Evelyn wasn't trying to maintain the neighborhood.
She was trying to establish control over us.
And she had chosen the wrong couple to test.
CHAPTER 3 — THE PAPER WAR
The notices became more frequent.
We started keeping copies in a binder.
Every date.
Every photograph.
Every fine.
Every email.
Claire never threatened Evelyn.
She simply documented everything.
One evening, I found her at the kitchen table reading the association bylaws.
“She's counting on people being intimidated by paperwork,” Claire said.
“Can she actually force us out?”
“No.”
Claire tapped the page.
“But she can make life miserable if nobody challenges her.”
A week later, Evelyn sent a notice claiming Claire had violated a neighborhood rule by installing a small security camera.
The camera was inside our garage.
It pointed toward our own driveway.
We appealed.
The appeal was denied.
Then something stranger happened.
A contractor working on the neighborhood's drainage system mentioned that Evelyn had asked him for our property records.
“Why?” I asked.
He shrugged.
“She said there was an ownership dispute.”