Before Victoria could shout another demand, the heavy roar of a vehicle pulling onto the driveway echoed from the front of the house.
Stepping through the side wooden gate onto the patio was Regional Land Commissioner Arthur Davies, accompanied by two County Sheriff Investigators.
"Mrs. Sterling," Commissioner Davies announced, his deep baritone silencing the backyard. "Step away from the resident."
Victoria turned around, her eyes widening in sudden unease: "Commissioner Davies? What is this? I am executing an administrative HOA compliance enforcement—"
"You are executing an illegal extortion scheme," Commissioner Davies interrupted coldly, pulling a legal warrant from his folio. "The State Attorney General’s Office has spent three months auditing the Palm Ridge HOA accounts after receiving multiple fraudulent easement reports."
The color instantly vanished from Victoria’s face.
"A... an audit?" she stammered.
"You altered public registry maps to falsely claim private resident parcels as HOA property, attempting to force fraudulent buyouts and seize equity for your shell development company," Commissioner Davies stated with crushing finality.