visible moving boxes, and failure to register as a new resident
within forty-eight hours.
Marcus photographed the sleeve, the door, and the damp
footprint on the porch tile. Then he lifted the paper by its edges.
His Ford was not a work vehicle. The moving boxes were
inside the house, visible only if someone stood at a front window
and looked through a gap in the blinds. The registration rule did
not appear in the bylaws Thomas had given him.
A handwritten note at the bottom read: Continued
noncompliance may affect access to community amenities and
result in legal action.
Nia arrived before lunch. She read the notice and said, “She is
either very brave or very stupid.”
“Those qualities travel together more often than people think.”
“Please tell me you have cameras in the garage.”
“I have them now.”
G ET O U T O F T H IS N EI G H B O R H O O D
23
They installed two additional devices, one facing the driveway
and another covering the back gate. Marcus placed a notrespassing notice where it could be seen without looking like a
challenge. He disliked living defensively, but he disliked being
surprised more.
Priya Shah came over that afternoon. She wore a navy suit and
sneakers, having changed shoes after court but not clothes. At
thirty-nine, she had a precise voice and the tired humor of
someone who spent her days explaining rules to people who
believed rules were for other people.
“This is not my practice area,” she said after reading the notice.
“But bad paperwork offends me across specialties.”
“Can the association deny amenity access?”
“Possibly for unpaid assessments, not for refusing to give
Susan your employer.”
“Legal action?”
“Anyone can threaten it. Winning is less convenient.”
Priya opened her laptop. Maryland corporate records showed
the Cedar Ridge Community Association as a nonprofit. Annual
reports listed Susan as president, Harold Whitmore as registered
agent, and Harold’s accounting business as the mailing address.
The association’s public filings were current but sparse.
“Members are entitled to inspect certain records,” Priya said.
“Budgets, meeting minutes, contracts, bank statements,
depending on the governing documents and applicable statutes.”
“Have you asked?”
“Twice. They provided summaries.”
“Not records.”
“No.”
G ET O U T O F T H IS N EI G H B O R H O O D
24
Marcus placed Ava’s violation notice beside his. Both used the
same form. The numbering at the bottom jumped from 0417 to
0892, though they were issued eight months apart.
“Could be a generic document number,” Priya said.
“Could be. Or they want people to think there are more
violations than exist.”
Priya smiled. “You really are retired, aren’t you?”
“I am sitting in my own kitchen in the middle of a weekday.”
“That was not my question.”
Together they drafted a records request. It asked for board
minutes, enforcement policies, violation logs, fine schedules,
amenity suspensions, legal invoices, security contracts,
landscaping contracts, and bank records for the prior three years.
Marcus insisted that the request come from him as a member, not
from Priya as counsel.
“I want to see whether they treat a homeowner differently
before a lawyer appears,” he said.
“You already know the answer.”
“I suspect. Knowing requires evidence.”
They sent it by certified mail and email.
The response arrived forty minutes later.
The board considers your request abusive, burdensome, and
retaliatory. Cedar Ridge will not be intimidated by your former
occupation.
Priya leaned back from the screen. “She managed to admit
knowledge of your occupation, characterize a lawful records
request as intimidation, and speak for an entire board without a
meeting.”
“She’s efficient.”
G ET O U T O F T H IS N EI G H B O R H O O D
25
The next day, a security patrol vehicle stopped outside 814. The
guard, a college student named Caleb, photographed Marcus’s
truck and front elevation. Marcus walked to the curb.
“Can I help you?”
Caleb looked embarrassed. “Routine compliance survey.”
“Of every house?”
“Yes, sir.”
Marcus glanced down the street. No other homes had been
photographed. “Who assigned it?”
“The association.”
“Name?”
Caleb swallowed. “Our account instructions come through Mrs.
Whitmore.”
“Please include in your report that I asked the purpose, that
you stated it was a neighborhood-wide survey, and that I
observed no other property being photographed.”
Caleb lowered the camera. “Sir, I’m just doing my job.”
“I know. Accurate reporting is part of it.”
The young man nodded. Before leaving, he said quietly, “She
gave us a photo of your truck Saturday morning. Told us to call if
it entered after midnight.”
“Saturday morning was before the hose incident.”
Caleb’s face showed that he understood the significance. Susan
had been monitoring Marcus before she claimed not to know
who he was.
“Would you put that in writing?” Marcus asked.
“I could lose my job.”
“I won’t pressure you. Preserve the instruction if it exists.”