Others wanted the president removed before she caused additional damage.
A few blamed me.
They argued that I should have told everyone the car's value before moving into the neighborhood.
One man confronted me at the mailbox.
He was a middle-aged homeowner who drove an expensive SUV and usually attended HOA meetings only when landscaping expenses were discussed.
He looked irritated.
"Why didn't you just tell her it was worth four million?"
I stared.
Then answered.
"Because she didn't have the right to destroy it even if it was worth four dollars."
He frowned.
"That's not the point."
I shook my head.
"That is exactly the point."
For a moment, we looked at each other.
Then I continued.
"If someone smashed your car because they didn't like the color, would you need to prove its value before expecting them to stop?"
The man looked away.
He didn't apologize.
But he stopped arguing.
I walked back toward my house feeling tired.
I didn't want a war with my neighbors.
I wanted to live in peace.
But peace built on accepting someone else's abuse wasn't peace at all.
The younger board accountant requested an independent review of the HOA's vendor relationships.
The board approved it after a contentious meeting in which the president accused several directors of attempting to undermine her authority.
The review examined payments to Premier Recovery and Disposal over the previous three years.
Some were ordinary.
The company had removed abandoned vehicles from common parking areas under documented procedures.
Others raised questions.
Several invoices contained emergency fees that weren't explained adequately.
Two jobs lacked complete board authorization records.
And one payment had been processed through an account normally used for landscape maintenance rather than vehicle enforcement.
The accountant also reviewed conflict-of-interest disclosures.
He found no complete record showing that the president formally disclosed her family connection to Premier's owner before the disputed contracts were approved.
For several seconds, he stared at the report.
Then he called the association's outside counsel.
The lawyer listened.
Then advised the board to preserve the records, address the conflict, and avoid allowing the president to direct the review of her own conduct.
The board scheduled another meeting.
This time, the president arrived without her usual smile.
She looked around at the directors.
Then asked whether they were planning to remove her.
The accountant answered carefully.
"We're reviewing governance and vendor authorization."
She laughed bitterly.
"After everything I've done for this community?"
He nodded.
"We're reviewing the records because of what happened to this community."