Karen suddenly became angry.
"You can't just steal something that belongs to me!"
I shook my head.
"Karen, the pool is on my property."
"No, it isn't."
"Then let's get a licensed surveyor."
Karen's face changed.
That was the moment I knew something was wrong.
She wasn't afraid of the police.
She wasn't afraid of the documents.
But she was afraid of a new survey.
I asked Deputy Harris whether he could recommend that we resolve the boundary dispute through the proper civil process.
He nodded.
"That's probably the appropriate route."
Karen stepped forward.
"No! He needs to refill the pool."
I stared at her.
"Why?"
"Because it's mine."
"Why do you need my pool?"
She didn't answer.
I asked again.
"Why are you so determined to have that pool?"
Karen looked away.
Deputy Harris noticed it too.
"Ma'am?"
She finally said:
"Because my house is going on the market."
Silence.
I looked at her.
"What does that have to do with my pool?"
Karen didn't answer.
Deputy Collins did.
"You're saying the pool is part of the property you're selling?"
Karen looked at him.
"Well..."
That single word told us everything.
The Real Reason
Karen eventually admitted that she had planned to list her house as having a private pool.
There was just one problem.
Her house didn't have a pool.
Mine did.
Apparently, a real estate agent had told her that buyers would pay considerably more if the property was advertised as having access to a private pool.
Karen had apparently taken that suggestion literally.
She wanted the pool included in her listing.
Not legally.
Not physically.
Just on paper.
And she had convinced herself that an old property sketch could somehow make it legitimate.
I couldn't believe it.
"So you were planning to sell your house using my pool?"
Karen snapped back.
"It's practically on my property."