Chapter 3 - The Board Meeting
Wednesday night was the monthly HOA board meeting, held in the community clubhouse. Usually, these meetings were attended by a half-dozen bored retirees complaining about trash pickup. Tonight, it was standing room only. Evelyn had made sure of it.
I walked into the back of the room just as Evelyn took the podium. She wore a sharp crimson blazer, looking every bit the tyrannical queen of her tiny suburban kingdom. Craig Miller, the landscaper, stood by the door, trying to look intimidating.
"And finally, on the agenda," Evelyn announced, her voice echoing through the PA system, "we must address the unfortunate incident at the Sterling residence. As a community, we value safety and compliance. Mr. Sterling has shown a blatant disregard for both."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some neighbors looked at me with pity; others, poisoned by Evelyn's rumors, glared.
"The board has voted unanimously to initiate foreclosure proceedings due to unpaid fines and vendor assault," Evelyn continued, her eyes locking onto mine with malicious glee. "We will not allow our property values to be degraded by unhinged individuals who refuse to maintain their homes."
I raised my hand and stepped forward. "Point of order, Madam President."
Evelyn’s smile tightened. "Mr. Sterling, you are out of order."
"Actually, according to Section 4, Paragraph B of our bylaws, any homeowner facing a lien has the right to address the board on the record," I said, projecting my command voice—the one that used to cut through the roar of helicopter rotors. The room fell dead silent.
I walked down the center aisle, pulling a digital recorder from my pocket and placing it on the front table. "I just have one question, Evelyn. The valuation report you filed with the county to justify the lien... who conducted that appraisal?"
Evelyn’s eyes flickered, just for a fraction of a second. "That is an internal board matter. It was conducted by a licensed third party."
"A third party named Apex Realty Solutions?" I asked.
Craig Miller shifted uncomfortably by the door.
"Yes," Evelyn clipped. "Now, if you are done—"
"Apex Realty Solutions," I interrupted, turning to face the crowd, "is an LLC registered in Delaware. Its primary shareholder is a woman named Patricia Cross—your sister, Evelyn. And the primary contractor for Apex is Craig Miller. You aren't protecting property values. You're artificially deflating them, seizing the homes, and selling them to your sister's company at a fraction of their worth."
The clubhouse erupted.
May you like
Evelyn slammed her gavel down, her face flushed dark red. "This is defamation! You are a liar and a menace! Get out of this building before I have you arrested again!"
I picked up my recorder, pocketed it, and smiled. "I’ll see you on Friday, Evelyn."
