My son had moved it beside the garage after helping me take out the trash, and it remained visible from the street for a few hours longer than the HOA preferred.
I received a warning.
I moved the bin.
The second concerned a garden hose.
The third questioned whether our porch furniture complied with the community's design standards.
Then came a notice claiming our welcome mat was an unapproved decorative installation.
That one made my wife laugh.
"A decorative installation?"
She held up the notice.
"It's a doormat."
I shrugged.
"Apparently a very threatening one."
She smiled.
"Should we hire an architect?"
I laughed.
But the notices continued.
Eventually, I began wondering whether we were being watched more closely than other homes.
I didn't jump to conclusions.
Our neighborhood had a lot of rules, and I knew homeowners sometimes became frustrated simply because they hadn't read them carefully.
So I asked for clarification.
I requested the sections of the governing documents supporting the notices.
I submitted photographs.
I asked whether the same standards were being applied throughout the development.
The HOA president replied with a single sentence.
Residents who wish to enjoy the benefits of Willow Brook Estates must respect the authority of its elected leadership.
I stared at the email.
My wife read it over my shoulder.
Then she raised an eyebrow.
"She thinks she's running a country."
I laughed.
"Apparently a very small one."
Neither of us understood how serious the situation would become.
The first package disappeared in early February.
It was a box containing replacement parts for a small kitchen appliance. The items cost less than fifty dollars, and I wasn't especially concerned at first. The tracking information showed that the package had been delivered at 2:14 p.m., but when I arrived home at six, it wasn't there.
I checked the porch.
Then the garage.
Then the side entrance.
Nothing.
I contacted the delivery company.
They provided a photograph showing the package beside our front door.
I assumed somebody had taken it.
Porch theft happened.
I was annoyed, but I didn't think the incident was part of anything larger.
I contacted the retailer and followed the claim process.
A replacement arrived several days later.
Then another package disappeared.
This one contained art supplies my wife had ordered for a student workshop.
She was frustrated.
The supplies weren't expensive, but she'd needed them for an event that weekend.
We checked the tracking information.
Delivered.
Photographed.
Gone.
I asked our neighbors whether they'd seen anyone near the house.
Nobody had.
The next incident involved a birthday present for our son.
My wife had ordered a model car kit he'd been talking about for months. It was supposed to arrive two days before his birthday, and she'd arranged for delivery while I was working from home.