I turned toward her.
"Yes."
She looked at Linda.
"You told me my house had drainage problems."
Linda said:
"It did."
The woman held up a document.
"The county inspection says it didn't."
The room erupted.
I moved to the next slide.
PAYMENTS TO HOA MANAGEMENT COMPANY.
Linda stood.
"This is irrelevant."
Daniel stepped forward.
"It is very relevant."
She looked at him.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Daniel Price. I'm Mr. Reed's attorney."
Linda's face changed.
Daniel continued:
"I've reviewed the records."
He placed a folder on the table.
"Your management company received over $180,000 from entities connected to Brookstone Development Partners."
Silence.
Linda's voice became defensive.
"Those were legitimate consulting payments."
"Perhaps."
Daniel opened the folder.
"Then explain why the payments increased immediately after homeowners received violation notices."
No answer.
I played the security footage.
Linda entering my property.
Linda approaching my garage.
Linda speaking with Gregory Shaw.
Linda pointing toward my house.
Then I showed photographs of the original Mercedes.
Inside my garage.
Without permission.
The room became louder.
Linda slammed her hand against the table.
"This is harassment!"
I looked at her.
"No."
I paused.
"This is documentation."
Then came the final piece.
Daniel displayed an email.
From Linda.
To Gregory Shaw.
The subject line read:
RE: REED PROPERTY
The email was short.
He will eventually sell. Increase the pressure.
The room went completely silent.
Linda stared at the screen.
Nobody moved.
Nobody spoke.
Then one homeowner stood.
"How much was my house worth?"
Linda didn't answer.
He asked again.
"How much?"
Another homeowner stood.
"How much did you expect to make from mine?"
Then another.
Then another.
Suddenly Linda was surrounded by the people she had spent years ordering around.
For once, nobody was listening to her.
The county investigator arrived ten minutes later.
Nobody had told us he was coming.
Apparently, Daniel had submitted the evidence before the meeting.
Two investigators entered the room.
One approached Linda.
"Ms. Prescott."
She turned.
"Yes?"
"We need to speak with you."
"About what?"
"Potential financial misconduct involving the association."
Her face went pale.
"That's ridiculous."
The investigator held up a document.
"Then you'll have no problem answering questions."
She looked toward the board.
Nobody helped her.
Not one person.
The investigation lasted months.
Linda resigned.
Gregory Shaw's development company was audited.
The HOA management company lost its contract.
Several property transactions were reviewed.
Two homeowners filed civil lawsuits.
Then the county announced that the proposed development had been suspended.
The land couldn't be assembled.
The project couldn't proceed.