“I have enough.”
“You manage contracts for a living.”
“That doesn't mean—”
“You once found a six-thousand-dollar landscaping billing error because somebody used the wrong mulch code.”
“It was the wrong mulch code.”
“Exactly.”
Naomi sighed.
Camille smiled.
“You're going to check.”
Naomi hated being predictable.
Sunday morning, she checked.
Only the leaf-blower rule.
Nothing else.
That was what she told herself.
She opened the HOA portal.
Meeting packet.
Proposal 11.4-C.
Title:
Weekend Mechanical Noise Restriction.
Draft language.
No yard equipment between eight and ten Saturday morning.
Several board members objected.
One said it conflicted with existing lawn-maintenance contracts.
Another said the definition was too broad.
One suggested limiting only gas-powered equipment rather than electric.
Motion:
Return to committee.
Vote:
5-2.
Clear.
Not adopted.
Yet Marjorie’s notice stated:
Effective immediately.
Naomi downloaded everything.
Then she checked the notice metadata.
Generated using the HOA’s official template.
Date.
Time.
Saturday morning, 7:43.
Before Naomi even turned on the leaf blower.
Naomi stared.
That meant the notice was not created in reaction to the noise.
Marjorie had prepared it before arriving.
Maybe because she saw Naomi’s yard equipment earlier.
Maybe she planned enforcement against multiple residents.
Naomi emailed vice president Daniel Price.
Please confirm whether Community Standard 11.4-C is currently adopted and enforceable.
He replied forty minutes later.
No. It remains in committee.
Naomi stared at the answer.
Then:
Did the board authorize President Vale to issue notices under it?
Longer wait.
Two hours.
Response:
No.
That should have ended it.
Instead, Monday morning brought three neighbors.
First, Carlos Benton.
He had a pressure washer violation.
Standard 12.2-D.
Noise.
Naomi searched.
Proposal.
Never adopted.
Second, Linda Foster.
Fine for leaving decorative string lights on a rear patio.
Standard 8.7-A.
Naomi found it.
Draft guideline.
No board vote.
Third, Harold Kim.
Notice requiring removal of a basketball hoop under a setback rule revised by committee but never finalized.
Naomi looked at the three papers on her kitchen table.
“Who told you to bring these?”
Carlos looked embarrassed.
“Tracy.”
Of course.
Naomi called her.
“You are sending people to my house.”
Tracy replied:
“Yes.”
“Stop.”
“They have paperwork.”
“Send them to the board.”
“They don't trust the board.”
“I am not the board.”
“Exactly.”
Naomi closed her eyes.
“I’m not doing an investigation.”
“No.”
“I mean it.”
“Okay.”
“You don't believe me.”
“Not even slightly.”
Naomi hung up.
Then made a spreadsheet.
She hated Tracy.
By Wednesday:
Seventeen notices.
Some valid.
Naomi separated them.
Green.
Rule existed.
Yellow.
Unclear.
Red.
No matching adopted standard.
Eight green.
Four yellow.
Five red.
She did not declare any invalid.