That unnerved both of them.
Three minutes later, the HOA President tried again.
“This has gone too far.”
The homeowner looked at her.
“You climbed into my yard.”
“It is community property.”
“No.”
“The association has inspection authority.”
“Not like this.”
“We can enter when there is an active violation.”
“No.”
She pointed at the pool.
“That pool is the violation.”
He said, “You have been told three times by association counsel that the pool is compliant.”
Her face froze.
Her son looked at her.
“What?”
The homeowner continued.
“You received the first legal opinion in March.”
The HOA President said nothing.
“The second came after your emergency board meeting in April.”
Nothing.
“And the third came after you tried to fine me for refusing a private inspection.”
Her son stared.
“You told us he never responded.”
The HOA President snapped, “This is board business.”
The homeowner said, “No.”
His voice hardened for the first time.
“This is exactly how you keep people confused.”
She looked at him.
“Different story for every person.”
He nodded toward her son.
“You tell residents the board authorized something.”
Then toward her.
“You tell the board the residents agreed.”
He looked toward the open gate.
“And when neither is true, you rely on people not comparing notes.”
The HOA President’s face lost color.
Her son stepped back.
“What are you talking about?”
The homeowner looked at him.
“You really don’t know?”
The son hesitated.
His mother interrupted.
“We are not discussing association matters with him.”
The homeowner almost laughed.
“Your mother has made association matters very public.”
A siren sounded faintly in the distance.
The HOA President turned toward the street.
The son looked down at the bat.
Then at the homeowner.
“Am I getting arrested?”
The homeowner answered honestly.
“I don’t know.”
The son’s breathing changed.
The HOA President whispered, “He’s trying to scare you.”
The homeowner heard.
He said, “I’m trying to make sure nobody gets hurt.”
The son looked at him.
The homeowner continued.
“You brought a bat into someone else’s fenced yard during a confrontation.”
The son swallowed.
“That’s serious even if you never swing it.”
The son nodded.
The HOA President said, “He had no intention of hurting anyone.”
The homeowner looked at her.
“Then why bring it?”
She had no answer.
The siren grew louder.
A patrol SUV stopped outside the house.
Then another.
Two county deputies entered through the side gate.
Both immediately noticed the bat.
One deputy pointed.
“Nobody touch that.”
The homeowner raised both hands slightly.
The HOA President began talking at once.
“Officer, thank goodness. This man is creating a scene over a routine HOA inspection.”
The first deputy looked at the homeowner.
Then at her.
“Who called?”
“I did,” the homeowner said.
The deputy nodded.
“Who owns the property?”
“I do.”
The HOA President interrupted.
“He is a member of our association.”
The deputy looked at her.
“That wasn’t the question.”
She closed her mouth.
The second deputy spoke to the son.
“That yours?”