“About?”
“You know.”
“I probably do.”
The vice-president sighed.
“We need to hold an emergency board meeting.”
“Then hold one.”
“She won’t schedule it.”
“Your bylaws allow a majority of directors to call special session.”
Silence.
The homeowner continued.
“Article five.”
The man almost laughed.
“You’ve read our bylaws more carefully than we have.”
“That has been necessary.”
The vice-president sighed again.
“She says the association is legally obligated to defend her.”
“Is it?”
“We don’t know.”
“Ask counsel.”
“She is the person who normally speaks with counsel.”
“Then elect someone else to make the call.”
Another silence.
The vice-president finally said:
“I’m sorry.”
The homeowner looked out at the street.
“For what?”
“For letting this get this far.”
That surprised him.
The vice-president continued.
“We should have stopped the fines earlier.”
“We kept telling ourselves she was overzealous but effective.”
“She handled the vendors.”
“Meetings.”
“Collections.”
“Everything.”
“She also made people miserable.”
The homeowner said nothing.
The man continued.
“And we let the first part excuse the second.”
The homeowner thought about the shattered Rolls-Royce.
“Then don’t make the same mistake now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t protect her because removing her creates work for you.”
The vice-president was quiet.
“Fair.”
The emergency meeting happened that evening.
Not because the HOA president scheduled it.
Because four of seven board members invoked the special-session provision.
The community clubhouse filled beyond capacity.
Residents stood along walls.
Some brought printed covenants.
Some came because of the video.
Some because they hated the president.
Some because they supported her.
The Black homeowner almost did not attend.
His attorney advised:
“Go.”
“Why?”
“Because she will make you the subject if you aren’t there.”
He went.
Sat in the back.
No speech prepared.
The HOA president entered in another white suit.
No sunglasses.
Her blonde bob immaculate.
She carried a new green folder.
The room murmured.
She sat at the center of the board table.
Opened the meeting.
“Before we begin, I want to address the malicious misinformation circulating—”
The vice-president interrupted.
“We have a motion first.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“What motion?”
“To appoint independent counsel for the association regarding yesterday’s incident.”
She stared.
“We already have counsel.”
“Association counsel has a conflict because you are seeking personal representation under the same policy.”
“I am the board president.”
“Yes.”
“That does not eliminate conflict.”
She looked toward the other directors.
Three nodded.
The motion passed five to two.
Her face tightened.
Then came the second motion.
Temporary suspension of unilateral enforcement authority pending legal review.
She stared.
“You cannot do that.”
The vice-president opened the bylaws.
“Article seven.”
The homeowner almost smiled.
Someone had been reading.
The president looked toward the Black homeowner.