Emma had stopped drawing and was looking up at us, scared. Tyler had started to tear up. Patricia pointed at them with her pen. The rules apply to everyone, including children. You have 24 hours to pressure wash this driveway or you'll be fined $200 per day until it's removed.
Are you out of your mind? Her eyes went cold. I've noted your hostile attitude in my report. That's an additional $100 fine for verbal harassment of an HOA board member. And then she got back in her Lexus and drove away.
I stood there shaking with anger while my kids asked if they were in trouble. But here's what I didn't know. That little confrontation was just Patricia warming up. The next day, Sunday, it rained. The chalk washed away naturally.
Problem solved. Right. Wrong. Monday morning, I got an email. A formal violation notice with photos.
Photos that Patricia must have taken before it rained because our driveway was covered in chalk drawings. Failure to comply with directive within 24-hour window. Fine. $200 per day for two days. Total for $100 payment due within 10 days or lean will be placed on property. I forwarded it to Jake at work with the subject line, "This woman has lost it.
He called me during his lunch break. Don't pay it. That's absolute nonsense. There's no way that holds up. I'll handle it when I get home. " But Patricia wasn't done.
That afternoon, I was in my home office on a Zoom call with a client when I heard Emma scream. I'm talking blood curdling, terrified screaming. I dropped everything and ran outside. Patricia was in our front yard. She had Emma by the upper arm and was physically pulling her toward the sidewalk.
My seven-year-old daughter was crying and trying to pull away. "Let go of my daughter," I screamed. She was drawing with chalk again. Patricia shouted back, "This is a repeated violation, and I'm within my rights to confiscate the materials. " She was drawing on paper with crayons in our own yard. I reached them and physically put myself between Patricia and Emma, pulling my daughter behind me.
Emma was sobbing. There were red marks on her arm where Patricia had grabbed her. "You just put your hands on my child," I said, my voice shaking. Get off my property right now or I'm calling the police. Patricia's face twisted into this ugly smirk.
Call them. I'm an HOA board president acting within my authority. Your husband may be a cop, but he can't do anything about HOA regulations. This neighborhood has rules, and you will follow them. She turned and walked away, but called back over her shoulder.
Emergency board meeting tomorrow night. 700 p.m. Your family will be discussed. I suggest you attend. I took Emma inside, checked her armit was already bruising and took photos.
Then I called Jake. He left work early. And when I say my husband was angry, I mean I'd never seen him that angry in 15 years of marriage. She put hands on our daughter. He kept saying, "She physically grabbed our child.