A man in the back raised his hand.
“Why didn’t the board stop it?”
Charles was sitting along the side wall.
I looked at him.
“That is a question for the former board.”
Charles stood.
To his credit, he answered.
“Because I failed.”
The room became completely still.
“I knew the policy had not been properly adopted.”
Murmurs.
“I allowed enforcement to continue because I believed formal approval would happen later.”
Anger spread through the room.
He held up both hands.
“I was wrong.”
Someone shouted, “You gave them our keys!”
Charles did not defend himself.
“Yes.”
That meeting lasted three hours.
People yelled.
Cried.
Demanded refunds.
Demanded resignations from people who had already resigned.
But underneath the anger, something useful happened.
Residents stopped treating the HOA like a mysterious authority.
They asked questions.
Show us the bylaws.
Show us the vote.
Show us the contract.
Who approved this?
