization.
An employee might have violated company procedures.
Or someone might have misrepresented their authority.
The important point was that the homeowner had not approved the duplication.
The security company preserved its records and began reviewing the transaction.
Within several days, its manager confirmed that an additional key had been released following an improperly verified request.
The collection details referred to a maintenance vendor used by the Copper Mesa HOA.
The vendor's authorization paperwork contained a copied signature that did not match the homeowner's signed approval documents.
When shown the request, the engineer felt a cold anger.
Someone had used his name to obtain access to his backyard.
It was no longer merely a dispute about HOA interpretation.