Its owner, Gordon Voss, was Marianne's brother-in-law.
That relationship hadn't been clearly disclosed when the initial proposal reached the board.
Gordon was fifty-two, broad-faced, and experienced in vehicle transportation and storage.
His company operated a small secured lot outside the city.
It performed legitimate towing work for businesses, property managers, and private customers.
But Gordon also had a habit of treating questionable removal instructions as opportunities for additional fees.
Storage charges accumulated quickly.
Administrative costs were added.
And owners who disputed removals sometimes found it easier to pay than fight.
Marianne saw the company as a practical solution to difficult vehicle problems.
She also saw how the arrangement might help her son.
If Caleb's Lamborghini could be classified as a nuisance or unapproved vehicle, she believed the association could pressure him into removing it.
Summit could handle transportation.
And Brett might finally gain access through a negotiated arrangement.
The reasoning was deeply flawed.
An HOA notice wasn't a substitute for ownership.
A disputed rule didn't automatically authorize taking a vehicle from someone's private driveway.
And a towing contractor couldn't simply acquire a Lamborghini because a board president wanted it moved.
But Marianne was becoming increasingly willing to stretch legal language until it sounded like permission.
The first homeowner to question Summit's work was a sixty-seven-year-old widow named Eleanor Hayes.
Eleanor lived three streets from Caleb.
Her husband had died two years earlier, leaving behind a beautifully maintained silver Mercedes convertible that he'd driven for special occasions.
Eleanor rarely used it.
She preferred her smaller sedan for daily errands.
But the Mercedes remained registered, insured, and parked in her driveway.
One morning, she discovered a violation notice attached to its windshield.
The document described the car as potentially abandoned.
Eleanor contacted the management company.
She explained that the vehicle belonged to her and was in working condition.
A representative promised to review the notice.
Three days later, the Mercedes disappeared.
A neighbor told her a tow truck had removed it early that morning.
Eleanor spent hours trying to determine where the car had gone.
Eventually, she learned that Summit Property Recovery had transported it to a secured storage lot.
The company claimed it acted on instructions associated with HOA enforcement.
Eleanor disputed the removal.
She produced registration and insurance records.
But the company insisted certain charges had already accrued.
The experience left her frightened and humiliated.
She paid the amount necessary to recover the car while consulting an attorney about her rights.